(Born: Edinburgh, Scotland, 27 February 1758; Died: Paris, France, 10 May 1826) Scottish antiquarian & historian.

Pinkerton lived in many places Europe throughout his life, authoring works on geography and travel. He is best remembered for his General Collections of Voyages and Travels (13 vols., London, 1808-13), which contain abstracts and translations of previous published works.

Biographical references: Allibone, Dictionary of English Literature, 1859-71. • BBA: I 878, 238-298; 1230, 442. • Biographie Universelle. • DNB. • Eminent Scotsmen. • Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition. • Poggendorff: 2, cols. 455-6. • Waller, Dictionary of Universal Biography, 1857-63. • Watt, Bibliotheca Britannica, 1824. • WBI.

Esquisse d'une Nouvelle Classification, 1803

1. French, 1803.
Esquisse | D'Une Nouvelle Classification | De Minéralogie; | Suivi | De Quelques Sur La Nomenclature | Des Roches. | Par M. Jean Pinkerton; | Traduit De L'Anglois Par H.J. Jansen. | [tapered rule] | A Paris, | Chez H.J. Jansen, Rue Des Postes, N^o. 6, | Près De L'Estrapade. | [rule] | An XI.-1803.

8°: π⁴ 1-6⁴; 28l.; [i]-viij, [1]-46, [2] p. Page size: 215 x 135 mm. uncut.

Contents: [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; [iii]-viij, "Préface."; [1]-46, Text.; [1 pg], "Sous Presse Chez Le Même Libraire."; [1 pg], Blank.

Rare. The present work is an attempt at classification according to a new system of names.Translator the same as the French edition of Francq de Berkhey?? Also the publisher of this book????

H.J. Jansen. (Born:      ; Died:      ) Dutch translator. Same as the publisher / printer H.J. Jansen. Or, this may refer to Heinrich Jansen [1741-1812], Dutch translator. See References.

Bibliographical references: LKG: XII 162. (Jansen) Biographie Universelle. • Nouvelle Biographie Générale (Hoefer).

2. English, 1811 [English transl.].
Petrology. | A | Treatise on Rocks. | By J. Pinkerton. | Vol. 1. | [vignette] | London. | Printed For White, Cochrane & Co. Fleet Street. | By S. Hamilton & Co. Weybridge. | 1811.

2 vols. [Vol 1] 8°: π¹ a-c⁸ d⁴ B-Pp⁸ Qq⁴; 328l.; [2], [i]-lv, [1], [1]-599, [1] p., engraved title page with vignette. [Vol 2] 8°: π¹ a⁸ b² B-Tt⁸; 339l.; [2], [i]-xx, [1]-656 p., 3 plaves. Page size: 225 x 135 mm. Scarce.

Contents: [Vol 1] [2 pgs], Engraved title page, verso blank.; [i]-xlvii, "Introduction."; [xlviii], Blank.; [xlix]-li, "Contents | Of The First Volume."; [lii], Blank.; [liii]-lv, "Corrections And Additions."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-599, Text.; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 2] [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; [i]-xvi, "Introduction."; [xvii]-xx, "Contents | Of The Second Volume."; [1]-590, Text.; [591], "Appendix."; [592], Blank.; [593]-637, Text of appendix.; [638], Blank.; [639]-651, "Index."; [652], Blank.; 653-654, "Plates In Vol. I. [-Vol. II]."; 655-656, Publisher's list.

General Collection, 1808

3. English, 1808-14 [First edition].
A | General Collection | Of The | Best And Most Interesting | Voyages And Travels | In All Parts Of The World; | Many Of Which Are Now First Translated Into English. | Digest On A New Plan. | [tapered rule] | By John Pinkerton, | Author Of Modern Geography, &c. &c. | [tapered rule] | Illustrated With Plates. | Volume The First [-Seventeenth]. | [tapered rule] | London: | Printed For Longman, Hurst, Rees, And Orme, Paternosters Row; | And Cadell And Davies, In The Strand. | 1808 [-1814].

17 vols. [Vol 1: 1808] 4°: π¹ A² a^{1 2}a⁴ b² B-5P⁴ 5Q²; ??l.; [6], [i]-xiv, [1]-851, [1] p., 10 plates. [Vol 2: 1808] 4°: π² a¹ B-5N⁴ 5O¹; ??l.; [6], [1]-833, [1] p., 12 plates. [Vol 3: 1809] 4°: π² B-6A⁴; ??l.; [4], [1]-919, [1] p., 14 plates. [Vol 4: 1809] 4°: π² B-4Y⁴ 4Z¹; ??l.; [4], [1]-722 p., 18 plates. [Vol 5: 1809] 4°: π² B-6K⁴; ??l.; [4], [1]-992 p., 13 plates. [Vol 6: 1809] 4°: π² B-5Y⁴ 5Z⁵; ??l.; [4], [1]-913, [1] p., 4 plates. [Vol 7: 1811] 4°: π² B-5L⁴ 5M³; ??l.; [4], [1]-821, [1] p., 13 plates. [Vol 8: 1811] 4°: π² B-5F⁴; ??l.; [4], [1]-776 p., 18 plates. [Vol 9: 1811] 4°: π² B-5M⁴ 5N²; ??l.; [4], [1]-828 p., 8 plates. [Vol 10: 1811] 4°: π² B-5E⁴ 5F¹; ??l.; [4], [1]-770 p., 8 plates. [Vol 11: 1812] 4°: π² B-6E⁴; ??l.; [4], [1]-952 p., 15 plates. [Vol 12: 1812] 4°: π² B-4Q⁴ 4R³; ??l.; [4], [1]-678 p., 16 plates. [Vol 13: 1812] 4°: π² B-5S⁴ 5T²; ??l.; [4], [1]-876 p., 9 plates. [Vol 14: 1813] 4°: π² B-5S⁴ 5T⁵; ??l.; [4], [1]-881, [1] p., 11 plates. [Vol 15: 1814] 4°: π² B-5O⁴; ??l.; [4], [1]-839, [1] p., 16 plates. [Vol 16: 1814] 4°: π² B-6A⁴ 6B²; ??l.; [4], [1]-917, [1] p., 2 plates. [Vol 17: 1814] 4°: π² a-e⁴ B-2K⁴ A-3M⁴ 3N⁵; ??l.; [4], [i]-xxxix, [1], [1]-255, [1], [1]-472 p. Page size: 280 x 220 mm.

