Historical, Monumental and Genealogical Collections Relative to the County of Gloucester. 2 volumes . First edition.

2 volumes. Folio (263 x 424 mm). Contemporary half roan nd marbled boards, spines with 6 raised bands, morocco lettering pieces, minor rubbing, joints starting, minor chipping.632, 252pp, 23 leaves of engraved plates hors texte in vol. 1 and 10 in vol.2, mostly 2 engravings per plate; numerous half page engravings in the text; Provenance: Rev. Gerald Charles Fenwicke (armorial bookplate, with motto "A Fenwyke! A Fenwyke"); Hoar (armorial bookplate, with motto "Constanter").Ralph Bigland was a noted antiquarian, whose work was mostly focused on Gloucestershire. Over time, he travelled the whole county, accumulating historical information and making it his business to record the inscriptions on everything from great monuments to modest gravestones. Following his death, his son, Richard, attempted to bring the work to print as a county history. A number of instalments of the Historical, Monumental, and Genealogical Collections relative to the County of Gloucester were published between 1786 and 1794 (completing two volumes, dated 1791 and 1794), and further instalments appeared sporadically through the 19th century.Ralph was born in 1712, the son of Richard and Mary Bigland. He was baptised at St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney on 30 Jan 1711.On 13 Jan 1737 he married Ann, daughter of John Wilkins. Their marriage took place at Frocester, Gloucestershire.Their son Richard was baptised at St Dunstan in the West, City of London on 6 Apr 1738. . Ann died later that year and was buried at St Dunstan and All Saints on 3 Dec 1738.The artist Thomas Bonnor (c.1740-c.1812) was born in Gloucestershire, later moving to London where he studied under Henry Roberts (d. 1790). According to Bryan's Dictionary, Bonnor was 'celebrated as one of the best of the topographical draughtsmen and engravers of his day.…