KENDREW, James [publisher] 22 Chapbooks. York, [c1810-1830] ‘The Cheerful Warbler’, ‘Cinderilla’, ‘A Collection of Birds & Riddles’, ‘The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard…Part 1’, The Courtship, Marriage and Pic Nic Dinner of Cock Robin and Jenny Wren’,’An Elegy on the Death and Burial of Cock Robin’, ‘ The History of a Little Boy Found Under a Haycock’,’ The History of Little Tom Tucker’, ‘The History of Sam the Sportsman’, ‘ The History of Simple Simon’,’ Jack and Jill and Old Dame Gill’,’ Jack Jingle and Sucky Shingle’,’ Jacky Dandy’s Delight’, ‘ The Life and Death of Jenny Wren’, ‘ The Life of Jack Sprat’, ‘The Little Maid and the Gentleman’,‘ The Mother’s Gift’,’ The New Riddle Book’,‘ Old Dame Trot’,’Tom The Piper’s Son’,’ A Visit to the Tower’,’ The Waggon Load of Money’. Each chapbook is approx. 10 cm x 6.5 cm [4” x 21/2” ] with minor variations. The books have the first and last leaves coloured a pale yellow in imitation of card wraps, the colour having been washed on by hand after printing and stitching. The books are sewn in one gathering. Page one is usually the title page, often with a wood engraving, and a few have borders of printer’s ornaments. Usually Kendrew’s imprint is to be found on page one and again on page sixteen. Most of the books are in verse, with only a couple in prose. The books are difficult to date precisely but dates between 1810-1830 are thought likely. Roger Davis in his definitive work “Kendrew of York and his chapbooks for children” The Elmete Press 1988 goes into great detail about this subject and indeed all other aspects of the series and others produced by Kendrew. The format means that the books are rather fragile, and extraordinary survivals in this condition. Twenty of the chapbooks are sewn as issued, some acquired from descendants of James Kendrew. Two of the works are disbound and resewn. All are in at least Very Good condition. Some of the titles are easily found, some rather rarer and ‘The New Riddle Book’ seems very fugitive. It has taken us several years to collect the set.