The Charters of the Province of Pensilvania [sic] and City of Philadelphia [bound with:] A Collection of all the Laws of the Province of Pennsylvania ... [bound with:] An Appendix; containing a Summary of such Acts of Assembly as Have Been Formerly in Force within this Province

Philadelphia: Printed and sold by B. Franklin, 1743. First edition. Three parts bound in one. 30; 562; iv, 24, xi, [1, blank]pp. 1 vols. Small folio. Contemporary calf tooled in blind (likely bound by Joseph Goodwin, see Miller roll 23), restoration to corners and edges, rebacked, repair to rear hinge. Losses to front endpaper restored, minor repairs to edges of title, scattered foxing and browning. Provenance: William Jones (signature dated 1781). First edition. Three parts bound in one. 30; 562; iv, 24, xi, [1, blank]pp. 1 vols. Small folio. Colonial Laws Printed by Benjamin Franklin. An important volume of the Charters and Laws of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, printed by Benjamin Franklin, for which he billed the Assembly £261. The last complete edition of Pennsylvania laws had been printed in 1728 by Andrew Bradford, and the need for a corrected edition led to the appointment in 1739 of Kinsey, Speaker of the Assembly and Attorney General of the Province, to prepare a new edition. Kinsey completed a revised edition in 1741 and turned it over to Franklin, who required two years to complete the job. He finished presswork for the volume in the spring of 1743, the year after the date of imprint. Included are laws on slavery, roads, maritime issues, timber, blasphemy, witchcraft, debt, brandy and ales, Native Americans, and much more.

This copy possibly from the library of William Jones (1760-1831), Pennsylvania politician, member of the American Philosophical Society, Secretary of the Navy during the War of 1812 and President of the second Bank of the United States. Jones was a frequent correspondent of Franklin, Jefferson, Monroe, Madison, Gallatin and others. His extensive papers are at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Eighteenth century Philadelphia directories, however, note multiple people with the name William Jones.

One of the most extensive and important early Franklin imprints. Evans 5033; Miller 288; Hildeburn 7551-c; Campbell 237a-c; Sabin 59973, 59982 (Inventory #: 369457)