‎LOVAT, SIMON FRASER.‎
‎Memoires de la Vie du Lord Lovat. Relation De La Conduite Du Feu Comte De Kilmarnock Apres Sa Sentence Prononce. - [THE LIFE OF LORD LOVAT - THE LAST PERSON TO BE BEHEADED IN BRITAIN]‎

‎Amsterdam, De La Compagnie, 1747. 8vo. Bound in a nice contemporary Cambridge-style mirror binding with four raised bands and richly gilt spine. Gilt super ex-libris to front board. Wear and scratches to boards, primarily affecting front board. Internally nice and clean. (4), 363 pp.‎

Reference : 61155

‎Beautiful copy of this interesting work on the dramatic life of the 11th Lord Lovat. Although often referred to as the first appearance of this work it is in fact the first French translation of Lord Grange’s, Lord Lovat’s legal adviser, ‘Memoires of the Life of Simon Fraser Lord Lovat’ from 1746. Dr. Hill Burton notes that this is “the least inaccurate” biographical contemporary account of Lord Lovat which has ever appeared. The 11th Lord Lovat (1667 –1747), also known as Simon Fraser, was famous for his involvement in the Jacobite uprisings in Scotland during the 18th century and for being the last man in Britain to be beheaded. Lord Lovat is perhaps most famously known for his support of the Jacobite cause during the Jacobite Rising of 1745. He initially pledged allegiance to the British government but later switched sides to support the claim of Charles Edward Stuart, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, to the British throne. Lovat's decision to join the Jacobites was motivated by a combination of personal ambition and political calculation. Lovat's support for the Jacobites culminated in his participation in the Battle of Culloden in 1746 where the Jacobite forces were decisively defeated by the British government army. After the battle, Lovat attempted to evade capture but was eventually apprehended. He was tried for treason and subsequently executed in 1747.‎