RARE! The Tale of the Shore and Ocean or The Heir of Kilfinnan by William H.G. Kingston, 1880s Antique Novel for Children

A rare, late 19th century children's novel by William H.G. Kingston, A Tale of the Shore and Ocean or The Heir of Kilfinnan, this illustrated edition was published by the Edgewood Publishing Company, circa 1870s. We believe this is a lesser known (and as a result, harder to find) work. We're struggling to find a lot of information about it, and even Wikipedia doesn't list this title on the author's bibliography. Yet here it is!

THE PREFACE OF THE HEIR OF KILFINNAN
The following tale contains materials for a full-sized novel, but my readers probably will not object to have them condensed into a single modest volume. The scene of a considerable portion of the story is laid on the coast of Ireland, where the peasantry mostly speak the native Irish, and I have therefore translated what my characters say into ordinary English rather than into the generally received brogue, which would be, coming from their lips, as inappropriate as Spanish or Dutch. When English is spoken, it sounds somewhat high-flown, but is certainly purer than the language of the same class in England. Thus, my hero talks more like a well-educated young gentleman than a humble fisher lad. If that is considered a defect, I hope that it may be redeemed by the stirring incidents with which the tale abounds, and that old and young may alike find as much amusement as they expect in its perusal.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (Courtesy of Wikipedia)
William Henry Giles Kingston (1814-1880), often credited as W. H. G. Kingston, was an English writer of boys' adventure novels. He was a zealous volunteer and worked actively for the improvement of the condition of seamen. But from 1850, his chief occupation was writing books for boys, or editing boys' annuals and weekly periodicals. He started the Union Jack, a paper for boys, only a few months before his death. His stories number more than a hundred.

For a book approximating 150 years old, this is in wonderful condition, so it would make a great (and rare) gift for any antique children's book collector.

BIXLEY NOTES
• A Tale of the Ocean & Shore or The Heir of Kilfinnan
• Written by William H.G. Kingston
• Black & White etchings throughout
• Illustrator not credited
• POSSIBLE FIRST EDITION (be we can't be sure)
• Published by The Edgewood Publishing Company, circa 1860s/1870s
• Distinctive, mustard-colored linen hardcover, embossed and gold gilded
• 331 pages
• Measures 7 5/8" x 5 3/8"

VINTAGE NOTES
• In very good condition
• Covers show remarkably little wear for its age
• Covers are pulling away from the binding but are still attached (requires some gentle handling as a result)
• Binding is nice and tight
• Pages are in excellent condition

At Bixley, forgotten treasures are looking for a home to call their own. We love the "as is" quality of vintage pieces and hope you do too. Please read our description carefully and take a good look at our photos. We'll do our best to point out any of the bumps and bruises of age.

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