F. Grose Antiquities of England and Wales

Introduction

As in the case of the aquatints from D Robertson's tour these are based work done by Moses Griffith and other artists who visited the Island in 1774 with Thomas Pennant (noted Welsh antiquary) and Cpt F. Grose. Francis Grose (c. 1731-91) was born in Middlesex, Richmond Herald from 1755-63, adjutant of the Hampshire Militia from 1763 and then of the Surrey militia from 1778. He was an artist, keen Antiquarian and author of Antiquities of England and Wales published in 6 volumes in 1787; the Isle of Man section concluding vol 6.

Although some earlier volumes have the date 1773 it would appear not to have been published until 1787 by S.Hooper whose name is on many of the plates. The work exists in many reprints, some dating post 1810; in the case of the Isle of Man a separate volume was published in 1829. In some editions the illustrations are on separate pages, in others at the head of the relevant text. Likewise in some editions the titles of the illustrations are centred beneath the plates, in others the titles are erased.

Four of the illustrations - Castle Rushen, St Patrick's Church and Armory, Peele Castle and St German's Cathedral (and ground plan) - were copied by Alexander Hogg, a bookseller and publisher of partworks (f. 1778-1805) and presumably used in The antiquities of England and Wales displayed by Henry Boswell, 1795, and A new and complete abridgement or selection of ...the antiquities of England and Wales by F.Grose, 1798. This print is slightly larger and is on much thinner paper than the original.