1744 Second Edition – The Itinerary of John Leland the Antiquary, Vols III & IV
Volumes III & IV in One/Rare Leather-Bound Book with Walpole Provenance & Early British Itinerary
Bound in full calf with the Walpole coat of arms, this rare and historically significant volume brings together Volumes 3 and 4 of The Itinerary of John Leland, as published in 1744 by the esteemed antiquarian Thomas Hearne. This second edition includes annotations, early topographical accounts of Britain, and a fascinating Ex Libris link to the Walpole family: a political dynasty with deep historical roots in Georgian England.
Features & Historical Significance
Volumes III & IV bound in one volume
Published: Oxford, printed at the Theatre for James Fletcher & Joseph Pote, MDCCXLIV (1744)
Compiled by: Thomas Hearne, from original manuscripts in the Bodleian Library
Includes:
Antoninus’s Itinerary through Britain with variant readings and annotations by Dr. Robert Talbot
An Appendix and Account of Antiquities found in Yorkshire
Several illustrations, including those on pages X and 3 of Volume IV
Sprinkled edges throughout
Provenance: Bookplate for Thomas Walpole, with the Walpole family coat of arms on the front pastedown
Binding & Condition
This handsome over 280-year-old volume is bound in full calf leather, with gilt-ruled boards and a panelled spine featuring raised bands. The spine retains a gilt-decorated title label, though both the label and gilt have partially worn. The leather boards remain intact but show significant age-related wear: long splits to the hinges, rubbing to edges, chipping to corners, and partial loss to the spine head and tail.
Inside, the pages are lightly tanned, with occasional foxing and darker patches. The front flyleaves are loose and creased, and several gutters are cracked (including near the title page and rear endpapers), but the text block remains largely secure. Aside from light pencil on the bookplate page, the interior is free from inscriptions or annotations. There are no missing pages, with all 174 pages of Volume III and 172 pages of Volume IV present and accounted for.
Notable Provenance: Thomas Walpole & the Walpole Family
The book features the Ex Libris plate of Thomas Walpole, descendant of the prominent Walpole political family. Thomas was cousin to Horace Walpole, the celebrated author and art historian, and relative of Robert Walpole, widely regarded as Britain’s first Prime Minister. The Walpole coat of arms, elegantly printed on the bookplate, signals this volume’s place in a lineage of political and cultural significance.
About John Leland (c.1503–1552)
Often called “the father of English local history", John Leland (c.1503–1552) was an English Renaissance antiquary, poet, and topographer. Appointed "King’s Antiquary" by Henry VIII, he travelled extensively across England and Wales to document the country’s religious, historical, and topographical landscape. His Itinerary is considered the foundational work of English local history. Leland personally accessed and catalogued monastic libraries before their dissolution, saving vast amounts of historical knowledge that might otherwise have been lost.
A Window into Early British Mapping
The inclusion of Antoninus’s Itinerary: a Roman register of routes and settlements across Britain, offers text-based insight into Roman-era geography and travel. While not a visual map, it is one of the earliest surviving documents used by scholars to reconstruct ancient road networks in Britain. This makes the volume not only a literary and antiquarian treasure, but also a valuable reference in the history of British cartography and topography.
Dimensions & Weight
Approx. 20.8 cm x 13.4 cm x 3.5 cm
Approx. 618 grams
This is a truly historic volume, linking together the roots of English antiquarian study, early documentation of Britain’s geography, and the personal library of one of England’s great political families. A standout piece for collectors of antiquarian books, English history, and notable provenance.