History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Leicestershire and Rutland (1846) – By William White
 
First Edition | Antiquarian Hardback | 704pp 
Publisher: Printed for the Author by Robert Leader, Independent Office, Sheffield
Date: 1846 (First Edition)
Binding: Black cloth with gilt lettering
Size: Approx. 18.6 cm x 11.7 cm x 4.8 cm
Weight: Approx. 612 grams
 
Description:
 
This is the rare 1846 first edition of A History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Leicestershire, and the Small County of Rutland, compiled by William White. It also includes the adjacent towns of Grantham and Stamford, and offers exhaustive historical, statistical, and topographical descriptions of every hundred, parish, chapelry, manor, and village. The work contains population figures, agricultural and mineral data, information on fairs, benefices, and institutions, as well as listings of residents, magistrates, public officers, and more.
 
White’s directories were famously thorough, with this volume compiled following door-to-door canvassing:
“Every Parish, and almost every House in both Counties, has been visited, and the information either collected or verified on the spot…”
 
This copy does not contain a map, despite a reference to one. However, it includes a plate facing p. 704.
 
The marbled pastedowns and endpapers add elegance and historical charm. William White, born in 1799 in Sheffield, began his publishing career at age 18 and was responsible for similar county directories for Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk.
 
Condition:
 
The black cloth cover is intact, robust, and in good condition, with only minimal wear and a couple of small marks. It may have been rebound and may not be the original cover.
Gilt lettering remains legible and clear.
Pages are tanned consistent with age (nearly 180 years), with occasional light foxing, heavier in parts.
Edges of the pages are uneven and roughly cut, likely from original uncut leaves later separated by hand (pen knife). This has resulted in small edge tears, none affecting the text.
A small area of text is omitted on p. 515, likely a printing flaw (see photograph).
Ink inscription on the front flyleaf for “Albert Watchorn”, of “Eaton” (likely in Leicestershire) and small ink marks on p. 9.
There is a gutter crack near the preface, but the remaining text block is tight and secure.
No loose or missing pages; all 704 pages are present.
Please examine the photos carefully as they form part of the description.
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Historical Significance:
 
An essential reference for local historians, genealogists, and collectors, this directory captures Leicestershire and Rutland on the brink of the Victorian industrial boom. Few books of this nature were so comprehensively compiled.