The First Five Years of My Married Life.

Newcastle (UK): F. Crewe for the Author, 1853. This fancy full leather (unsigned) fine binding sports the gilt, blindstamped image of a ship on the front cover, so that's a clue as to the author's origins. In fact, although Mainwaring was a career sailor who eventually attained the rank of Rear-Admiral, his first 5 years of marriage were also "the last of my naval services afloat." This book recounts his rise in the navy in considerable detail, citing facts missing from his official biography. It is also a tribute to Sophia Duff, his remarkable first wife (who died at the age of 36). A rare book, probably printed for friends and family in a very small edition. Worldcat shows only two libraries, both in England, holding hard copies. The fine binding, with all edges gilt, as well as the professional internal repairs (about two dozen pages mended and the corners of several pages reconstructed with borders in facsimile with no loss of text), suggest its former owner considered this book to be of great value. Repairs as noted, full morocco fine binding, endpapers renewed. Fine me another.... 19 cm. x-264 pp.