1866 Worcesteriana: affording historical, biographical, and other notices relating to Edward Somerset, sixth earl and second Marquis of Worcester, inventor of the steam engine; and his immediate family connections.

Description

Limited Edition, Rebound, Scarce

A scarce work, here in its first edition, this is number 47 of only one hundred copies printed.

A biographical work on Edward Somerset, the second Marquis of Worcester, a seventeenth century nobleman, known for his work 'The Century of Inventions' which detailed more than 100 inventions, including a device which would have been one of the earliest steam engines. This was called the 'Water-commanding Engine' constructed from the barrel of a cannon.

This is the work of Henry Dircks, an English engineer. He became a practical engineer, conducting railway, canal, and mining works, before progressing to the role of consulting engineer. He continued to investigate technologies and invent new devices, taking out several patents between 1840 and 1857.

With thirteen pages of advertisements of further works from the author, including critics responses to another work he published on the second Marquis of Worcester, the year previously.