SOMERVILLE, E. OE, and ROSS, Martin [pseud. MARTIN, Violet]
Four 8vos. Original red boards, spine labels to each. Tissue guards to frontispieces. Boards a little bumped, sunned and worn, some light historical water damage to the front board of Further Experiences., but generally a very good set. Line drawings by Edith Somerville. Later editions, uniformly bound, ALL SIGNED BY EDITH SOMERVILLE, AND WITH THE CLIPPED SIGNATURE OF VIOLET MARTIN TIPPED IN TO EACH ALONGSIDE SOMERVILLE'S. Edith Somerville [1858-1949] and her writing partner, her cousin Violet Martin ('Martin Ross') [1862-1915] are best known for writing the Irish R.M. stories together. After Violet's death in 1915 Edith, a regular attender of seances and firm believer in the afterlife, continued to proclaim dual authorship of her books. All four titles featured here were written during Violet Martin's lifetime, and so were genuinely co-authored. Three of these volumes seem to have been prepared and presented by Edith Somerville to the Coghill wing of her family: the English literary scholar Nevill Coghill was Edith's nephew, and one of these titles -- The Real Charlotte -- bears his ownership signature. Quite why Violet's signature had to be gathered from elsewhere, given that she was still alive when these later editions were published, can't now be known, but it seems to have been done by Edith rather than another family member: in The Real Charlotte, Edith has written the word 'and' alongside her signature, suggesting that both signatures, in their different ways, came to appear on the title page at the same time. In the fourth volume -- Further Experiences Of An Irish R.M. -- both authors' signatures have been clipped and pasted in, presumably by a family member. Somerville and Ross books 'signed' by both authors are very scarce. Here are four, with impeccable provenance.
SOMERVILLE, E. OE
Large 8vo, pp. 200. Original red boards, lettered in gilt to spine. Edges uncut. Gilt to spine just a little faded, but a near fine copy lacking the publisher's slipcase. Frontispiece and seven further illustrations by the author. First edition. One of 375 copies SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR. NEVILL COGHILL'S COPY, INSCRIBED TO HIM BY HIS MOTHER FOR CHRISTMAS 1930 TO FRONT FREE ENDPAPER. Coghill was Professor of English Literature at Exeter College, Oxford, and Edith Somerville's nephew. Edith Somerville [1858-1949] and her writing partner, her cousin Violet Martin ('Martin Ross') [1862-1915] are best known for writing the Irish R.M. stories together. After Violet's death Edith, a firm believer in seances and the afterlife, continued to proclaim dual authorship of her books. This is one of the few she published under her name alone, and is an account of a visit Edith made to the United States: 'It is quite inadequate for so great a task, but it has at least the merit of sincerity, and it records experiences that were as interesting as they were agreeable.' (Edith's note on the book in Elizabeth Hudson's Somerville & Ross bibliography (New York: The Sporting Gallery & Bookshop, 1942)). A lovely family association.
SOMERVILLE, E. OE, and ROSS, Martin [pseud. MARTIN, Violet]
8vo, pp. 274. Original red boards, lettered in gilt to spine and blind stamped to front panel. Tissue guard to frontispiece. Slightly cocked, offsetting to endpapers, a little bumping to corners and light wear to spine ends. A very good copy. Frontispiece and nine further illustrations by Edith Somerville. New impression of the 1908 reissue, INSCRIBED TO NEVILL COGHILL BY CO-AUTHOR VIOLET MARTIN: 'Nevill Coghill from "Martin Ross" April 19, 1913.' The English literary scholar Nevill Coghill was the nephew of Edith Somerville, the co-author of this book. First published by Longmans in 1903. Edith Somerville [1858-1949] and her writing partner, her cousin Violet Martin ('Martin Ross') [1862-1915] are best known for writing the Irish R.M. stories together. After Violet's death in 1915 Edith, a firm believer in seances and the afterlife, continued to proclaim dual authorship of her books. This collection comprises eleven articles by the pair previously published in magazines, periodicals and anthologies. A scarce signature, and a close family association.
