Poor.- Gilbert (Thomas) Plan for the better Relief and Employment of the Poor; For Enforcing and Amending the Laws Respecting Houses of Correction, and Vagrants; And for Improving the Police of this Country..., first edition, without supplement, occasional spotting, half-title, modern calf-backed marbled boards, spine gilt in compartments with red roan label, [Goldsmiths' 12214; Kress B.365], for G. Wilkie, 1781 § [Chester.] An Act, for better Regulating the Poor; maintaining a Nightly Watch; Lighting, paving, and cleansing the Streets, Rows, and Passages; providing Fire-Engines and Firemen, and regulating the Hackney-Coachmen, Chairmen, Carmen, and Porters, within the City of Chester, ink mark to title, lightly browned, contemporary sheep-backed marbled boards, rubbed, corners worn, 1772, 8vo (2)

⁂ Thomas Gilbert (c.1720-98), land agent, lawyer, and poor law reformer, devoted much of his mature years, certainly from 1765, to the cause of poor law reform. Despite making attempts at legislative progress during the 1760s and '70s none actually reached the statute book. Eventually, the Act which became known as Gilbert's Act was enacted in 1782.

The second item is a second printing, in different format, of the Private Act 2 Geo. III.c.45 first printed in 1761. Both printings seem to be rare with only 4 UK copies listed of this 1772 edition (BL, Department of Health, LSE, and Chetham's Library in Manchester), plus 2 in America.

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