A New Geographical and Historical Grammar: Wherein the Geographical Part is truly Modern; and the Present State of the Several Kingdoms of the World is so interpreted, as to render the study of Geography both Entertaining and Instructive. with a new set of Maps. the fourteenth edition. 1771 [Alston family copy]

Hardcover. Original leather boards badly bumped and worn, with front cover detached. Leather spine, itself a reback, split at front hinge. New endpaper added but made of woodpulp paper and now either brittle or detached. Original text block still in one piece, binding tight. Pages evenly toned from age. 602 pages, ending with section on Danish America cut off before its natural end which calls for one more leaf. There should be 22 fold-out maps and double frontispiece. The frontispiece is missing as well as 2 maps. Plates present as follows: 1) The Artificial Sphere. 2) Europe - only half present. 3) Spain - only half present. 4) France. Folding/all present. 5) Italy. Folding/all present. 6) Germany. Folding/all present, but with a partial split at the fold. 7) Germany. Folding/all present, but with one section nearly split at the crease. 8) Hungary. Folding. About 2" missing from the fold. 9) Poland. Folding/all present. 10) Russia. Folding/all present. With the names William Alston and Medicus Alston written three times on the back. 11) Scandinavia. Folding/all present. 12) England. Folding. A chip missing from the crease and badly stained. 13) Ireland. Folding/all present. 14) Asia. Folding. One section split/detached at crease, but tucked inside. 15) Turkey. Folding/all present. 16) East Indies. Folding/all present, but tattered at the left margin. 17) Chinese Tartary. Folding/All present. 18) Africa. Folding, half missing. 18) America. Folding. Large section of NW Canada missing. Crease is accordianed. 19) South America. Folding/ all present, but nearly split at crease. 20) Spanish Islands in America. Folding, half missing. Cartouche showing slaves at work in the West Indies present. Original owners, the Alston family. William Alston (1747-1797) and his son Medicus Alston (1784-1809) lived in Warren County, NC, putting this book in a slave-holding American home before the Revolution. There is a Alstonville Rd in Apex, NC, west of Raleigh. The word Alstonville is written three times on the inside of the rear cover. Please email with questions or to request photos.…