SOMERVILLE, E. OE, and ROSS, Martin [pseud. MARTIN, Violet]
8vo, pp. 280. Original blue boards, lettered in white and black to front panel and black to spine. Tissue guard to frontispiece. Lacking the dustwrapper. Binding a little loose, creasing to p.111, spine faded and with wear to ends. A very good copy. Frontispiece and 33 other illustrations by Edith Somerville. First edition. INSCRIBED BY EDITH SOMERVILLE TO HER NIECE, KATHARINE COGHILL: 'Edith OE. Somerville to Katharine Coghill. Hotel des Baignots, Dax, Landes, France. October 13. 1920.' SOMERVILLE'S OWN COPY, WITH HANDWRITTEN ERRATA LIST TIPPED IN TO REAR ENDPAPER. Edith Somerville [1858-1949] and her writing partner, her cousin Violet Martin ('Martin Ross') [1862-1915] are best known for writing the Irish R.M. stories together. After Violet's death in 1915 Edith, a regular attender of seances and believer in the afterlife, continued to proclaim dual authorship of her books. But this collection of studies and sketches, most of which had already appeared in print elsewhere, is indeed the work of both authors, and unusually their respective contributions are itemised here in the list of contents. This copy seems to have been proof-read shortly after publication by Somerville --her handwritten errata list is pasted in at the rear of the book -- before being inscribed and presented to her niece Katharine Coghill.
SOMERVILLE, E. OE, and ROSS, Martin [pseud. MARTIN, Violet]
8vo, pp. 311. Original green boards, lettered in gilt to spine. Slightly cocked, a little browning to preliminaries, but a very good copy, lacking the dustwrapper but for a portion of the spine laid in, having been used as a bookmark. First edition, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR TO TITLE PAGE, AND ADDITIONALLY INSCRIBED TO HER NIECE: 'To Katharine with love from D. Christmas 1938.' 'D' was the family diminuitive for Edith. The recipient was Katharine Johnston (née Coghill), whose bookplate adorns the front pastedown. Edith Somerville [1858-1949] and her writing partner, her cousin Violet Martin ('Martin Ross') [1862-1915] are best known for writing the Irish R.M. stories together. After Violet's death in 1915 Edith, a regular attender of seances and believer in the afterlife, continued to proclaim dual authorship of her books. A lovely family association copy of this late title.
SOMERVILLE, E. OE, and ROSS, Martin [pseud. MARTIN, Violet]
Square 8vo, pp. 134. Original orange boards, lettered in black to spine. Leading and bottom edges uncut. Boards a little rubbed and marked, darkening to lower spine, but a well preserved copy lacking the dustwrapper. Ten line illustrations by Edith Somerville. First edition, SIGNED BY EDITH SOMERVILLE TO TITLE PAGE. Edith Somerville [1858-1949] and her writing partner, her cousin Violet Martin ('Martin Ross') [1862-1915] are best known for writing the Irish R.M. stories together. After Violet's death Edith, a firm believer in seances and the afterlife, continued to proclaim dual authorship of her books, and did so here.
SOMERVILLE, Boyle Townshend
8vo, pp. 317. Original black boards, lettered in gilt to spine, sea horse device in gilt to front panel. Maps at endpapers. A little rubbed and bumped, but a well preservd copy lacking the dustwrapper. Frontispiece portrait, maps and illustrations. First edition. AUTHOR'S NEPHEW NEVILL COGHILL'S COPY, WITH HIS OWNERSHIP SIGNATURE TO HALF-TITLE. Author's compliments slip pasted in to half-title. Boyce Townshend Somerville [1863-1936] was a distinguished naval officer, retiring in 1919 having attained the rank of Vice-Admiral, and an eminent hydrographic surveyor who mapped the Persian Gulf, the waters of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and much of the British coastline. His published books include dictionaries of Pacific languages encountered during his naval career, as well as works of naval history such as The Chartmakers (1928) and this, penultimate work. His last book was Will Mariner (1934) all but finished at the time of his murder by the IRA for providing references for local boys looking to join the navy, an act which was instrumental in bringing about the IRA's proscription three months later. After her brother's death Edith prepared the book for publication: it duly appeared later the same year. Somerville's nephew Nevill Coghill was the English literary scholar and teacher of W.H. Auden and Richard Burton, among many other. He was Professor of English Literature at Exeter College, Oxford (his ownership inscription here is so addressed). A poignant family association.
