THE YOUNG CLERKS ASSISTANT; by [WRITING MANUAL.] [BICKHAM, George.]

[WRITING MANUAL.] [BICKHAM, George.]

THE YOUNG CLERKS ASSISTANT; Or Penmanship made easy, instructive and entertaining: being a complete pocket copy-book, curiously engraved for the practice of youth in the Art of Writing. London: Printed for Richard Ware, at the Bible and Sun, Ludgate Hill. [n.d. but ca. 1733?]. [bound with:] PICART, Bernard. A NEW DRAWING BOOK OF MODES. By Mons. B. Picart. Printed for Richard Ware at the Bible & Sun in Amen-Corner, Warwick Lane, London. [n.d. but ca. 1733?]. [bound with:] LEEKEY, William. A DISCOURSE ON THE USE OF THE PEN. Containing observations on writing in general. The proper posture in sitting to write: rules for choosing quills, and making of pens for different hands, (proving that the common methods of sitting to write, and nibbing the pen, obstruct the freedom of writing:) With whatever else may tend to perfection in that art. Necessary not only for teachers of writing, but for all persons concerned in business. To which are added, two alphabetical sets of copies suited to a quarto writing book, on the rule of life, and moral definitions. London: Printed for R. Ware, at the Bible and Sun, on Ludgate-Hill. [n.d. but ca.

1764-1774?]. Three works in one volume, 8vo; I. ff. [i] engraved frontispiece signed ‘G. Bickham sculp’, [i] engraved title-page, 3 - 61 engraved and letterpress plates of different styles of handwriting, printed on recto only, 57-59 mainly letterpress with engraved numbering, leaf 9 an additional title-page ‘A specimen of the various characters now principally us’d in printing & writing curiously engrav’d by the best hands, MDCCXXXIII’; II. ff. [i] engraved title page bound horizontally, 2 - 13 leaves of engraved plates, plate 2 signed ‘G. Bickham junr sculp’, plates 5 ‘G. Bickham junr sculp 1732’, plate 6 slightly obscured by possibly ‘Wickham junr sculp’ though could also be G Bickham, plates 9 ‘G. Bickham junr sculp 1733’, and plates 8, 10, 11 signed ‘B Cole sculp’; III. pp. 32; all three works lightly browned, with some dust-soiling and spotting, some occasional ink splattering and staining, with more prominent ink stain affecting the fore-edge, and which is more prominent in the final work but not intrusive; in early 20th century green publisher’s cloth, spine ruled and lettered in gilt, extremities lightly rubbed and bumped; with contemporary signature of ‘Mary Stone, February 15 1771’ on front free endpaper, and of ‘Elizabeth Webster, 1758’ on verso of final free endpaper. Bound together three popular 18th century writing manuals and copybooks, of particular appeal bearing as it does the signatures of two contemporary female readers, Mary Stone and Elizabeth Webster.
The engraver George Bickham is associated with a number of writing manuals, with perhaps his most influential being the ‘Universal Penman’ (1733-1741), a noted collection of writing samples from the most prominent masters of the time. Whilst the Young Clerks Assistant is anonymous, he was responsible for the frontispiece engraving, and a number of the plates in the Picart are signed by either G. Bickham and G. Bickham Junr, with two being dated 1732 and 1733. An additional engraved title-page within the Young Clerks Assistant, ‘A specimen of the various characters now principally us’d in printing & writing curiously engrav’d by the best hands’ is dated 1733. The present copy bears a similarity to ESTC T155495 and which they date to ca. 1764, apparently based on the imprint of the Leekey (printed for C. and R. Ware, 1764). Maxted, however, suggests that Richard Ware only came to be listed individually in directories from 1774-1777 (London Book trades 1775-1800, p. 239). Whilst it is possible that the first two works are here in first editions, it seems more likely that they could all be later issues.
On the front free endpaper is the inscription ‘Pater Honerandum Mary Stone February 15, 1771’; whilst the final verso bears the signature ‘Elizabeth Webster, 1758, Pater Honorandum 1758’, together with further practice attempts. Of interest honerandum has been spelt with an ‘a’ on the front free endpaper, and with an ‘o’ by Elizabeth.
All editions appear scarce, and the evidence of female ownership makes the present copy of especial appeal.

Bibliography: ESTC T155495 bearing the closest similarity though with a different imprint for the Leekey, and locating copies at Virginia, UCLA, Yale, the British Library, NLW, Oxford and Leeds; Pennsylvania State University hold a copy of this imprint of the Leekey; Maxted, London Book Trades, 1775-1800, p. 239; Heal, English Writing Masters, p. 184 (a variant issue).

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