BEDFORD AND ITS ENVIRONS: An Historical and Topographical Sketch of the Town of Bedford

23cm x 15cm x 1.5cm; pp 180 hardback with original boards, 6 plates with 12 illustrations including frontispiece plus town plan at front. 

A fascinating study of the development of Bedford throughout the ages containing a town centre plan and aquatint views on six leaves. On the front paste-down there is an attractive ownership plate preserving some hint at the provenance of this volume as belonging to Maurice Frederic Richard Hockliffe.

Hockliffe was born in 1900 and died in 1989. He attended Bedford School from 1910-1918, eventually becoming head boy. He passed an entrance examination into the Royal Navy and served as a cadet at Keyham but afterwards went into the Forest Service abroad and was stationed in Kenya for some time. After his fathers death, he returned to Bedford to manage his father's business, Hockliffe's booksellers founded in 1870, but left again in 1935 to take up a post as librarian in London. He was a fine amateur actor and a member of Bedford Dramatic Club. His daughter donated a further collection of her grandfathers books to the University of Bedfordshire in 2010.

Some bumping and rubbing to edges of original boards. Occasional foxing throughout. Attractive untrimmed pages. Attractive ownership plate on front paste-down.