SOMERVILLE, Edith and SOMERVILLE, Boyle
Large 8vo, pp. 134. Original blue three-quarter boards, lettered in back to front panel and black to white to spine. Offsetting to endpapers, boards a little faded, but a very well preserved copy. Photographic fromtispiece and two further photographic illustrations within text. First edition. One of 200 copies. SIGNED BY EDITH SOMERVILLE, AND ADDITIONALLY INSCRIBED TO HER NIECE: 'To K. with love from D. Christmas 1940.' 'D' was the family diminuitive for Edith. The recipient was Katharine Johnston (née Coghill). Somerville and her usual writing partner, her cousin Violet Martin ('Martin Ross') wrote the Irish R.M. stories together. Violet died in 1915, but Edith, firm believer in the afterlife and a regular attender of seances, used the 'Somerville and Ross' authorial description for the rest of her career. Edith's brother Boyce Townshend Somerville [1863-1936] was a distinguished naval officer, retiring in 1919 having attained the rank of Vice-Admiral, and an eminent hydrographic surveyor who mapped the Persian Gulf, the waters of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and much of the British coastline. His published books include dictionaries of Pacific languages encountered during his naval career, as well as works of naval history such as The Chartmakers (1928) and this, penultimate work. His last book was Will Mariner (1934) all but finished at the time of his murder by the IRA for providing references for local boys looking to join the navy, an act which was instrumental in bringing about the IRA's proscription three months later. After her brother's death Edith prepared the book for publication: it duly appeared later the same year. Boyle is here credited with co-authorship, despite having been killed six years before the book's publication. In an explanatory note, Edith writes: 'I undertake this family explanation in remembrance of my brother Boyle, whose great wish it was that all that was known of our Family History should be recorded.' (Why this results in an author's credit rather than a dedication is unclear.) Laid in to the book is a handwritten portion of the Somerville family tree, written on the stationery of Dishane House, Edith's home in County Cork. A wonderful family association.
SOMERVILLE, Boyle Townshend
Large 8vo, pp. 302. Original blue boards, lettered in gilt to front panel and spine. Handmade brown paper dustwrapper, hand written title labels to front panel and spine. Map to front pastedown. A well preserved copy in its homemade dustwrapper, with a large chip to head of spine. Frontispiece and seven further photographic illustrations, most taken by the author. First edition. THE AUTHOR'S SISTER EDITH SOMERVILLE'S COPY, INSCRIBED TO HER BY THE AUTHOR ON FRONT FREE ENDPAPER: 'For Edith from the author Boyle T. Somerville. Dated March 3 1928 in Edith's hand. Coat of arms and author's printed card pasted in to front free endpaper. MANUSCRIPT POEM IN EDITH'S HAND OVER TWO PRELIMINARY PAGES, DATED APRIL 8 1936, REPRODUCING A POEM PUBLISHED IN THE IRISH TIMES FOLLOWING THE AUTHOR'S MURDER BY THE I.R.A. Covered in a handmade brown paper dustwrapper, with title labels in Edith's hand, and her brother's name and her name and address handwritten on front panel. Edith Somerville [1858-1949] is best known as the co-author, with her cousin Violet Martin, of the Irish R.M. stories. Her brother, Boyce Townshend Somerville [1863-1936] was a distinguished naval officer, retiring in 1919 having attained the rank of Vice-Admiral, as well as an eminent hydrographic surveyor who mapped the Persian Gulf, the waters of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and much of the British coastline. His published books include dictionaries of Pacific languages encountered during his naval career, as well as works of naval history such as this volume, an early work in his writing career, Commodore Anson's World Voyage (1934) and Will Mariner (1936), all but finished at the time of his murder by the IRA for providing references for local boys looking to join the navy -- an act which was instrumental in bringing about the IRA's proscription three months later. Following his death Edith prepared her brother's final book for publication. This volume, in Edith's possession since its publication in 1928, carries a poem by G.[eorge] C.[hester] D.[uggan] published in The Irish Times on 8 April 1936, two weeks after her brother's murder. The last stanza of this obituary in verse reads: 'You died for your high faith. The coward blow | That quenched the light when the first spring airs crept | From the restless ocean, left undimmed a star | For men to steer by.' An intimate, poignant association.
