Hartstonge, Matthew Weld (1772 -1835)

These volumes formed part of a group of presentation copies from Walter Scott to Matthew Weld Hartstonge, which were sold in Edinburgh on 10 May 1989 at Phillips. With them was a copy of H. H. Brackenridge's An epistle to Walter Scott; written at Pittsburg, during the sitting of the term, Sept 9th 1811, on reading the Lady of the Lake taken up by chance (Philadelphia, 1811), which was also inscribed `Given me by Walter Scott Esq M W H', and bound by George Mullen of Dublin, without Hartstonge's bookstamp but with his armorial bookplate. It is also in the National Library of Scotland. Matthew Weld, of Dublin, took the name and arms of Hartstonge in lieu of Weld by Royal Licence 2 February 1811, in compliance with the will of John Hartstonge of Brackenstown, County Dublin. He first wrote to Scott in 1809, when he asked his help in having his poems privately printed by Ballantyne. He subsequently helped Scott with information for the writer’s life of Dean Swift, He was entertained at Abbotsford, returning the hospitality on Scott's visit to Dublin, and stood by him during his bankruptcy.