The Amateur of Fencing or a Treatise on Sword Defence Joseph Roland 1809

The Amateur of Fencing or a Treatise on Sword Defence, written by Joseph Roland in 1809 covers British broardsword and smallsword fencing. 1st edition with brown calfskin binding, gold tooling, and some decoration to edges. Originally printed for the Author by W. Wilson. And sold at Egerton’s Military Library, Whitehall; and sold at the Author’s Fencing and Broadsword Academy

Joseph Roland was the fencing master at the Royal Military Academy of Woolwich and a noted fighter of the time. Fighting Chevalier de Saint-Georges in an exhibition match held before the Prince of Wales at the Royal Pavilion, Brighton. Afterwards the Prince asked for a set of foils, masks and gloves, for which Roland was suitably rewarded

His son George Roland was fencing master at the Royal Academy of Edinburgh. His contribution to fencing literature was (among others) An Introductory Course of Fencing, Edinburgh: self-published, 1837.

Trimmed title page, otherwise good condition throughout, minor corner damage to cover. Origionaly part of the Peter and Pat Croft’s collection.