Born in Halifax, Ely Hargrove settled in Knaresborough in 1762 and established himself as a bookseller and publisher. The business was a successful one and a few years later, he opened a shop in neighbouring Harrogate. In the mid-eighteenth century, Harrogate and Knaresborough were becoming increasingly popular with domestic tourists, who, much like visitors to Bath, travelled to Harrogate to take advantage of the town’s medicinal waters.
This history of the two towns was first published anonymously in 1769. It was a popular guide and went through six editions by 1809. This fifth edition, printed for Hargrove by the York publishers Wilson, Spence and Mawman in 1798, contained illustrations made by the Newcastle engraver Thomas Bewick.