Well! After profiling a copy of the 1616 Maison Rustique, or, The Countrey Farme with the ownership inscription of Mary Howard, I reached out the Dublin City Library and Archive to inquire about another Mary-Howard-owned book: a 1733 edition of John Watson’s almanac, published in Dublin.
Howard twice signed the recto of the blank leaf at the end of the almanac, making ample pen trials, too. This Mary Howard is clearly not the same owner of the Maison Rustique. This Mary Howard’s hand is later and more italic, and neither the uppercase nor the lowercase H in Howard are formed like the H in the other’s inscription. Still, it is nice to be able to add an Irish (presumably) woman to the website for the first time.
As is clear from this title page, Watson’s almanac provided information on calendars, feast days, and so on, but also contained directories of names, of prominent individuals, such as members of royalty and nobility, as well as merchants, traders, and soldiers.
The book is also signed “T.M. Ray” on the title page.
Source: Book held by the Dublin City Library and Archive. Images courtesy of Dublin City Library & Archive.
Early Modern Female Book Ownership 