Biography

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Peel, the man (2)

I am grateful to John Ireland for sending me this image.

If you, the reader, happens to have any further information about it, I would be happy to hear from you.

In 1838, this book plate was inserted into a book sent to Sir Robert Peel by the publisher John Murray. The inscription reads: To the Right Honourable SIR ROBERT PEEL, BART &c., &c. this collective edition of the works of his "SCHOOL AND FORM FELLOW" is respectfully inscribed by his faithful and obedient servant JOHN MURRAY February Fifth MDCCCXXXVII It seems that Lord Byron was the "school and form fellow" of Peel at Harrow; Byron died in 1824. John Murray started to republish Byron's work in 1837, with re-issues from 1838 to 1892. Murray appears to have sent the book to Peel for some reason.  John Murray also published Peel's works and was the editor of the Quarterly Review, the Tory answer to the Whig Edinburgh Review.  The publishing firm of John Murray is still in business.

In May 2009 I received a mail from Andrew Watson who said:

I have a copy of the [same] book myself and wanted to find out more about it. It has exactly the same printing as the one the photo shows on your site, and also has a handwritten inscription of:

Dr John Lloyd Wollen
from his affectionate brother Pringle
25th Sept 1852
Leipzig

I don't know anyhting about the book or these people and was wondering if you could help me out please?

In addition to these inscriptions there is another which is very hard to read as it is written on the spine, underneath the leather binding (it is not part of the binding itself but written on the book spine - I understand old binders would use anything including preprinted materials to make a biniding if required as the reader would never see it). The only reason I know of its existence is because of the book's weathered state, the binding has almost fully separated from the spine showing parts of the writing underneath. [The writing is in German and appears to be a dedication to a gallery in Dresden].

There is also a sticker inside the front cover with a drawing of a bridge, showing a city harbour through the middle and swans in front of the bridge with 'Ex libris Dr C.M.Jansen' above, and under the bridge either side of an all seeing eye symbol is written 'zu unseren zeiten verleih uns frieden'. It is signed Paul Constroem of Hamburg.

Again - any information would be more than welcome.