An Account of the Conduct and Proceedings of the Pirate Gow (the Original of Sir Walter Scott’s Captain Cleveland)
DEFOE, Daniel
Reprinted from the Original Edition, with Preface and Notes [by John R Russell].
250 COPIES WERE PRINTED
Published: H Sotheran, [1890]
Stock code: 8190
Price: £234.00
8vo., First Edition thus, on laid paper, with a full-page facsimile in the text, some mild age-soiling (mainly marginal) to text; attractively bound in twentieth century half calf, marbled boards, gilt back, uncut, a most attractive copy of a scarce work.
EDITION LIMITED TO 250 NUMBERED COPIES SIGNED BY WILLIAM PEACE & SON, THE ORKNEY CO-PUBLISHER (THIS COPY NO. 75). The first complete reissue of the original edition of 1725 of which only the British Library copy is known. It was published jointly by Sotheran of London and William Peace of Kirkwall in Orkney. John Gow (1697-1725), the 'Orkney Pirate', was the son of a wealthy merchant from Wick in Caithness. He grew up in the Orkney town of Stromness and as soon as he was old enough ran away to sea. In 1725 he led the mutiny on board the ship 'Caroline', personally murdering the captain; so beginning a reign of piracy and terror that made his name famous around Europe. Planning to cross the Atlantic to join the pirates of the Caribbean, he sailed to Orkney for supplies but was recognised, captured and subsequently hanged in London. Gow was the inspiration for Captain Cleveland in Sir Walter Scott's novel 'The Pirate' (1822). A scarce and important work on piracy. CBEL II, p.508; NMMC IV, 135.