{"product_id":"southport-corporation-bill-southport-corporation-1st-edition","title":"Southport Corporation Bill, Southport Corporation — 1st Edition","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"64\"\u003ePublication\u003c\/b\u003e: London, Privately Printed, 1913\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"109\"\u003eFormatting\u003c\/b\u003e: Small 4to, varying pagination, extensively interleaved with blank ruled manuscript paper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"211\"\u003eCondition Report\u003c\/b\u003e: 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"1115\"\u003eCatalogue Note\u003c\/b\u003e: 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'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003eParliamentary 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eThis 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'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eThe 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eSuch bespoke, locally significant legal survivals are exceedingly scarce on the open market. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55367856390483,"sku":"6152L","price":70.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20261012_121108.jpg?v=1791977927","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/southport-corporation-bill-southport-corporation-1st-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}