'The kings and queens of England': acquired in 1969
'Alfred Crowquill's comic history of the kings and queens of England' is an illustrated children's book, published in London around 1860. It consists entirely of colour portraits of England's monarchs up to Queen Victoria.
The book is part of the Eudo Mason Collection, presented to the National Library of Scotland in 1969.
Mason, Professor of German at Edinburgh University, formed a collection of 3,500 children's books and additional material, including games and a toy theatre. After his death, the collection was given to the Library by his executors in accordance with his expressed wishes.
The images in Crowquill's book are often parodies of the kings and queens, showing them in characteristic postures or situations. Our image shows an illustration of William the Conqueror.
'Crowquill' was originally the joint pseudonym of Alfred Henry Forrester and his elder brother Charles Robert Forrester. In 1843 Charles retired from active life, and the name was then used by Alfred alone.