Worsdale, John, Astronomer ‘Celestial Philosophy, or Genethliacal Astronomy, Containing the Only True Method of Calculating Nativities, Made Plain and Easy’ Published by Messrs. Longman, & Co., 47 Paternoster Row, London; and may be had of the Author, or Printer, and all Booksellers in the United Kingdom. – M. Keyworth, Printer, Lincoln, undated^[1]. Copy A formerly in the possession of Robert Bridgart Junr.^[2], with his ornate inked signature to ffep dated Nov. 16th, 1858, and his scattered marginal pencilled annotations within.

Compiled from two copies. Copy A: Old leather with ornate gilt border decoration, rebacked with modern leather, with silver-stamped leather title label to spine. Copy B: Custom cloth. Both copies: [1 leaf] + [pp. 3-4] + [1 leaf] + [pp. iii-xx] + 156 + [pp. 159-346] + [1] + [pp. 348-397 of tables] + [1] + [pp. 399-468 of tables] + [p. 469] + [1]

[1] Library records show 1828

[2] Apparently a notable building contractor in Derby, England, born 1840

About this Book Scan

Carefully scanned in full colour from the best available pages from our two original copies of the 1828 first edition, both purchased in the 2000s.

John Worsdale Junior, the son of the late John Worsdale (author of Genethliacal Astrology), followed in his father’s footsteps in publishing a substantial new astrological textbook focused on nativities in 1828, about two years after the recorded date of his father’s death. Opinions are divided on the degree to which the text may be the work of the father or the son. One view has it that the son produced it more or less verbatim from manuscripts left behind by his father at the time of his death. Another has it that it was chiefly the son’s work and that there are clues to this in the writing.