An introduccion for to lerne to rekyn with the pen, with the Counters. St. Albans

Item date: 1537

Grant Value: 10,000

Item cost: 97,500

Item cost pre-decimal: NULL

Item date acquired: 2005

Item institution: British Library

Town/City: London

This is the earliest surviving mathematical book in English. It consists of 144 unnumbered leaves and contains 11 woodcut illustrations of the counters used to help with calculations. It is the only known complete copy of the 1537 edition. Eight succeeding editions have survived.

Item Provenance

William Jones (c.1675-1745); Second Earl of Macclesfield; thence by descent at Shirburn Castle until Macclesfield sale