Contents: [Vol 1] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [2 pgs], "Advertisement."; [2 pgs], "Contents | Of The | First Volume."; [i], "List Of The Plates In Volume I."; [ii], Blank.; [iii]-viii, "Preface | Explaining The | Plan And Arrangement Of This Work."; [ix]-xi, "A | General | Table Of Contents." (for all 17 volumes).; [xii]-xiv, "A | General | List Of Plates." (for all 17 volumes).; [1]-851, Text.; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 2] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Second Volume."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1 pg], "List Of The Plates In Volume II."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-833, Text.; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 3] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Third Volume."; [1 pg], "List Of The Plates In Volume III."; [1]-913, Text.; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 4] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Fourth Volume."; [1 pg], "List Of The Plates In Volume IV."; [1]-722, Text.

[Vol 5] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Fifth Volume."; [1 pg], "List Of The Plates In Volume V."; [1]-992, Text.

[Vol 6] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Sixth Volume."; [1 pg], "List Of The Plates In Volume VI."; [1]-913, Text.; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 7] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Seventh Volume."; [1 pg], "List Of The Plates In Volume VII."; [1]-821, Text.; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 8] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Eighth Volume."; [1 pg], "List Of The Plates In Volume VIII."; [1]-776, Text.

[Vol 9] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Nineth Volume."; [1 pg], "List Of The Plates In Volume IX."; [1]-828, Text.

[Vol 10] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Tenth Volume."; [1 pg], "List Of The Plates In Volume X."; [1]-770, Text.

[Vol 11] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Eleventh Volume."; [1 pg], "List Of The Plates In Volume XI."; [1]-952, Text.; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 12] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Twelfth Volume."; [1 pg], "List Of The Plates In Volume XII."; [1]-678, Text.

[Vol 13] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Thirteenth Volume."; [1 pg], "List Of The Plates In Volume XIII."; [1]-876, Text.

[Vol 14] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Fourteenth Volume."; [1 pg], "List Of The Plates In Volume XIV."; [1]-881, Text.; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 15] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Fifteenth Volume."; [1 pg], "List Of The Plates In Volume XV."; [1]-839, Text.; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 16] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Sixteenth Volume."; [1 pg], "List Of The Plates In Volume XVI."; [1]-917, Text.; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 17] [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Strahan and Preston, | Printers-Street, London."; [1 pg], "Contents | Of The | Third Volume."; [1 pg], Blank.; [i]-xxxix, "Prospect | Of The | Origin And Progress Of Discovery, | By Sea And Land, | In Ancient, Modern, And The Most Recent Times."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-255, "Catalogue | Of | Books Of Voyages And Travels."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-472, "Index."

Very scarce. An elaborate collection of voyage accounts, containing details of virtually every major voyage to date, often for the first time in English. "Of great value for its texts" (Hill), Pinkerton's General Collection also contains one of the earliest bibliographies on Australasia and the Pacific. This 255-page catalogue found in volume 17 lists voyages by geographical location, and includes sections on world voyages, Australasia, New Holland, and Polynesia; followed by a detailed analytical index, certainly one of the most ambitious ever attempted, comprising in its 472 pages everything from Aa to Zwellendam.The author's summary in the same volume discusses the achievements of Cook from a contemporary perspective: "The Voyages of Cook may therefore be regarded as forming an illustrious epoch.. the old catalogues of pictures and statues, with trifling adventures by sea and land, which were called books of travels, have sunk into obscurity before the new and important works". Pinkerton concludes his remarks on Cook with the note that "..an English colony was sent to Australia, which will infallibly diffuse illuminations over that remote quarter of the world" (p. i).

Bibliographical references: Beddie, M.K., Bibliography of Captain James Cook, R.N., F.R.S., Circumnavigator. Second edition. Sydney, Library of New South Wales, 1970. xvi, 894 p. [Standard bibliography covering all aspects of Cook literature, including that of his associates, imaginative literature, biographies, etc.]: no. 77. • Hill, The Hill Collection of Pacific Voyages, 1974-83: p. 236. • Sabin, Dictionary, 1868-1936: no. 62957.

4. English, 1810-4.
A general collection of the best and most interesting voyages and travels in all parts of the world; many of which are now first translated into English. Digested on a new plan. By John Pinkerton ... London, Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme [etc.] 1810-14. (Vols. 1-6 published, Philadelphia, Kimber & Conrad, 1810-2).

17 vols. "Catalogue of books of voyages and travels," vol. 17, p. [1]-255. Vols. I-IV published in Philadelphia. Very scarce.

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