Hillingdon Hall or The Cockney Squire A Tale of Country Life

London: John C. Nimmo, 1888. Cloth. Very Good. 9" by 6". Wilfrake; Heath; Jellicoe. A copiously illustrated edition of Surtees' humorous work 'Hillingdon Hall', in the publishers' cloth binding. Robert Smith Surtees was an English editor, novelist and sporting writer best known for his contributions to the first English sporting periodical to devote itself to every type of sport, 'The Sporting Magazine'. Surtees launched his own sporting magazine entitled the 'New Sporting Magazine' in 1831, contributing the comic papers which appeared as 'Jorrocks' Jaunts and Jollities' in 1838. Jorrocks, the eponymous, vulgar and artful sporting cockney grocer was a great success with the public and is often considered as one of the great comic characters of English Literature, Surtees produced several works in the same vein as his 'Jorrocks novels', including this text, 'Hillingdon Hall'. This work is a fine example of Victorian upper-class humour. Collated, complete with twelve hand-coloured plates by Wildrake, Heath and Jellicoe. Featuring publisher's advertisements to the rear of the text, dated 'Spring 1888'. In the publisher's original cloth binding. Externally slightly bumped to extremities. Bumped to head and tail of spine, resulting in small splits to cloth. Externally slightly rubbed to fore edge of boards. Slightly faded to spine. Front hinge split and weak between frontispiece and title page, may detach with further handling. Rear hinge, strained but firm. Internally firmly bound, occasionally slightly strained in places. Pages very bright and clean with the odd spot, heavier to first and ;last few pages. Very Good