. SMITH (William). History of New York. London [in fact prob - Lot 55

. SMITH (William). History of New York. London [in fact probably Paris], s.n., 1767. In-12, (4 of which those on the versos are blank)-10 [numbered vii to xvi]-415-(one blank) pp. in marbled brown basane, smooth spine cloisonné and fleuronné with brown title-piece, red edges; edges a little rubbed (period binding). FIRST EDITION OF THE FRENCH TRANSLATION, by Marc-Antoine Eidous, of this work originally published in English in London in 1757. Irregular collation conforming to that indicated in Joseph Sabin's bibliography (no. 84573). Based on a solid corpus of sources, this work comprises a strictly historical part, and a second descriptive part, first county by county, then by thematic chapters: inhabitants, trade, religious denominations, civil government, judicial system. WILLIAM SMITH (1728-1793), an IMPORTANT PERSON IN NEW YORK AND CANADIAN HISTORY, was the grandson of English immigrants settled in New York by his father, and the son of a Huguenot woman of French origin from the New Rochelle colony in New York. He became a prominent lawyer, was a member of the Colonial Council and, in collaboration with William Livingston, drew up the first compilation of the laws of New York: it was this legal and archival work that enabled him to gather the documentation needed to write the present History. When the American Revolution broke out in 1776, he tried to remain above party politics, but ended up joining the Loyalist camp. He befriended Guy Carleton, Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in 1782, accompanied him to England in 1783, and when Carleton, ennobled Baron Dorchester, was appointed Governor of Canada in 1786, he accompanied him there, serving as advisor and Chief Justice. Provenance: library of the Counts of Starhemberg at Eferding Castle in Austria (ex-libris stamp).