A very early printing of James Jenkins’ ‘Martial Achievements’ with J. Whatman watermarked paper dated 1811 throughout. The work was first issued in thirteen parts from 1811-12, indeed this example is most likely bound from the parts. Abbey states that ‘one hundred sets on large paper at 42s. a part’ were issued. Abbey’s copy on large paper measured 14½ x 11¾ inches, this is even larger at 15¾ x 12½. As expected, this example is without the portrait of the Duke of Wellington, Abbey states ‘this was not issued during part publication but is a later insertion comparable to the Founders in the Colleges published by Ackerman’. The vignette on the title is uncoloured as called for in the first issue.

Hardie extols the work stating that it depicts ‘battle-scenes and make[s] a glorious record of acts of heroism and valour performed by our soldiers … form a brilliant and worthy record of a brilliant period in our country’s history’. The artist William Heath (1794/5-1840) was a talented artist specialising in military themes. If the obituary notice in the ‘Gentleman’s Magazine’ is accurate, he was only 14 years old when his first prints were published. This is the best known of his works. The prominent aquatint engraver Thomas Sutherland produced 38 of the plates.

The plates were rearranged for publication in book form into a chronological order. In this example 15 of the plates are printed on India paper, ‘the use of India paper for coloured aquatints at this period is very uncommon’ (Abbey). Along with the list of subscribers bound at the end is a four-page list of the Names of the British Officers Killed, Wounded or Missing, 16th June 1815. The book was popular, but it is important to check the dates of the watermarks. Examples have been found with dates as late as 1835. The best are those with pre-publication dates, here they are the earliest possible, all 1811. Abbey Life (1972) 365, Hardie (1973) pp. 146-7; Mackenzie (1998); ODNB; Tooley (1987) 281.