LILLYWHITE, Frederick (1829-1866, editor). The Guide to Cricketers. London: [various imprints], 1850-1852, 1854-1866.

LILLYWHITE, Frederick (1829-1866, editor). The Guide to Cricketers. London: [various imprints], 1850-1852, 1854-1866.

A comprehensive collection of the extremely scarce Lillywhite’s Guides: ‘The rarity of these books is beyond dispute’ (Smith). The set comprises the 3rd to 5th, and 7th to 22nd editions, including the scarce winter 1863 edition (the 17th edition). The 9th edition has the interest of being co-edited with John Wisden. The 13th edition, pp.57-61, records the first-ever international tour by an England cricket team, that to the United States and Canada in September-November 1859. It records large crowds attending despite the inclement weather; an impromptu baseball game was arranged because of snow. Fred Lillywhite travelled on this tour with groundside tent and printing press, accompanying his brother, John Lillywhite, the England all-rounder. Smith 3-5, 7-22 and 24; Padwick 1086.

20 volumes, small octavo (all approx. 157 x 100mm). Wood-engraved portrait of F.W. Lillywhite in 3 volumes. Some advertisement leaves on coloured paper (without the editions 1st, 2nd, 6th and second issue of the 21st (Autumn) edition; 7th ed. with adhesion to title and front pastedown affecting a couple of letters; 9th ed. without half blue slip called for by Smith; 10th ed. without the two leaves of ads printed on blue paper called for by Smith; 1858, 11th ed. with one leaf of ads only; 13th ed. lacking half blue slip; 14th ed. Spring ed. with tiny marginal worm hole affecting last two leaves and rear wrapper, front wrapper, title and contents leaf chipped at margins; 17th ed. Winter ed. final leaf with small hole and tear with loss of text of four sentences and into one image; 20th ed. final leaf of text with sellotape repair in top margin; 21st (Autumn) ed. lacking final leaf of ads, first leaf of ads at the beginning repaired at gutter affecting two letters). Modern quarter calf, most without their wrappers excepting: 3rd ed. preserving original printed yellow limp cloth (soiled and rubbed); 4th ed. with original wrappers; 5th ed. original front wrapper (the ball and bat handle hand-coloured in red, ownership inscription erased from head of front wrapper, lacking the rear wrapper); 14th ed. Autumn ed. with original wrappers, the rear wrapper in Smith’s variant 2; 14th ed. Spring ed. with original wrappers, the rear wrapper apparently an unrecorded variant; 16th ed. Winter ed. preserving front wrapper only; 16th ed. Spring ed. with original wrappers (heavily soiled, light vertical creasefold to whole); 17th ed. Winter ed. preserving part of the original front wrapper (this irregularly trimmed at head with loss of four lines of text and upper part of frame); 18th ed. Spring ed. with original wrappers (front wrapper cut down and lacking lower corner, rear wrapper re-margined and with a short tear with loss to 2 words); 19th ed. original wrappers (soiled and spotted with front wrapper chipped). 20th ed. with original wrappers; 21st (Autumn) ed. preserving original wrappers on yellow glossy paper (front wrapper creased and chipped, quite fragile and repaired with old paper). Provenance: G.H. Cooper, Sept 1st 1864, King’s School Sherborne (5th ed.) – A. Lett (presentation inscription in 14th ed. Spring ed. to:) – C. Lett (dated June 30th 1883;) – Belfield House C.C. (deleted inscription in 16th ed. Spring ed. to:) – F. James (ownership inscription).

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