Undocumented Works, a work in progress.....
For the purposes of this section I think it's reasonable to describe an undocumented work by Benjamin Fawcett as one that does not appear in McLean's "list of his books and plates" containing 137 items plus the three items in Appendix 2. McLean does refer to some items listed in an appendix in M C F Morris's book on Fawcett but they're rather vague and unconfirmed and will not be included unless more evidence can be found.
Most of the items on this list are rare, some are extremely rare and some have only one known copy in any public, library or museum collection. I'm very grateful to the librarians and booksellers who have helped in tracking down and confirming some of these books as printed by Fawcett. I'm also grateful, but disappointed, when some candidates have been confirmed as not being printed by Fawcett.
Update, 14 December 2024. I have just discovered a candidate for Fawcett's rarest book! A miniature book of Byron's Lara published by Webb Millington in around 1848. I can find no record of this edition of Lara on WorldCat, Library Hub Discover or any other library or museum catalogue that I've searched. Welsh does mention two known copies popping up in 1957 and 1964 and I've seen it as "sold" in a bookseller's catalogue online, unknown date. Most surprisingly, I also managed to find a copy currently for sale online. It arrived today!
Update, September 2025. Yet again the Poems & Novels page has revealed a hidden gem and a candidate to overtake Lara as Fawcett's rarest book. Not just a candidate, definitely the rarest so far - The Sacred Harp. Pop over to Poems & Novels for more information.
There may, of course, be any number of rare, undocumented items printed by Fawcett in private collections. Please contact me if you know of any.
➔ 🔴 🟢 Greenwood's Picture of Hull (1835), superseding Fawcett's documented earliest known work.
➔ 🔴 Real Reform: a Cottage Story (1837).
➔ 🔴 The Contrast (1838).
➔ 🔴 An Address to the Manufacturers and Dealers in Intoxicating Drinks (1839).
➔ 🔴 Tobacco Morally & Physically Considered in Relation to Smoking & Snuff-Taking (1842).
➔ 🔴 Hunting Journal of the Holderness Hounds (1844 to 1848), Edward Reynard.
➔ 🔴 ◉ Precepts and Maxims (1848?) Webb, Millington.
➔ 🔴 The Sacred Harp (1848?) Webb, Millington.
➔ 🔴 🟢 The Corsair: a Tale (1848?) Webb, Millington.
➔ 🔴 🟢 Lara: a Tale (1848?) Webb, Millington.
➔ 🔴 Pictorial Book of Fables (1850s?) Webb, Millington.
➔ 🔴 🟢 Species not Transmutable, nor the Result of Secondary Causes (1860), Charles Robert Bree.
➔ 🔴 🟢 Castles and Halls of England (1870) Rev F O Morris.
➔ 🔴 🟢 Wood-Notes and Church-Bells (1873), Richard Wilton, the first of two books of poems printed by Fawcett.
➔ 🔴 🟢 Birkheda Vicarage (1874), Christina von Hofsten, the first of two books from the original 1869 Swedish versions.
➔ 🔴 The Stark Family (1874), Christina von Hofsten, the second book.
➔ 🔴 Lyrics: Sylvan and Sacred (1878), Richard Wilton's second book of poems printed by Fawcett.
➔ 🔴 A monograph of the genus crocus (1886), George Maw.
➔ 🔴 🟢 The triumphs and celebrities of the British Empire (1889), Charles Mason.
➔ 🔴 🟢 The Monk (1893?), Matthew Gregory Lewis, "an unabridged reprint" privately printed by Fawcett.
➔ 🔴 🟢 Cricket Annual (1892).
➔ 🔴 🟢 Waterspouts on the Yorkshire Wolds (1892), J D Hood.
➔ Filey Sea Wall, a Souvenir.
Most of the items on this list are rare, some are extremely rare and some have only one known copy in any public, library or museum collection. I'm very grateful to the librarians and booksellers who have helped in tracking down and confirming some of these books as printed by Fawcett. I'm also grateful, but disappointed, when some candidates have been confirmed as not being printed by Fawcett.
Update, 14 December 2024. I have just discovered a candidate for Fawcett's rarest book! A miniature book of Byron's Lara published by Webb Millington in around 1848. I can find no record of this edition of Lara on WorldCat, Library Hub Discover or any other library or museum catalogue that I've searched. Welsh does mention two known copies popping up in 1957 and 1964 and I've seen it as "sold" in a bookseller's catalogue online, unknown date. Most surprisingly, I also managed to find a copy currently for sale online. It arrived today!
Update, September 2025. Yet again the Poems & Novels page has revealed a hidden gem and a candidate to overtake Lara as Fawcett's rarest book. Not just a candidate, definitely the rarest so far - The Sacred Harp. Pop over to Poems & Novels for more information.
There may, of course, be any number of rare, undocumented items printed by Fawcett in private collections. Please contact me if you know of any.
🔴 Link to image or webpage.
🟢 Item in my collection.
◉ Awaiting confirmation.
🟢 Item in my collection.
◉ Awaiting confirmation.
➔ 🔴 🟢 Greenwood's Picture of Hull (1835), superseding Fawcett's documented earliest known work.
➔ 🔴 Real Reform: a Cottage Story (1837).
➔ 🔴 The Contrast (1838).
➔ 🔴 An Address to the Manufacturers and Dealers in Intoxicating Drinks (1839).
➔ 🔴 Tobacco Morally & Physically Considered in Relation to Smoking & Snuff-Taking (1842).
➔ 🔴 Hunting Journal of the Holderness Hounds (1844 to 1848), Edward Reynard.
➔ 🔴 ◉ Precepts and Maxims (1848?) Webb, Millington.
➔ 🔴 The Sacred Harp (1848?) Webb, Millington.
➔ 🔴 🟢 The Corsair: a Tale (1848?) Webb, Millington.
➔ 🔴 🟢 Lara: a Tale (1848?) Webb, Millington.
➔ 🔴 Pictorial Book of Fables (1850s?) Webb, Millington.
➔ 🔴 🟢 Species not Transmutable, nor the Result of Secondary Causes (1860), Charles Robert Bree.
➔ 🔴 🟢 Castles and Halls of England (1870) Rev F O Morris.
➔ 🔴 🟢 Wood-Notes and Church-Bells (1873), Richard Wilton, the first of two books of poems printed by Fawcett.
➔ 🔴 🟢 Birkheda Vicarage (1874), Christina von Hofsten, the first of two books from the original 1869 Swedish versions.
➔ 🔴 The Stark Family (1874), Christina von Hofsten, the second book.
➔ 🔴 Lyrics: Sylvan and Sacred (1878), Richard Wilton's second book of poems printed by Fawcett.
➔ 🔴 A monograph of the genus crocus (1886), George Maw.
➔ 🔴 🟢 The triumphs and celebrities of the British Empire (1889), Charles Mason.
➔ 🔴 🟢 The Monk (1893?), Matthew Gregory Lewis, "an unabridged reprint" privately printed by Fawcett.
➔ 🔴 🟢 Cricket Annual (1892).
➔ 🔴 🟢 Waterspouts on the Yorkshire Wolds (1892), J D Hood.
➔ Filey Sea Wall, a Souvenir.
