BURCHETT, Josiah.

A complete history of the most remarkable transactions at sea, from the earliest accounts of time to the conclusion of the last war with France. Wherein is given an account of the most considerable naval-expeditions, sea-fights, stratagems, discoveries, and other maritime occurrences that have happen'd among all nations which have flourished at sea: and in a more particular manner of Great Britain, from the time of the revolution, in the year 1688, to the aforesaid period. Adorn'd with sea-charts adapted to the History. With an exact index of the names of all the places where any conside...

London, printed by W. B. for J. Walthoe, 1720. Folio (310 x 200 mm), pp. [liv], 800, [33], [1, blank], with 11 plates (nine folding); some plates browned; occasional light soiling; contemporary pannelled calf; rebacked with new endpapers. First edition. ‘This volume is particularly important in the literature of naval history, not only as a narrative of naval operations in the Nine Years’ War and the War of the Spanish Succession, but as the first general naval history written in the English language’ (Oxford DNB). In 1703 Burchett had published his Memoirs of transactions at sea during the war with France, a naval history of the Nine Years’ War based on official reports in the Admiralty office. This had been criticized by Colonel Luke Lillington who questioned Burchett’s credibility. The latter deflected the personal attack by turning it into a discussion of military and naval practices, and the result was this 1720 work, which incorporated the Memoirs into parts four and five of the Complete history.As a successor of Samuel Pepys and secretary of the Admiralty between 1694 and 1742, Burchett’s ‘greatest achievement was to convert his office from that of a political appointee to that of a civil servant; this brought enormous stability and cumulative expertise to the management of England’s sea affairs. His monument lies in the mass of well-ordered Admiralty files in the Public Record Office and in his Complete history, the first naval history to be written from those files’ (Oxford DNB).This copy with the ownership inscription of Captain William Clevland of Tapeley Park, Devon, a naval officer who commanded the Montague during the War of the Spanish Succession and whose exploits are mentioned in Burchett’s history. As well as the bookplate and ownership inscription of his son, John Clevland, secretary of the Admiralty after Thomas Corbett (Burchett’s successor), and an MP for Saltash and later the Admiralty seat of Cinque Ports.Alden 720/38; NMM V 1017; Sabin 9205.

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• 订书号：: T2660

• 书商: Bernard Quaritch Ltd. (GREAT BRITAIN)