Catalogue of the very Select and Valuable Library of William Roscoe, Esq. Which will be sold by Auction, by Mr. Winstanley, at his Rooms in Marble Street, Liverpool, on Monday the 19th of August, and Thirteen following Days..
by (AUCTION CATALOGUE: ROSCOE, William)
3 p.l., 208 pp. 8vo, mid-19th-century blue cloth over boards bound for Sir Thomas Phillipps in the cheapest fashion possible (joints with splits, cloth & title somewhat soiled), uncut. Liverpool: 1816. Roscoe (1753-1831), historian, patron of the arts, abolitionist and M.P., formed a fine library of Italian literature and early printed books illustrating the rise and progress of the art of printing, and several important manuscripts. Following his retirement, he became a partner of a Liverpool bank; after it failed in 1816, Roscoe was obliged to sell his library to satisfy part of the claims. His friends bought a selection of Italian and other books at the sale for 600 pounds, and offered them to him as a gift, which he refused (they were subsequently presented to the Liverpool Athenaeum to form the "Roscoe Collection"). The sale realized 5,013.11.9 pounds; the outstanding item was lot 1810, the famous Italian fourteenth century Bible (170 pounds to Robinson, sold by him to the Earl of Leicester for 200 guineas, who also bought privately Roscoe's Biblia Pauperum and the 1459 Mainz Psalter). Very good copy from the library of Sir Thomas Phillipps. Bookplate of A.R.A. Hobson. 1813 lots. ❧ De Ricci, pp. 93-94. ODNB. (Inventory #: 5016)