Awards

• Winner of British Book Design & Production Awards: Limited Edition and Fine Binding 2011.

Overview

In 1679 King Charles II ordered a survey of the Channel Islands and their defences, harbours and forts. George Legge, later Earl of Dartmouth, and his fellow engineer Sir Bernard de Gomme set off from Portsmouth, taking with them the artist, cartographer and military engineer Thomas Phillips. The lavishly illustrated work they created for the King is without a doubt the most beautiful book about the Channel Islands ever produced, part report and part pictorial atlas it contains forty fold out watercolours of the Channel Islands executed by Phillips as he sailed between the islands. Published as a limited edition of just 275 copies in a full sized facsimile measuring some 21x15 with foldouts from twice page size to an impressive 51 the King's Survey won the Limited Edition and Fine Binding Award at the British Book Design and Production Awards in 2011. There are four separate versions of the book, each bound in a quarter leather binding and featuring a different hand marbled paper designed for the edition. The Present State of Guernsey with a Short Account of Jersey and the Forts Belonging to the Said Islands by Colonel George Legge Lieutenant General of His Majesty's Ordnance etc Anno Domini MDCLXXX IN 1679 King Charles II, concerned that there being a consultation of all the ablest pilots of Normandy and Brittany to know what ports the King of France might make useful to his fleet and that there was none so proper for a great fleet as Guernsey if he could get it into his possession , ordered a survey of the Channel Islands and their defences, harbours and forts. George Legge [later Earl of Dartmouth] and his fellow engineer Sir Bernard de Gomme took with them the artist, cartographer and military engineer Philip Thomas. The lavishly illustrated manuscript he produced became known locally as The Legge Report This stunningly beautiful document and atlas contains carefully crafted watercolours of the forts and harbours of the Channel Islands and their approaches by Thomas. Legge's report itself is short and to the point, outlining the action the crown is to take to safeguard the Islands. Then comes a Brief State of Guernsey by the Right Honourable Christopher, Lord Hatton the then Governor. Hatton's treatise covers the Ecclesiastical, Legal, Civil Administrations of the Bailwick including the Royal charters and the Papal Bull of 1480, the roles of the Crown Officers and the standing orders for manning the Garrison. He also lists the Clergy, the Masters of all vessels belonging to the Islands, the Officers of the Court and all the Governors to that time. The result is a fascinating collection of old Channel Island names all of which we recognise today: de Sausmares, Guille, Le Mesurier, Gosselin, de Beauvoir, Falla, Mansell, Le Marchant, Carey, de L'Isle, Mahy and many more whose names resonate down the ages. Each volume quarter leather bound by hand in calfskin and features 40 fold out reproduction watercolour illustations, the largest of which is 51 inches when extended. Finished with handmade marble endpapers from the English master Jemma Lewis and protected by a buckram covered book box.

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9780957245662

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