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Madox, Thomas: : Firma Burgi, or an Historical Essay concerning the Cities, Towns and Boroughs of England. Taken from Records

Folio. First edition. pp. [xxiv], With list of subscribers and with copper-engraved title vignette showing Lodnon and York personified, and with a number of large head and tailpieces (several engraved by J. Clark), and large historiated initials. A little trivial staining to the preliminaries but a pleasing copy of an handsomely printed work. Contemporary panelled calf, some wear, old rebacking and recornering. Twentieth-century book label of Eric Poole.

“The one outstanding work on medieval municipal history which appeared in England before the 19th century” (Douglas: English Scholars). The claim on the title, “taken from records”, is the key to Madox’s importance as a scholar. Madox (1666-1727, legal antiquary and historiographer royal) made critical studies of mediaeval English documents that established him as the virtual founder of British administrative history and a precursor of modern scholarship. Firma Burgi itself is the medieval practice whereby a local magnate paid a fixed fee to the king in return for rights to collect revenues from a borough - which he then did as profitably as possible. The work is dedicated to King George I.

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