SOMERVILLE, Boyle Townshend
8vo, pp. 370. Original blue boards, lettered in gilt to spine. Illustrated dustwrapper, covered by plain brown paper protective wrapper made by Edith Somerville, with title and spine labels in her hand. Top edge dark red. Browning to preliminaries, but a near fine copy in an unexamined dustwrapper protected by a marked and worn plain brown wrapper with a chip to top edge of rear panel. Dustwrapper designed by Barnett Freedman. Photographs and maps by the author. First edition. EDITH SOMERVILLE'S COPY OF HER BROTHER'S BOOK, SIGNED AND DATED ('October 8 - 1936') BY HER TO FRONT FREE ENDPAPER, AND WITH HER ANNOTATIONS AND ADDITIONS. Edith Somerville [1858-1949] is best known as the co-author, with her cousin Violet Martin, of the Irish R.M. stories. Her brother, Boyce Townshend Somerville [1863-1936] was a distinguished naval officer, retiring in 1919 having attained the rank of Vice-Admiral, and an eminent hydrographic surveyor who mapped the Persian Gulf, the waters of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and much of the British coastline. His published books include dictionaries of Pacific languages encountered during his naval career, as well as works of naval history such as The Chartmakers (1928), Commodore Anson's World Voyage (1934) and this, his final work, all but finished at the time of his murder by the IRA for providing references for local boys looking to join the navy -- an act which was instrumental in bringing about the IRA's proscription three months later. Following her brother's death, Edith prepared Will Mariner for publication: it duly appeared on 8 October 1936. This, her personal copy, has been covered by her in plain brown paper to preserve the (unexamined) dustwrapper, with title labels in her hand added to the front panel and spine. Her ownership signature with the date of publication appears on the front free endpaper, and her brother's signature dated April 1926 has been tipped in to the half-title. On the title page, Edith has added the publication date to the publisher's information, and has also written: '(Accepted for publication in America, by Houghton Mifflin Co: 2 Park St. Boston.) Nov. 18th 1936.' (This US edition duly appeared). At Edith's printed Editor's Note on p.7, she has added: 'Began to work on this book on April 3 1936, accepted by Faber & Faber June 13.', and to the printed list of illustrations and maps on p.15 she has added: 'Photographs & maps by the author.' Boyle's printed card has been tipped in to the foot of the Appendix on p. 370, and an original photograph of Edith with her two dogs is tipped in to the rear free endpaper, the location identified in her own hand as The Admiral's Seat. A very well preserved copy, with an extraordinarily intimate and poignant association.
SOMERVILLE, E. OE, and ROSS, Martin [pseud. MARTIN, Violet]
Small 8vo, pp. 280, 20pp. publisher's advertisements bound in at rear. Original green illustrated boards, lettered in black to front panel and spine. Binding a little shaken, preliminaries badly foxed and browning to text. Pirated edition. From the library of Katharine Johnston, the niece of Edith Somerville. First published by Spencer Blackett in 1891. Somerville and Ross are best known for their Irish R.M. stories; this early novel, written at the request of a local clergyman, is in a more serious vein. In Elizabeth Hudson's bibliography of the authors, she notes: 'A unique copy of Naboth's Vineyard was in the possession of Messrs. Spurr & Swift of London in 1932 and was described by them as having the name of Richard E. King Ltd. as being the publisher, but no date. This book was bound in brown cloth with gilt edges. As this edition was totally unknown to the authors, it seems fair to assume that it is a pirate edition.' The literary scholar Nevill Coghill was Edith Somerville's nephew. In his copy of the bibliography we find the following note: 'Another copy of the pirated edition is in the possession of my sister Katharine, who says it is bound in green. This is Katharine's copy, and bears her bookplate to the front pastedown. A unique copy, with a nice family asociation.
AUDEN, W.H.] SPENDER, Stephen
8vo, pp. 10. Original cream stiff paper wrappers, lettered in black to front panel. Compliments slip laid in. Just a little rubbed, old glue mark to inside of front wrapper and reverse of compliments slip, otherwise a near fine copy. First edition, INSCRIBED BY THE PRINTER BERNARD ROBERTS TO POET AND NOVELIST RUTHVEN TODD: 'Ruthven Todd from Bernard Roberts January 1974'. WITH A COMPLIMENTARY SLIP LAID IN, ADDITIONALLY INSCRIBED: 'This is a nasty shape (not designed by me!) but the matter of it may be of interest. BP'. Offprint of the memorial address given by Stephen Spender at a service in commemoration of W.H. Auden held at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford on 27 October 1973. It was privately printed by the John Roberts Press, London, for Faber, Auden's publisher. Bernard Roberts joined the family business after a career in the RAF, and transformed it from a high street shop into a top-end artisan's imprint. The press suffered in the face of the technological revolution of the 1970s, and closed in 1982.
