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[CAZENOVE, Henry].
A Narrative, in Two Parts: Written in 1812.

Description:
pp. (ii), 238, (ii) blank. 1 text wood cut, map in FACSIMILE. Original boards uncut, an early paper reback now beginning to split at the front, the stitching weak with several gatherings coming free, with ink inscription at the head of the title - ' Jas Gibson Esqre. with the donor's [ presumably the author ] respectful compts. Sept./14. ', a couple of ink corrections in the same hand and some later pencil marginalia, the map is provided in FACSIMILE from the British Library copy.

*VERY SCARCE - COPAC lists 2 copies - British Library [with map] and University College London [map not mentioned]. The British Library Historical Publications also offer a facsimile of the book though having ordered a copy recently, I can confirm that it comes without a map. HENRY CAZENOVE - possibly Henry Cazenove born 1782, to Jaques Cazenove and Marianne De Boulay. The Cazenove family was of Huguenot descent. A later Henry Cazenove is recorded as being High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire in 1880, and, of especial interest, to have owned The Lilies, a large estate in Bucks, in 1884, latterly owned by the booksellers Peter and Margaret Eaton. The English branches of the Cazenove family are descended from the early Huguenot financiers who left France for Geneva in 1685 following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. They later left Geneva for England, seeking wealth and freedom in the City of London. In 1819 Philip Cazenove first joined the business of his brother-in-law John Menet. Cazenove and Menet become partners, and in 1823 the beginnings of the firm of Cazenove were born. After Menet died Cazenove entered into a partnership with Joseph Laurence and Charles Pearce. In 1854 Cazenove branched out on his own, and later formed a new partnership with his son and nephew. The stockbroker firm continued to develop and by the 1930s had become one of the leading stockbroking partnerships in London. The author of the above work has written of his continental travels from 1803 until 1811, although his initial intention was for a journey lasting not more than two years and during which time he would cement business relationships built up by his father's firm. There is no explicit mention of the firm's activities but tangential comments imply some interest in textiles, though, of course, this could be because of the financial side of the business. 'The 26th April 1803 was the day we took leave of our family, and set off for Dover, not withstanding the appearance of war between England and France, for the negotiation had for some time assumed a very unfriendly tone; there appeared, however, no serious inconvenience in going as far as Paris, from which we could quit at any time, together with the English Ambassador Lord Whitworth.' This optimistic and perhaps naive anticipation was crushed fairly soon and the partly was periodically detained and restricted in their movements such that they had to journey through Switzerland, Austria and the Balkans, eventually to Greece [where they met Byron], before finding a passage back to England in 1811.

[For the Author]. Printed by James Compton, Middle Street, Cloth Fair, West Smithfield, London.

Date Published: 1813. 8vo.

Stock No. 61255

Price: £450.00

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