Rules, Orders & Instructions for the Office of Ordnance, scribal manuscript, 1750s, contemporary black morocco

ORDNANCE OFFICE--FORMAN, ANTHONY (SCRIPSIT)

Rules, Orders & Instructions for the future Government of the Office of Ordnance. 1750s

fine scribal copy of the royal warrant "for Establishing Rules, Orders and Instructions for the future Government of the Office [1683]" and accompanying instructions for officers in the Ordnance, with later supplementary orders, warrants and instructions, concluding with a warrant by King George II to Sir John Ligonier dated 1751 and accompanying "Instructions for the proper Duties of Our Lieutenant General of Our Ordnance", decorative ink and wash title page and half-title, contents pages, contemporary pagination, 130 pages, large folio (450 x 300mm.), 1750s, contemporary black morocco with gilt border and three gilt panels, spine gilt in seven compartments, remains of green silk ties, decorative coloured Dutch gilt endpapers, binding rubbed

A LAVISH MANUSCRIPT COPY OF THE RULES GOVERNING THE ORDNANCE OFFICE. It was written by Anthony Forman (1725-1802), a clerk in the Ordnance Office, for Sir John Ligonier. Ligonier, best known as the commander of the British army in the Seven Years' War, was Lieutenant General of the Ordnance from March 1748 and then Master General from 1759 to 1763.

PROVENANCE:

Sir John Ligonier (1680-1770), later Earl Ligonier, armorial bookplate; purchased from Charles Traylen, Guildford, catalogue 5 (1947), item 376, £21