Lot 713

"A Golden Legacy" by Sarah Pennington SCARCE ANTIQUE 1830 HC Feminist Advice On Young Women Conduct

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Lot 713
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"A Golden Legacy" by Sarah Pennington SCARCE ANTIQUE 1830 HC Feminist Advice On Young Women Conduct
"A Golden Legacy" by Sarah Pennington SCARCE ANTIQUE 1830 HC Feminist Advice On Young Women Conduct
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"A Golden Legacy" by Sarah Pennington SCARCE ANTIQUE 1830 HC Feminist Advice On Young Women Conduct

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Estimate: $100 - $200

Starting Bid: $24

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by The Book Barn
August 13, 2026 5:00 PM EDT
Timed Auction
353 Indian Village Road
Shapliegh, ME, US 07076

SCARCE ANTIQUE 1830 Hardcover 19th Century Feminist Advice On Conduct To Young Women. "A Golden Legacy To Daughters Or Advice To Yong Ladies" by Sarah Pennington. HARDCOVER 1830 Bradley Dayton & Company later American edition unknown printing with Date: "1830" on title page & with Sarah Pennington frontipiece. No author is stated, this is probably an American pirate edition as America did not join the international copyright law until the International Copyright Act of 1891. Nice Collectible hardcover copy. Exactly as shown in listing scan(s). SCARCE ORIGINAL BOOK ON 19TH CENTURY FEMALE DEPORTMENT; NO ORIGINAL COPIES ON INTERNET AT TIME OF LISTING.

"Sarah, Lady Pennington, née Moore (1720-1783) was an Englishwoman who wrote a widely read and much reprinted book on conduct for young women. She successfully battled for her right to leave an unhappy marriage & sought to obtain that right for all English women. She wrote several books on proper female deportment, the most popular being "A Golden Legacy To Daughters Or Advice To Yong Ladies" published in the mid 18th Century. Born Sarah Moore, she was married to Sir Joseph Pennington, 4th Baronet, of Warter Hall in Yorkshire, who was a commissioner of customs. Their marriage deteriorated, and after a dozen years their private disagreements turned into a public scandal when the couple separated. At this period divorce was very difficult to obtain in England, requiring a costly private Act of Parliament, and even mutually agreed separations were highly stigmatized. Lady Pennington moved to Bath, leaving her children with their father, who appears to have entirely cut her off from any further contact with them. Although she had received no formal education, she wrote a popular manuals of conduct for young women. She offers her rationale for writing these books: "My Dear Jenny: Was there any Probability that a Letter from me would be permitted to reach your Hand alone, I should not have chosen this least eligible Method of writing to you." Most unusually, Lady Pennington combined the traditional form of the social conduct manual with a defense of her decision to leave her marriage. While it is clear that she considered her husband greatly to blame, she took responsibility for her own actions and argued that in such situations a woman's right to follow her conscience is more important than blind obedience to marriage vows. She succeeded in escaping the censure usually leveled at women in broken marriages and became instead an object of public sympathy; for example, an obituary in the "Gentleman's Magazine" referred to her "severe and uncommon afflictions". Her best known book was frequently reprinted, going through three editions in the first year alone, and it continued to appear in various editions and in anthologies well into the 19th century."

Scattered light staining, not obscuring any text, o/w internally tight & unmarked, pages lightly toning but not brittle. Exterior Binding: heavy rubbing wear to blind stamped covers/handling wear/edge rubbing especially at head/foot of spine/hinges starting at top & bottom but all lettering/decoration readable. NO DJ AS ISSUED. NO REMAINDER MARK; NOT X-LIBRARY. ALL ITEMS ARE GUARANTEED TO BE ACCURATELY DESCRIBED, NOT DEFECTIVE, & GENUINE.

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  • Condition: Good Condition

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We do all our own shipping. Shipping will be added to winning bidder's invoice for item(s) won. Media Mail postage from USPS will be used for shipping in the United States for those items allowed. Lowest alternative cost shipping will be billed for items not allowed by USPS to be shipped by Media Mail. Foreign winning bidders will pay postage based on their countries small/medium/large Flat Rate box postage rates & weight of the package. Other types of postage are available at added expense at the bidders request. You also agree to pay any applicable taxes and/or customs/import duties. A Tracking Number will be provided to buyer. Insurance is mandatory on packages over $100 USD and will be added to postage charges when applicable.

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