AINSWORTH, William Harrison. The Miser's Daughter: a tale. With illustrations by George Cruikshank. FIRST EDITION. 3 vols. Cunningham & Mortimer. 1842
Fronts & plates; plates browned & spotted in places, esp. in vol. II. Following e.p. replaced vol. III. Uncut in orig. dark green vertical-grained cloth, boards blocked in blind, spines lettered in gilt; vol. II boards rather damp-marked, sl. wear to tails of spines. A decent copy in custom-made black cloth box.
¶Locke pp23-4; Wolff 61 ('very rare'); Cohn 17. Seventh on Sadleir's list of comparative Ainsworth scarcities. Tipped on to the leading endpaper in vol. I is a one-page autograph note from Ainsworth to, 'My dear Vansittart', expressing regret that he cannot accept an invitation, explaining 'I am dining on that day with Mrs Hopkins'. Signed 'W. Harrison Ainsworth', undated save 'Jany 16th'. The recipient is possibly the renowned English barrister and Christian Socialist, Edward Vansittart Neale, 1810–1892, or Nicholas Vansittart, 1st Baron Bexley, 1766-1851, Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 1820s.