The Justice of Peace's Vade Mecum: Being a Compleat Summary of All...
A Rare English JP Manual Based on Young and Blackerby [Great Britain]. [Justices of the Peaces]. The Justice of Peace's Vade Mecum: Being a Compleat Summary of All the Acts of Parliament Relating to Justices of Peace; Shewing the Various Offenses by Statute, And the Particular Power of One, Two, Three, Or More Justices, In Their Proceedings and Determinations, As Well In as Out of the Sessions, Under Several Distinct Heads. To Which are Added, Some Adjudged Cases Concerning Justices of Peace, And the Several Branches of Their Business; Instructions for Drawing All Manner of Warrants, Commitments, &c. In All Common Matters. The Whole Done in an Alphabetical Method, With an Exact Table. [London]: Printed by Eliz. Nutt and R. Gosling, 1719. [xiv], 250 pp. 12mo. (5-1/4" x 3-1/4"). Handsome period-style paneled calf (by J. May, London), outer sections speckled, raised bands, lettering piece and gilt ornaments to spine, black rules along pastedowns. Light rubbing to extremities, front board beginning to detach but secured by hinge, which is just starting at head. Title printed within ruled border. Light toning to text, somewhat heavier in a few places, rule at lower corner of title page touched by trimming due to printer error. Early owner annotation to front endleaf, early owner signature "John Harris", to head of title page. $750. * First and only edition. According to the preface, this anonymous work is drawn from the most useful parts of Blackerby's Justice of Peace (1711) and Young's Justices, Their Vade Mecum and Cornucopia (1620) with additional material by the author. The ownership signature at the top the title-page is "John Harris". While there are several possibilities when it comes to a relatively common name, this may well be the high-profile merchant and alderman John Harris (b. circa 1725, d. 1801) who served as Sheriff of Bristol twice in the 1770s, as well as being elected Mayor of the city in 1790. John Ryland opined on Harris's mayoralty, saying that when Harris "was chief magistrate of this city in 1790, he was enabled to discharge the duties of that office with great fidelity and respectability, and ever since he maintained the highest character for diligence and uprightness in his civil capacity" (Timothy D. Whelan, ed., Baptist Autographs in the John Rylands University Library of Manches.
Price: $750.00
Book number 65065