Lot 235
Edinburgh
Large collection of almanacs, 18th-20th century
Auction: From the Library of Professor Roland Paxton | 01 October 2026 from 10am | Lots 221 to 252
Description
The Town and Country Almanack. Edinburgh: Robert and Richard Wilsons, 1777. 12mo, contemporary sheep, with gilt stamp of the Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow to front board, engraved folding map by H. Gavin ('A Map of the present Seat of War in North Africa', opening to 21 x 26cm) bound as frontispiece, bound without the 2 unnumbered final leaves with tables of the 'fiars' [sic] for Mid-lothian, East-lothian, and the 'Sheriffdom of Fife' noted by ESTC, manuscript recipes to rear blanks, joints cracked, front board near-detached [ESTC N63948, tracing 4 copies, the NLS copy lacking the map];
The Town and Country Almanack. Edinburgh: Thomas Ruddiman, 1791. 12mo, contemporary calf, covers with gilt Greek-key frame, front cover with gilt stamp of the Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow, engraved folding frontispiece view of George Street, Edinburgh (hand-coloured), red duty-stamp to title-page, spine repaired [ESTC T17768, 3 copies traced];
The Edinburgh Almanack. Edinburgh: R. Fleming, 1764. 12mo, contemporary parchment binding with envelope flap, red duty-stamp to title-page, contemporary manuscript annotations including servants' wages to blanks [ESTC N472071, 2 copies traced];
[Sammelband of Scottish almanacs for 1868, comprising: Oliver & Boyd's New Edinburgh Almanac, Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1868; The Western Supplement to Oliver & Boyd's New Edinburgh Almanac for 1868, Glasgow: David Robertson [1862]; The Haddingtonshire Register for 1868, Haddington: Adam Neill, [1868]; Fife, Kinross and Clackmannan Register and County Lists, for 1868, Cupar: John C. Orr, [1868]; Morison's Perth and Perthshire Register for 1868. Perth: Morison and Duncan, [1868]; Rodgers' Town and County Lists of Angus and Mearns, Mtrose: Alexander Rodgers, 1868; Supplement for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire [half-title only, unknown if title-page issued]; Northern Supplement to Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanac for 1868, Aberdeen, D. Chalmers & Company, 1868. 8 works in 1 volume, 8vo, approx., 1500 pp. in total, contemporary straight-grain red morocco, rebacked, manuscript catch-title for each section to fore edge on alternating red, white and blue ground;
and approx. 35 others, Oliver & Boyd Edinburgh almanacs, 19th and 20th century, variously in red leather or cloth bindings (approx. 40)
Provenance
From the collection of the late Professor Roland Paxton MBE FICE FRSE (1932-2025), 'Britain's foremost historian of civil engineering' (Telegraph, obituary, 12th November 2025); Professor Paxton was also a leading conservationist of Britain's engineering heritage, and led successful campaigns to restore two of the world's most important railway structures, the Laigh Milton Viaduct in Ayrshire, the world's oldest surviving railway bridge, and the Union Chain Bridge, the world's oldest suspension bridge still carrying road traffic.