The ‘Kilmarnock Burns’ and Original Scottish National Covenant Manuscript to Auction

Lyon & Turnbull's September Books & Manuscripts auction has a strong Scottish flavour, with an extremely rare, first ‘Kilmarnock’ edition of Robert Burns' 1786 Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect leading the way with an estimate of £50,000 - £60,000. 

The 'Kilmarnock' is exceptionally rare, with only 88 surviving copies, of which only 15 are in private hands. Among the previous owners of the copy going under the hammer in the September 19 online sale was American bibliophile Roderick Terry whose armorial bookplate is inserted.

Also featured is an original manuscript copy of the Scottish National Covenant, 1638-9 (estimate: £10,000 - £15,000), the agreement signed by much of the Scottish population opposing King Charles I's planned religious reforms of the Church of Scotland. This original copy is one of a handful in private ownership, and according to Lyon & Turnbull the fourth known copy to appear at auction. 

Other highlights include:

• a collection of books from the library of William McCance (1894-1970), Scottish artist and controller of the important Gregynog Press in Wales, and lecturer in typography and book production at the University of Reading (estimate: £400 - £600
• John Snow’s groundbreaking 1849 work On the Mode of Communication of Cholera (estimate: £20,000 - £30,00)
• a rare true first edition of John Webber's suite of views from Captain Cook's third and final voyage, entitled Views in the South Seas (estimate: £20,000 - £30,000) which is the only complete copy of the first edition ever offered at auction, depicting scenes in New Zealand, Macao, Krakatoa, Kamchatka, Tahiti, Moorea, and Pulo Condore (now Vietnam). 
  Viewing in Broadside, Edinburgh 

Viewing begins September 16 in Lyon & Turnbull's rare books department at Broadside in the Canonmills area of Edinburgh.