Hewlett | An introduction to reading and spelling, woodcuts by Bewick, London, 1790, half calf

John Hewlett

An introduction to reading and spelling. Written on a new plan, and designed as a spelling-book, for the use of schools. The third edition. London: for J. Johnson, 1790

12mo (163 x 100mm.), woodcut illustrations by Thomas Bewick (each within a surround of vertical lines), later half calf, a few early manuscript annotations, bookseller's label of R. Robinson of Newcastle, A9-10 with small marginal repairs

A rare little teaching book; ESTC records just one copy of this edition, and two copies of the fourth edition of 1798, but not the earlier editions of 1786 and 1787. It was reprinted until 1816.

Hewlett (1762-1844) ran a school in the 1780s in Hackney and later became a preacher at the Foundling Hospital. Bewick's woodcuts are his oval fable illustrations, a couple of which are signed.

Loosely inserted are three letters to Waterer from Peter Lethbridge about Bewick's works, 1947-1948.

LITERATURE:

ESTC N72255 (recording one copy only, in the Honnold Library, California); Alston, A Bibliography of the English Language, vol.IV: Spelling books, records the first, second and fourth editions only, nos 857-859; Muir Dawon, "Two children's books illustrated by Bewick, with notes on printing from the original blocks", The Book Collector (2005), 375-388

PROVENANCE:

James Rolt, bookplate (his collection of works illustrated by Bewick was sold at Sotheby's, 15 May 1939); John William Waterer, bookplate