An Account of the Life, Travels, BOWNAS (Samuel).

AMERICAN ADVENTURES OF AN ENGLISH QUAKER MINISTER

and Christian Experiences in the Work of the Ministry of Samuel Bownas.

First Edition. 8vo. [202

x 125 x 22 mm]. viii, 3-198, [2] pp. Bound in contemporary calf, the covers with a gilt double fillet border, recently rebacked, plain endleaves and edges. (Covers rubbed, corners worn).
London: printed and sold by Luke Hinde, at the Bible in George-Yard, Lombard-Street, 1756.

With the final advertisement leaf. Some light browning or soiling but a good copy. From the library of Brent Grafton-Maxfield with his characteristic pencil notes inside the front cover. It was bought by Stephen Clark from Andrew Steward for £115 in 1989.

This first edition was followed by a Philadelphia edition of 1759 and London editions of 1761 and 1795. An autobiographical account with a preface signed by J. Besse. Samuel Bownas (1676-1753), the Quaker minister, travelled twice to America, in 1702 and 1726. Sabin (7097) notes "Bownas arrived in Maryland in 1702. Soon after his arrival he held a public dispute with George Keith, also with William Bradford, and he suffered imprisonment [on Long Island] for his belief. His account of the Labadies, a community resembling the Shakers, is very amusing".

Stock no. ebc7799