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Alfred Tennyson

Carr did not report the number of editions that he had published of the poems of Tennyson (1809-1892) in his History of the QTP (1987), but at least six have been recorded. There may be more, because it was one of the earliest titles that he published, probably in late 1967 or early 1968, the year the first ISBN was registered.

Tennyson was born in Somersby, Lincolnshire. He is buried in Westminster Abbey.


(Last updated on 22/11/2020)



SBP-TEN1: First edition, first impression


Title: Tennyson's Lincolnshire Landscape

Publisher: J.L. Carr Publisher, 27 Milldale Road, Kettering

Year: (March 1968)

ISBN: 0900847255

Size: 125 x 95 mm

Pages: 16

Staples: two

Binding: red on white printed glossy card covers

Paper: white

Editor: (J.L. Carr)

Cover artist: (J.L. Carr)

Internal illustrations: none

Number in series: none stated

Colophon: sun face 1964 with name above and address below

Telephone number: 4995

Printing history: none stated

Number of other titles listed: none listed

Printed by: Copy in Kettering Library is Dalkeith Press Limited, Dalkeith Place, Kettering, 6440K; AH copy is Dalkeith Press Limted, Dalkeith Place, Kettering, 8027K

Image needed

Rear and front covers (click to enlarge)


Image needed

Inside rear cover (click to enlarge)


Content: Alfred Tennyson 1809-1892; Text about Somersby by Harold Nicholson; Come from the woods that belt... Poems: Now fades the last long streak of snow...; I climb the hill from end to end...; Birds in the high hall-garden...; We went down through the park...; Or from the bridge I leaned to hear...; Calm is the morn without a sound...; Tears, idle tears...; Unwatched, the garden bough shall sway...; Not wholly in the busy world...; D'ya moind the waaste, my lass?...; When rosy plumelets tuft the larch...; Dip down upon the northern shore...; There rolls the deep where grew the tree...; Mablethorpe; With blackest moss the flower-pots...; The time draws near the birth of Christ; Quotation by Hallam Tennyson; The woods decay. Rear cover: a facsilile of a letter from Tennyson.

Notes: This description is based on two copies, one in Kettering Public Library and one I own. They are the same except that the code number next to the name of the publisher is different: 6440K on the Kettering copy and 8027K on the other. It's not clear what these numbers mean or whether they were printed on different impressions of the first edition?

No number in the series is given, no titles are listed, and it is printed by the Dalkeith Press, so I think this is the first edition, but I'm not sure. Unusually for an early edition it has two staples. The cover is the same as the second impression but is printed in red on white. Inside the front cover is blank.

According to ISBN databases the book was issued in a Florin Poets series with at least three others: Blake 2, Marvell 2, and D.G. Rossetti. A florin was a predecimal coin of 2 shillings, now 10 pence.




SBP-TEN2: First edition, Second impression


Title: Tennyson's Lincolnshire Landscape

Publisher: J.L. Carr Publisher, 27 Milldale Road, Kettering

Year: (March 1968)

ISBN: 0900847255

Size: 122 x 98 mm

Pages: 16

Staples: one

Binding: black on white printed glossy card covers

Paper: white

Editor: (J.L. Carr)

Cover artist: (J.L. Carr)

Internal illustrations: none

Number in series: none stated

Colophon: sun face 1964 with name above and address below

Telephone number: 4995

Printing history: none stated

Number of other titles listed: none listed

Printed by: David Green, Trafalgar Road, Kettering

Image of book

Rear and front covers (click to enlarge)


Image of book

Inside rear cover (click to enlarge)


Content: Text about Somersby by Harold Nicholson; Come from the woods that belt... Poems: Tears, idle tears...; Now fades the last long streak of snow...; I climb the hill...; Dip down upon the northern shore...; Or from the bridge I leaned to hear...; We went down through the park...; Birds in the high hall-garden...; When rosy plumelets tuft the larch...; With blackest moss the flower-pots...; Mablethorpe...; Not wholly in the busy world...; Unwatched, the garden bough shall sway...; It is the day when he was born...; Calm is the morn without a sound...; D'ya moind the waaste, my lass?...; The time draws near the birth of Christ; There rolls the deep where grew the tree...; quotation by Hallam Tennyson. Rear cover: a facsilile of a letter from Tennyson.

Notes: This could be the first edition, but is more likely the second. The order of poems was changed, presumably because new type had to be set as Carr used a different printer. This is one of only two impressions of early small books that are printed by David Green of Trafalgar Road, Kettering. There may be more. It is possible that he used David Green before Dalkeith Press and changed, so this may be the first edition. The book was issued in a Florin Poets series with at least three others: Blake 2, Marvell 2, and D.G. Rossetti. A florin was a predecimal coin of 2 shillings, now 10 pence.




SBP-TEN3: Second edition


Title: Tennyson's Lincolnshire Verse

Publisher: J.L. Carr Publisher, 27 Milldale Road, Kettering

Year: cart1974

ISBN: 0900847395

Size: 127 x 93 mm

Pages: 16

Staples: one

Binding: white printed glossy card covers

Paper: white

Editor: (J.L. Carr)

Cover artist: Christopher Fiddes

Internal illustrations: none

Number in series: none stated

Colophon: sun face 1964 with name above and address below

Telephone number: 4995

Printing history:

Number of other titles listed: 10

Printed by: Harry Richardson (Printers) Limited, Water Street, Kettering

Image of book

Rear and front covers (click to enlarge)


Image of book

Inside rear cover (click to enlarge)


Content: Text about Somersby by Harold Nicholson; Come from the woods that belt.... Poems: Now fades the last long streak of snow...; I climb the hill...; Birds in the high hall-garden...; We went down through the park...; Or from the bridge I leaned to hear...; Calm is the morn without a sound...; Tears, idle tears...; Unwatched, the garden bough shall sway...; Not wholly in the busy world...; D'ya moind the waaste, my lass?...; When rosy plumelets tuft the larch...; Dip down upon the northern shore...; There rolls the deep where grew the tree...; Mablethorpe; With blackest moss the flower-pots...; The time draws near the birth of Christ; quotation by Hallam Tennyson; The woods decay... Rear cover: a facsilile of a letter from Tennyson.

