With an engraved frontispiece depicting the “Indian medal” representing “William Penn … offering the calumet of Peace to an Indian chief” and four pages of publisher’s advertisements, often excised, following page 152.
First printed in Philadelphia in 1817, this expanded edition is the first to be printed outside of North America. In his preface, the editor discusses exactly how he altered the text. He notes that he has “incorporated with the text some very long notes, which he found in the original; and has made many small corrections” (1). He also added “extracts from a letter written by Anthony Benezet to John Pemberton, of which he possessed a manuscript copy” (1). Testifying to the international popularity of Memoirs, the work was translated into French in 1821.
Expanded edition of the first biography of the influential abolitionist Anthony Benezet.
In writing his biography, Vaux utilises not only Benezet’s printed works, but also his autograph letters and other manuscript material - sometimes transcribed in full - many of which have subsequently disappeared making this work the only extant source for certain items.
Roberts Vaux (1786-1836), an American jurist, abolitionist, and philanthropist, had much in common with Anthony Benezet. He had Philadelphia Quaker roots and in addition to the cause of abolition, he had an abiding interest in improving education not only for the underprivileged, but also for the public at large. In addition to championing various social causes, Vaux was also an accomplished scholar - he was a member of many European scientific societies and of the Philosophical Society of Pennsylvania. He also wrote a biography of the abolitionist Benjamin Lay.
Provenance: with the book label of Jesse Sessions, Gloucester. Sessions (1804-1894) was a Quaker china and glass dealer, and philanthropist.
