1871 Scarce Book - Romantic Tales from English History by May Beverley

Author: May Beverley.
Title: Romantic Tales from English History.
Publisher: London, Strahan & Co., 56 Ludgate Hill, 1871.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7 x 5 inches. 
Pages: vi-316 pages.
Binding: Very good contemporary full polished calf binding (likely prize or bespoke binding), the boards framed with a double gilt fillet, and the spine richly decorated in gilt compartments with elaborate floral tooling. Red morocco title label lettered in gilt “TALES FROM ENGLISH HISTORY”. Marbled edges and marbled endpapers (vibrant red, blue, and ochre palette) (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. A very nice Victorian binding with dignified presence.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing or staining - as shown, early ownership inscriptions on the preliminary blank “Easter 1873, Tudor House” and faint pencil notes - as shown). A solid, complete, and crisp example of this 1871 edition.
Illustrations: Illustrated throughout with twenty-two fine wood-engravings, including a dramatic frontispiece, “On the Turret Stair,” and historical portraits and scenes across the volume. The engravings, executed in the expressive mid-Victorian style, capture key moments of medieval and Tudor history with architectural detail, costume accuracy, and emotional intensity. Plates remain sharp and clean, with no offsetting beyond mild age toning. Complete.

Estimate: (USD 200–250).

The book: Romantic Tales from English History gathers a series of narrative vignettes drawn from pivotal moments in England’s medieval and early-modern past. Designed for young readers and general audiences of the 19th century, these tales blend historical fact with dramatic retelling: founding the Hospital of St. Bartholomew, the Battle of Evesham, Queen Anne’s compassion for her people, the tragedies of Ludlow Castle, and the fall of the last Lord High Constable of England.

May Beverley’s writing emphasizes character, moral contrast, and the human dimension of well-known historical episodes. This 1871 edition—handsomely illustrated and presented in an elegant Victorian binding—would have served both as an educational volume and as a gift book, combining historical instruction with visual appeal.

The survival of such copies in full polished calf with marbled edges makes this a desirable example for collectors of Victorian history, bindings, or illustrated children’s and educational literature.

The author: May Beverley (active mid–19th century) was a writer of historical tales and moral fiction aimed primarily at young readers. Her works often sought to encourage curiosity for English history through accessible narratives built around heroism, virtue, and the political and religious complexities of medieval and Tudor England.

While not widely known today, Beverley’s books were popular in school libraries and middle-class homes thanks to their clarity, moral tone, and educational value. Romantic Tales from English History is among her most substantial works.