WALLACE, Thomas.

An Essay on the Manufactures of Ireland, in which is considered, to what manufactures her natural advantages are best suited; and what are the best means of improving such manufactures.

Dublin, Campbell & Shea, 1798. 8vo, pp. xx + errata leaf, 340; armorial bookplate of Thomas Aiskew Larcom to the front pastedown; cut along lower edge of pp. v–xii, not affecting text; small hole to p. xvii, with loss of one character; short tears to p. 295 repaired; lower outer corner of p. 309 torn away, not affecting text; occasional slight dusting, else a clean copy in contemporary full calf, gilt lettering piece to spine, worn at head. First edition. According to the preface, the present work was written and entered into the Royal Irish Academy’s competition of 1795, but failed to win the 50l. prize, because one of the contenders was on the committee judging the final winner. Wallace publishes it now ‘rather with diffidence than anxiety’ (p. xix). Of Wallace himself the only information available is that he was a barrister of King’s Inns and a member of the Royal Irish Academy. His essay is in three parts summarizing: Ireland’s political and legal structures and supply of raw materials, its individual industries and finally its trading legislation. Contained is a reasoned investigation of Ireland’s strengths and weaknesses in manufacturing industry citing statistics that compare Irish production to that of the rest of Great Britain.Provenance: This copy belonged to Sir Thomas Aiskew Larcom (1801–1879), who worked on the Irish Ordnance Survey from 1826, from 1828 organising its publication. ‘In the course of this work he conceived the idea that with such small opportunities a small additional cost would enable him … to draw together a work embracing every description of local information relating to Ireland’ (DNB). So thorough was the research that only one Parish was actually completed. He went on to be Under-Secretary of Ireland in 1853 and was knighted in 1860.Black 2035; Goldsmiths’ 17276; not in Kress.

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