An all purpose training manual for young men of the 18th century, this work is typical of books found in the libraries of many of the country's founders. Washington had a similar book in his library; the Library of Congress owns a 4th edition of this book published in 1765. First published in 1755in London and Salisbury, this is the third edition and is know to have been published at least until the 6th edition in 1777.
The book contains 24 separate subject areas including “Rules for and Directions for reading and writing in English, geography and astronomy “circles of the Globe, fixed stars, Planets, and Comets” to Forms of Business in the Merchantile Way and Forms in the Law of General Use” to List of many necessary to be known, etc. The mathematics portion includes “a great variety of cuts and tables” in the text, “arithmetic”and practical geometry. It also includes information on business, creating wills and legal matters, making rockets and fireworks, and trades such as surveying, farriering, carpentry, bricklaying and gardening.
This book is known to have been a valued possesion of the Baird/Galbraith family, who immigrated from Londonberry in the early 19th Century. As a boy in the 1830's Joseph Baird attended West Nottingham Academy, in Colora Maryland. He later taught at the school as a young man. West Nottingham Academy is a prepartory boarding school that first opened in 1744 by Presbyterian minister Samuel Finley.