<i>In The News:</i> "Tome Raider" In Jail Again, Book Returned 90 Years Late, New Publications
- by Michael Stillman
The Royal Horticultural Society was allegedly the
By Michael Stillman
It was a most unmerry Christmas for book thief William Jacques. Jacques is England's notorious "Tome Raider" of the 1990s, who allegedly did not learn his lesson. As they say, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Mr. Jacques once again finds himself in jail.
Jacques, 40, originally from Selby in North Yorkshire, was an economics major, 1990 graduate of Cambridge University, became an accountant, and on the side, a book collector of the worst sort. At some point in the early 1990s, he began removing books from libraries, including that of Cambridge and the British Library. He had no intention of returning them. He brought them to numerous auction houses in Britain and on the continent. Some of the best material, such as two copies of Newton's Principia, he never attempted to sell. He must have realized they would immediately raise red flags. However, many other books did make their way to the auction rooms. It was finally the volume of sales he made that caught up with him. A book purchased at auction for just £120, and brought by the buyer to a bookseller, who recognized that identifying stamps had been removed, led to Jacques' arrest. The book was traced back to the auction house, which identified the consigner as Jacques, and discovered he had consigned many other titles. That led to the discovery that Jacques had also sold books at several other auction houses in England and Europe.
Jacques repeatedly denied he had stolen the books, but as the heat began to build, he placed £360,000 in secret accounts and fled to Cuba. Cuba is where alleged Shakespearean thief Raymond Scott spent some time, making one wonder why this Communist nation seems like such a safe haven for the worst type of capitalists (other than its lack of extradition treaties). However, Jacques decided to return to England, where he was arrested. Jacques continued to deny, and chose to go to trial rather than plead guilty. He was convicted of stealing books valued at around £1.1 million and sentenced to four years in prison.
According to police, Jacques returned to his old trade in either late 2006 or early 2007. It is alleged he stole a 13-volume set of Nouvelle Iconographies des Camellias by Ambroise Verschaffelt from the Royal Horticultural Society's Lindley Library in London. This is a set of color plate books valued at £40,000-£50,000. Again following old habits, Jacques disappeared after jumping bail in April of 2007. That led to the Christmas day arrest in his native Selby as a result of a tip. Jacques, now of no known address, was brought before a judge on January 21, and will be back again in February when a trial date should be set. Meanwhile, he is safely ensconced in the local jail, and it seems unlikely he will be released before trial again. The whereabouts of the books, unfortunately, remains unknown.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Jerry Thomas. How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…
Rare Book Hub is now mobile-friendly!
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue, inscribed by the author pre-publication. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the E flat Piano Quartet, K.493, 1786. £150,000 to £200,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
![<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/8caddaea-4c1f-47a7-9455-62f53af36e3f.jpg "<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.")
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/00d5fd41-2542-4a80-b119-4886d4b9925f.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.")
