(London: John Murray, 1839).

FIRST EDITION OF THIS FAMOUS BIOGRAPHY OF LORD ANSON. Anson was the son of William Anson of Shugborough in Staffordshire and Isabella Carrier. He was born on 23 April 1697, at Shugborough Manor.
In February 1712, amid the War of the Spanish Succession, Anson entered the navy. He served as a volunteer aboard the HMS Ruby, before transferring to the HMS Monmouth.
Promoted to lieutenant on 17 March 1716, he was assigned to the fourth-rate HMS Hampshire in service as part of a Baltic Sea fleet commanded by Admiral John Norris. Anson transferred to the aging HMS Montagu in March 1718, and saw active service against Spain at the Battle of Cape Passaro in August 1718 during the War of the Quadruple Alliance. He then transferred to the second-rate HMS Barfleur, flagship of Admiral George Byng, in October 1719.
Anson was promoted to commander in June 1722 and given command of the small 8-gun HMS Weazel. Anson's orders were to suppress smuggling between Britain and Holland, a task he swiftly and effectively performed. In recognition of his efforts he was promoted to the rank of post-captain in February 1723 and given command of the 32-gun HMS Scarborough with orders to escort British merchant convoys from the Carolinas. (The Ansonborough district of Charleston, South Carolina, still commemorates his time there.
He transferred to the command of the HMS Garland, still on the Carolinas station, in July 1728, then to the command of the HMS Diamond in the Channel Fleet in 1730, and to the command of the HMS Squirrel back on the Carolinas station in 1731. He was given command of the 60-gun HMS Centurion in the West Africa Squadron in 1737 and, having been promoted to commodore with his broad pennant in HMS Centurion, he took command of a squadron sent to attack Spanish possessions in South America at the outset of the War of Jenkins' Ear.
Commodore George Anson reached the Juan Fernández Islands in June 1741, with only three of his original six ships (HMS Centurion, HMS Gloucester and the sloop HMS Tryal). In the absence of any effective Spanish force on the coast, he was able to harass the enemy and to sack the small port city of Paita in Peru in November 1741. The steady decrease of his crews by scurvy and the worn-out state of his remaining consorts compelled him to collect all the remaining survivors in Centurion. He rested at the island of Tinian, and then made his way to Macao in November 1742.
After considerable difficulties with the Chinese, he sailed again with his one remaining vessel to cruise in search of one of the Manila galleons that conducted the trade between Mexico and the Chinese merchants in the Philippines, where he captured the Nuestra Señora de Covadonga with 1,313,843 pieces of eight on board, which he had encountered off Cape Espiritu Santo on 20 June 1743. The charts captured with the ship added many islands to the British knowledge of the Pacific, including the Anson Archipelago.
Anson took his prize back to Macao, sold her cargo to the Chinese, kept the specie, and sailed for England via the Cape of Good Hope. Passing by means of a thick fog a French fleet then patrolling the Channel, he reached England on 15 June 1744. The prize money earned from the capture of the galleon made Anson a rich man for life and bought him considerable political influence.
Anson was elected Member of Parliament for Hedon in Yorkshire in 1744. He joined the Board of Admiralty led by the Duke of Bedford in December 1744. Promoted to Rear-Admiral of the White on 23 April 1745 and to vice-admiral of the blue in July 1745, he took command of the Western Squadron, with his flag in the HMS Yarmouth, in July 1746.
Anson commanded the fleet that defeated the Marquis de la Jonquière at the First Battle of Cape Finisterre in May 1747 during the War of the Austrian Succession. His force captured the entire French squadron: four ships of the line, two frigates, and six merchantmen. The treasure amounted to £300,000. He was elevated to the peerage as Lord Anson, Baron of Soberton, in the County of Southampton on 11 June 1747. Of Anson, Jonquière is quoted thus: "Sir, you have vanquished the Invincible and Glory follows with you."' Wiki. Item #34043

First Edition, a copy with very pleasing provenance, the copy of James de Saumarez, 2nd Baron, Son of Admiral de Saumarez, one of Nelson's "Band of Brothers", signed by him on the title-page. Engraved portrait frontispiece. 8vo, handsomely bound in antique three-quarter tan calf over green cloth covered boards, the spine with raised bands decorated with fully gilt panels designs incorporating corner and center tools, gilt stippled bands, dark green morocco lettering label gilt, sides and corners gilt ruled at the joins, marbled end-leaves and edges, a very pleasing binding. xxxiv, 484 pp. A fine copy beautifully preserved, the binding strong and especially well preserved, the text-block clean and the hinges in fine order.