183

"Herman Thwackius" (pseudonym).

Fragments of the History of Bawlfredonia.

[Maryland?]: Printed for the American Booksellers, 1819
[4], 164 pages. 8vo, later ½ calf, minor wear, joints rubbed, with binder's tag of W.G. Johnston of Pittsburgh, PA; foxing; early owner's inscriptions on flyleaf and title.

The author of this political satire is given as Herman Thwackius, which we can safely say is a pseudonym. The copyright holder is given as Jonas Clopper, who is usually attributed as the author. However, no man by that name is listed on ancestry.com, nor was he ever mentioned in the millions of newspapers indexed on newspapers.com. We suspect that "Jonas Clopper" is also a pseudonym. 

This copy may have belonged to the actual author and his family. It bears the ownership signature "Jas R Willson" at the head of the title page, and "by Herman Thwackius" is amended in manuscript to read "alias Jas R. Willson." James Renwick Willson (1780-1853) was a prolific and controversial author; he was at one point burned in effigy at the New York State House. 

Provenance: Facing the title page, the book is additionally signed "Renwick Z. Willson, Phi'a 1838." Renwick Zaccheus Willson (1813-1872) was the son of the author James Renwick Willson. Below that is a note reading "Given to me by Dr. John Hamilton, Sept. 3 1874," perhaps by Renwick's nephew David Burt Willson (1842-1919). It was later part of the collection of David Burt Willson's son James Burt Willson (1891-1978), and then was given by Willson's son to the consignor.

Sabin 13770. None traced at auction since 1982.

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