History of Lady Jane Grey

Book Description

Glen Falls, NY Glen Falls Printing, Co. 1896 Hardcover First edition Very good 12mo. 159 pp. Errata sheet. Original bright blue cloth with gilt title to front cover and spine; decorative end sheets. Minor shelf wear to edges, corners, head and foot of spine. Few spots of soil to top of spine. Slight area of soil or mildew to top edge of front cover. Mild age toning to fore edges. Internally near fine. Inscribed on ffep: "Complimentary to Mrs. Sara A. Spencer, By the Author, Arthur MacArthur June 28th, 1896." A scarce title in very good condition. Only four known libraries own a copy. OCLC #: 13401580.This book is a general history of Lady Jane Grey (1537-1553) who was beheaded after a brief nine days of rule as Queen of England in 1553. The author of the book, Arthur MacArthur (1815-1896) was the grandfather of General Douglas MacArthur. A lawyer by trade, Arthur MacArthur also served terms as both Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Wisconsin. In 1870, he was appointed a Justice to the Supreme Court for the District of Columbia under Chief Justice David K. Cartter (1812-1887). The book was inscribed by the author two months before his death on August 26, 1896. The inscription is dedicated to a "Mrs. Sara A. Spencer." This is most likely Sara Andrews Spencer (b. 1837) who was a key individual in the women’s suffrage movement. In 1871, Mrs. Sara A. Spencer, along with seventy-two other women of Washington, D.C., attempted to register to vote and were refused. Spencer brought suit in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia in which Chief Justice David K. Cartter ruled that "women are citizens but have not the right to vote without local legislation." This decision was upheld by the United States Supreme Court in 1874. Sara Andrews Spencer served as Secretary of the National Woman Suffrage Association from 1874 to 1881 and in 1876, she became the first woman in history to address a committee at the Republican National Convention by presenting a speech written by Susan B. Anthony. 

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