£1,200
FIRST EDITION, 21 vols., 8vo, various paginations + 4 folding plates, 2 folding maps (one in colour), 9 engraved plates, 4 folding tables and 4 engraved maps. Contemporary calf. Some spotting, occasional light staining, paper flaw to one leaf in vol. 8 touching text without loss, a few other short handling tears. Uniformly rebacked, spines lettered in gilt, extremities a bit worn, some joints cracking and one board detached.
Sir John Sinclair's magisterial magnum opus, conceived when Sinclair was an elder in the Church of Scotland - 'a detailed account of the geography, history, economy, and society of every parish' in Scotland. Sinclair achieved this through a dogged and determined letter-writing campaign, following up his questionnaires until a bare dozen of the country's 936 parishes had to be covered by editorial staff. Sinclair initially intended to summarise the material but opted to edit it instead, preserving the flavour of the language of his clergymen respondees. The result was a reference work for the ages, 'the most frequently quoted of all Scottish historical sources,' (ODNB) and now hard to find complete with all plates in uniform binding, as here.
