The Mariner's New and Complete Naval Dictionary, in Two Parts: Part I. Being a Copius Vocabulary of the British Marine; Part II. A Modern French Marine Dictionary.

NORIE, John William.

Published by London: John Badcock, Messrs. Harrison and Co., Hogg, and Thurgood, 1804

About this Item

Third edition, "revised, corrected and improved", from the library of Clive Richards, although unmarked as such. Richards owned "the finest collection of Nelson letters in private hands" according to The Telegraph. He served as vice president of the Nelson Society and was a member of the 1805 Club for 30 years. Falconer's Universal Dictionary of the Marine was first published in 1769, quickly becoming popular. This work by Norie updates the content and appends a dictionary of French terms translated into English. It also adds new copper-engraved plates showing uniforms and ships. "Norie's first work, The Description and Use of Hadley's Quadrant, was published in 1796 by William Heather, the chart and instrument seller. By early 1797 Norie was drawing charts for Heather and teaching navigation. In 1800 he was 'keeper of a nautical academy' at Heather's address, in Leadenhall Street. Soon after this his two best-known works were published, A Complete Set of Nautical Tables in 1803 and A Complete Epitome of Practical Navigation in 1805. Editions of the Epitome, many of them with the Tables included, were published for over a century, and editions of the Tables to the present day" (ODNB). Craig, p. 15. "Clive Richards, City financier and owner of the finest collection of Nelson letters in private hands - obituary", The Telegraph, 23 April 2021. Octavo (212 x 132 mm), pp. viii, 484. Two hand-coloured copper engraved frontispieces (the Union Flag and the flag of the French Republic) and ten plates, diagrams and tables in text; printed double columns. Single page of publisher's advertisements. Contemporary marbled calf, smooth spine divided by gilt fillets, orange sheep spine label, board edges milled in gilt, blue speckled edges, pink silk bookmarker. Joints split but holding, craquelure to spine, corners bumped, plates lightly foxed, bookmarker loosely inserted: a very good copy.

Seller Inventory # 181941

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Mariner's New and Complete Naval Dictionary, in Two Parts: Part I. Being a Copius Vocabulary of the British Marine; Part II. A Modern French Marine Dictionary.
• Publisher: London: John Badcock, Messrs. Harrison and Co., Hogg, and Thurgood, 1804