Southport Corporation Bill, Southport Corporation — 1st Edition

£70.00

Southport Corporation Bill, Southport Corporation — 1st Edition

Name: Southport Corporation Bill, Southport Corporation — 1st Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 6152L
Price: 70.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

Write Review

In stock

£70.00

Shipping is calculated at checkout.

Publication: London, Privately Printed, 1913

Formatting: Small 4to, varying pagination, extensively interleaved with blank ruled manuscript paper.

Condition Report: Good. The bespoke contemporary black textured cloth binding exhibits noticeable wear typical with its age and utilitarian legal purpose. The spine is heavily rubbed and faded, with fraying and minor loss of cloth at the head and tail, exposing the underlying binding structure. Both joints are tender and starting to split, though the boards remain securely attached. The corners are bumped and rubbed through to the underlying boards. Despite this exterior wear, the gilt lettering to the front board remains remarkably bright and legible, while the boards themselves show only mild scuffing and handling marks. Internally, the binding remains reasonably tight. The printed pages, alongside the interleaved ruled manuscript leaves, are generally clean and bright, showing only occasional instances of marginal toning and light handling wear typical of a working solicitor's copy.

Catalogue Note: This is a rare, privately printed first draft (dated 1 May 1913 in manuscript) of the Southport Corporation Bill, detailing the proposed local legislation for new street works, the compulsory purchase of lands, and most notably, the expansion and regulation of the town’s tramways and new 'trolley vehicles'.

Parliamentary bills of this nature were produced in strictly limited numbers solely for the use of Members of Parliament, committee members, and involved legal counsel during the drafting stages before receiving Royal Assent.

This specific copy boasts notable local provenance, having been the personal working copy of Sir Samuel Brighouse (1849–1940), a highly prominent Lancashire solicitor, long-serving county coroner, and founder of the Southport law firm Brighouses. The front board is distinctly blocked in gilt with his name, and the title page bears his ink ownership signature alongside the manuscript note '1 May 1913 / First print'.

The volume was specially bound for legal use, interleaved throughout with blank ruled paper intended for the solicitor's annotations and amendments during the committee process.

Such bespoke, locally significant legal survivals are exceedingly scarce on the open market.

A fascinating piece of local Lancashire history, this exceedingly scarce 1913 parliamentary bill outlines the infrastructural evolution of Southport, including significant advancements in its tramways and early trolleybus networks. Specially bound and interleaved for legal use, this unique working copy belonged to Sir Samuel Brighouse, one of Southport’s most famous historic figures and founding solicitors, offering a remarkable link to the civic development of the town prior to the First World War.

Book Condition: Good

Book Authors: Southport Corporation

Book Publisher: Privately Printed

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Non-Fiction

Genre: History

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages:

Book Publication Year: 1913

Book Publication Date: May 1, 1913

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: N/A

Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.