SOMERVILLE, E. OE, and ROSS, Martin [pseud. MARTIN, Violet]
Small 8vo, pp. 340, 31pp. publisher's advertisements bound in at rear. Original tan illustrated boards, lettered in black to front panel and gilt to spine. Feather motif in white to front panel and spine. Leading and lower edges uncut. Offsetting to endpapers, 1cm split to head of spine, lettering to front panel a little rubbed, but a well preserved copy. First edition, INSCRIBED AT HALF-TITLE TO EDITH SOMERVILLE'S NIECE: 'To K[atharine]. C[oghill]. with love from the authors, E. OE. S. and V.M. Christmas. 1911.' (Inscription in Edith Somerville's hand.) Edith Somerville [1858-1949] and her writing partner, her cousin Violet Martin ('Martin Ross') [1862-1915] are best known for writing the Irish R.M. stories together. In an author's note to Elizabeth Hudson's bibliography of the couple's work, Somerville writes of this book: 'Martin Ross and I have written many times of hunting in Ireland, but in this story, above all others, we have told, faithfully, and with the emotion of enthusiasts, of the sport that we knew and loved, what time my brother Aylmer, and I, successively -- and I think I may add successfully -- Mastered the West Carberry Foxhounds.' Scarce inscribed, and here offered with an excellent family association.
JACOBS, W.W.
8vo, pp. 300, 8pp. publisher's advertisements bound in at rear. Original orange illustrated boards, lettered in black to front panel and gilt to spine. Tissue guard to frontispiece. One illustration detached, foxing to preliminaries, cup mark to rear panel, splash stain to front panel, gilt to spine faded, a little wear to spine ends. Frontispiece and eleven further illustrations by Grieffenhagen and Sullivan. First edition. Publisher's advertisements at rear date October 1902. A collection of short stories -- among them The Monkey's Paw, one of the most famous -- and terrifying -- horror stories ever written.
SOMERVILLE, E. OE, and ROSS, Martin [pseud. MARTIN, Violet]
Large 8vo, pp. 265. Original blue boards, lettered in black on red spine label to spine, Bushe coat of arms in gilt on red label to front panel. Top edge red. A little worn and rubbed, but a very good copy in a very worn dustwrapper with loss to spine ends Frontispiece portrait and eight photographic plates. Occasional illustrative line drawings. First edition. AUTHOR'S COPY, SIGNED BY HER TO TITLE PAGE, AND WITH TWO NEWSPAPER PHOTOGRAPH CLIPPINGS TO FRONT PASTEDOWN AND FRONT FREE ENDPAPER, BOTH SIGNED AND DATED. Somerville and her writing partner, her cousin Violet Martin ('Martin Ross') wrote the Irish R.M. stories together. Violet died in 1915, but Edith, firm believer in the afterlife and a regular attender of seances, used the 'Somerville and Ross' authorial description for the rest of her career. The incorruptible Irishman in question is Charles Kendal Bushe, former Chief Justice of Ireland and the author's great grandfather.
SOMERVILLE, E. OE, and ROSS, Martin [pseud. MARTIN, Violet]
8vo, pp. 287. Original red boards, lettered in gilt to spine. Printed dustwrapper. Browning to preliminaries, (Somerville family) bookplate to front pastedown, a little wear to spine ends, but a very good copy in a very good dustwrapper, chip to head of (browned) spine not affecting text. Dustwrapper design by McGurk. First edition, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR TO TITLE PAGE, AND ADDITIONALLY INSCRIBED TO HER NIECE: 'For Katharine with love from D. May 5 1928.' 'D' was the family diminuitive for Edith. The recipient was Katharine Johnston (née Coghill), whose bookplate adorns the front pastedown. Somerville and her writing partner, her cousin Violet Martin ('Martin Ross') wrote the Irish R.M. stories together. Violet died in 1915, but Edith, firm believer in the afterlife and a regular attender of seances, used the 'Somerville and Ross' authorial description for the rest of her career. The dedication to this book reads: 'To My Collaborator.' An excellent family association.