Notes: This is mostly the same poems but in a different order and with a new cover, designed by Christopher Fiddes. The ISBN was registered in May 1974 to a small book of Lincolnshire poems, so this is assumed to be the impression.




SBP-TEN4: Third edition, first impression


Title: Alfred Tennyson

Publisher: J.L. Carr Publisher, 27 Mill Dale Road, Kettering

Year: 197?

ISBN: None

Size: 128 x 93 mm

Pages: 16

Staples: one

Binding: white printed glossy card covers

Paper: white

Editor: (J.L. Carr)

Cover artist: Christopher Fiddes

Internal illustrations: four decorations, including one almost full page

Number in series: not stated

Colophon: sun face 1964

Telephone number: none given

Printing history: none stated

Number of other titles listed: 31

Printed by: G. Smith (Thrapston) Limited of Northamptonshire


Image of book

Rear and front covers (click to enlarge)


Image of book

Inside rear cover (click to enlarge)


Content: Short biography. Poems: Tears, idle tears...; Birds in the high hall-garden...; Come into the garden, Maud...; For a breeze of morning moves...; With blackest moss the flower-pots...; From In Memoriam, A.A.H.; Unwatch'd the garden bough shall sway...; By night we lingere'd on the lawn...;Strong son of god, immortal love...; Now fades the last long streak of snow...; As thro' the land at eve we went...; Break, break, brea; Go not, happy dat...; Ulysses; Be near me when the light is low..; quotation by Hallam Tennyson; Sunset and evening star...; Rear cover: a drawing of Queen Victoria under part of a facsilile of a letter from Tennyson (see left).

Notes:This edition has a different title on the cover, just Tennyson's name, with a biography written inside the front cover and several different poems. There are internal decorations. It is taken to be a new edition.




SBP-TEN5: Third edition, second impression


Title: Alfred Tennyson

Publisher: J.L. Carr Publisher, 27 Mill Dale Road, Kettering

Year: 198?

ISBN: None

Size: 124 x 93 mm

Pages: 16

Staples: one

Binding: white printed glossy card covers

Paper: white

Editor: (J.L. Carr)

Cover artist: Christopher Fiddes

Internal illustrations: four decorations, including one almost full page

Number in series: not stated

Colophon: sun face 1964

Telephone number: none

Printing history: none stated

Number of other titles listed: 39

Printed by: G. Smith (Thrapston) Limited of Northamptonshire


Image of book

Rear and front covers (click to enlarge)


Image of book

Inside rear cover (click to enlarge)


Content: Short biography. Poems: Tears, idle tears...; Birds in the high hall-garden...; Come into the garden, Maud...; For a breeze of morning moves...; With blackest moss the flower-pots...; From In Memoriam, A.A.H.; Unwatch'd the garden bough shall sway...; By night we lingere'd on the lawn...;Strong son of god, immortal love...; Now fades the last long streak of snow...; As thro' the land at eve we went...; Break, break, break; Go not, happy day...; Ulysses; Be near me when the light is low..; quotation by Hallam Tennyson; Sunset and evening star...; Rear cover: a drawing of Queen Victoria under part of a facsilile of a letter from Tennyson (see left).

Notes: This has the same cover drawing as the previous impression but lists 39 other titles rather than 31, and the cover is white, but seems to be very pale yellow in some lights. The order of publication of this and the next impression of this edition is uncertain.




SBP-TEN6: Third edition, third impression


Title: Alfred Tennyson

Publisher: J.L. Carr Publisher, 27 Mill Dale Road, Kettering

Year: 198?

ISBN: None

Size: 124 x 93 mm

Pages: 16

Staples: one

Binding: white printed glossy card covers

Paper: white

Editor: (J.L. Carr)

Cover artist: Christopher Fiddes

Internal illustrations: four decoration, including one almost full page

Number in series: not stated

Colophon: sun face 1964

Telephone number: none

Printing history: none stated

Number of other titles listed: 39

Printed by: G. Smith (Thrapston) Limited of Northamptonshire

Image of book

Rear and front covers (click to enlarge)


Image of book

Inside rear cover (click to enlarge)


Content: Short biography. Poems: Tears, idle tears...; Birds in the high hall-garden...; Come into the garden, Maud...; For a breeze of morning moves...; With blackest moss the flower-pots...; From In Memoriam, A.A.H.; Unwatch'd the garden bough shall sway...; By night we lingere'd on the lawn...;Strong son of god, immortal love...; Now fades the last long streak of snow...; As thro' the land at eve we went...; Break, break, break; Go not, happy day...; Ulysses; Be near me when the light is low..; quotation by Hallam Tennyson; Sunset and evening star...; Rear cover: a drawing of Queen Victoria under part of a facsilile of a letter from Tennyson (see left).

Notes: This has the same covers and contents as the two impressions above and lists 39 other titles, but the cover is pale yellow rather than white. The order of publication of the second and third impressions of the third edition is uncertain.