Importance: A King James Bible edited by Dr. Benjamin Blayney (1728-1801), printed at the University of Oxford by T. Wright and W. Gill, and published by R. Baldwin, S. Crowder, and W. Jackson in 1769 during the reign of King George III. This edition of the King James Bible is the standard text, with proof of almost 260 years of reprinting.
Editing the King James Bible was a monumental project, and it was first initiated in 1755 after Dr. Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary Of The English Language was published. The editing was completed in 1762 by Dr. F. S. Paris of Sidney Sussex College and H. Therold, a fellow of Magdalene. From 1762 until 1769, Dr. Benjamin Blayney of Hertford College was employed by the Clarendon Press to edit Paris’ 1762 King James Bible edition, incorporating most of Paris’ improvements, increasing his marginalia, and repeating not a few of his errors. Harry Carter’s History of the Oxford University Press praises both the scholarship and typography of the Bible, crediting editor Benjamin Blayney’s careful collation of earlier editions for producing a remarkably correct edition, which the pressmen made very restful to the eye.
Dr. Benjamin Blayney notes that the quarto was finished first, and the folio was issued later that same year, printed from the same type, and differently disposed. A manuscript note by Josiah Pratt states that a great part of the folio edition of 1769, having been destroyed at Woodmason’s fire, a copy of that edition is scarcely to be purchased at any price. A copy of this edition is also very rarely to be met with; sometimes it may be found with a New Testament of later date substituted for that of 1769.
Binding: Thick Quarto (10.875” x 9” x 3.75”). 7 lb 13 oz. Early 19th c. blind tooled full brown reverse calf leather binding with all edges marbled. Boards with blind-rolled hatched patterns on borders, edges, and turn-ins. Early 19th c. marbled endpapers with an original front fly-leaf. Rubbed, front board slightly shaken with head and tail joints cracked.
Provenance: See photos.
Collation & Notes: OT: [414] ff.; [828] pp.; A2 ([A1r] GTP), B4, A-Z4, Aa-Zz4, Aaa-Zzz4, Aaaa-Zzzz4, Aaaaa-Kkkkk4v. APOC.: [96] ff.; [192] pp.; A-Z4, Aa4r. NT: [130] ff.; [260] pp.; Lllll-Zzzzz4 ([5L1r] TP), Aaaaaa-Tttttt4, Uuuuuu2v. INDEX: [13] ff.; [26] pp.; Uuuuuu3-4, Xxxxxx-Yyyyyy4, Zzzzzz3v. Total [653] ff. & [1,306] pp.
Complete, with two original title pages and index. Horizontal chain lines. Early 19th c. smooth plain wove paper flyleaf at front. D&M 885/7. H1194/6. USTC 0. ESTC T91970. WC/OCLC 4. Revelation 18:22 omitted and no craftsmen, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee;
Condition: ff. (10.5625” x 8.5”). OT: X4, Z2 discolored/stained; Xxx3 .75” head tear; Iiiii2 1.125” tear into text. NT: Sssss4 .5” margin tear.
