A Genealogical History of the Kings and Queens of England, and Monarchs of Great Britain, &c. From the Conquest, Anno 1066. to the Year 1707. In Seven Parts or Books. -- By Samuel Stebbing, Esq; Somerset Herald. [A LARGE PAPER "GREAT GUN" (AVERS DIBDIN), MAGNIFICENTLY BOUND BY BEDFORD]

Stebbing's revised and preferred edition, after Sandford's first of 1677 sponsored by Charles II, with expansion of existing narrative, three new chapters of Book VII devoted to William and Mary, Anne and Princess Sophia, and 14 new plates, in addition to reinvigoration of original plates "by the best Hands." Demy folio, overall 45.4 x 29.7 x 9 cm (17-7/8 x 11-3/4 x 3-5/8 in.), pages 44.2 x 27.3 cm (17-3/8 x 10-3/4 in.). Full crushed crimson morocco gilt extra by Francis Bedford, stamped lower front dentelle, in early 18th-century design, comparing in all respects with the signed Bedford binding on First Folio no. 6 held by the Folger Shakespeare Library (STC 22273 fo.1 no.06, formerly Warwick Castle Shakespeare Library). Covers paneled within double rules (twice) and triple fillet edged with pinhead and acanthus rolls, cornered with voluting crowns and pinecones, outside panel centered with pyramids of voluting leafy vines and plants, spine in seven compartments with raised bands, two lettered, else elaborately ruled and framed replicating the cover tools, silk headbands, ruled edges, rolled dentelle, endpapers in Dutch raked curl, all edges gilt. Printed on very fine, variably thick and heavy LARGE PAPER. 70 full-page engraved plates (including leaf inserted as pp. 548f/e with Queen Anne seals recto, signed "M.V dr Gucht Sculp," later repositioned as frontispiece), 5 further inserted folding plates and 32 in-text illustrations by contemporary engravers, principally Wenceslaus Hollar (New Hollstein (Hollar) VIII and Metropolitan Museum of Art inv. 2017.320.2 both identify 20), Michiel van der Gucht (James Savage 1809 identifies 5 by him new in 1707) and Richard Gaywood, who trained with Hollar (MMA lists 6, Savage 11). 9 genealogical tables, one spreading over 4 pp. and one a folding spread on 2 pp. Collates complete, [1]^2-2^2, [A]^2, B^2-10R^2 (with an unsigned folio inserted on stub between 5D2 and 5D3, a folio signed * between 5D and 5E and two unsigned folios between 7C and 7D), a*^2-g*^2 (plus the 5 plates on folded sheets up to 20 in. wide, the later repositioned frontispiece leaf and 2 ll. binder's blanks front and 2 ll. rear): (xii) pp. (with the title, "To the Queen," "To the Reader," "The Names of the Subscribers--," section title Book I, plate A, plate B and "A Genealogical Table of the First Book--"), pp. 1 ("Chap. I, William I") - 878 ("Finis") [but 908 pp.], (xxviii) pp. (26 pp. table, errata). Notwithstanding many pagination errors, the pages are all placed correctly, only the Queen Anne leaf later repositioned. Some joint and tip wear, other minor scratches and scuffs on spine and covers, small black spot 7 x 2 mm (ink?) on front cover, neatly repaired chip 10 x 5 mm at bottom of spine, infrequent negligible paper marks and flaws (almost entirely from the time of printing), errata page negligibly soiled recto and dampstained on blank verso, else the paper very bright and crisp without trace of ageing or foxing, the volume stunning overall. The book was printed by subscription as ordinary copies and 24 "Royal Books." In addition, a very large presentation copy given to Queen Anne, with Her Majesty's Arms, was in the Harleian Library. (With the 19 copies listed in ESTC T147935, 22 of the 24 large paper copies are known; the Queen's copy is not listed.) Dibdin (Library Companion, 1825, pp. 217-8) offers the succinct appraisal, "-- copies on large paper are considered as among the great guns even of magnificent collections." Provenance: Baron Crewe (armorial bookplate front pastedown, the scroll reading "Crewe Hall"). The binding dates from the mid-century years of the 3rd Baron, a Fellow of the Royal Society. However, in different dress this copy may have been at Crewe Hall long before, through the 1st Baron's wife Frances Ann Greville, whose grandmother was Mary Somerset, daughter and co-heiress of Lord Arthur Somerset, the youngest son of Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort, a subscriber to four "Royal Books".…