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.
The Bible is bound in a luxurious period style calf, featuring the 1768 Book Of Common Prayer, printed by Mark Baskett and published by Robert Basket, along with a 1767 Concordance by John Downame, published by C. & R. Ware.
Binding: Thick Quarto (11.375” x 9.5” x 4.5625”). 8 lb 13 oz. Modern period style blind and gilt tooled full fine two-toned black and brown calf leather binding. Spine with four false raised double blind-filleted bands and five compartments. Second compartment with gilt-lettered title in capitals HOLY BIBLE and fifth compartment 1769. Boards with blind-rolled pattern borders, blind-stamped corners, and double blind-filleted rectangular frames. Modern plain endpapers with an original detached rear pastedown.
Provenance: None.
Collation & Notes: BCP: [62] ff.; [124] pp.; A8 ([A1r] TP), A-F8, G4, H2r. 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. CONCORD.: [36] ff.; [72] pp.; A-I4v. Zzzzzz4 flyleaf. Total [751] ff. & [1,502] pp.
Complete with four original title pages and index. A5 misbound. Originally, the OT G2 duplicate was excised and used as a rear pastedown. Horizontal chain lines. Modern plain wove paper flyleaves (one at front and rear). Concordance fore and tail margins uncut. 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. (10.75” x 8.625”). Paper seems unusually thicker. Intermittently lightly stained in margins. Minor spotting in places. BCP: A1-8 remargined, recornered, and edges strengthened. OT: D3/Rr4 uncreased; Lll1 tiny hole in text; minor offsetting in Isaiah with some in Ecclesiastes and Jeremiah. NT: Rrrrr3 1” tail remargined; Rrrrrr3v-4r minor ink stains; Tttttt2 .5” for-edge tear mended; Xxxxxx2 tail recornered. APOC.: I1 1” for-edge tear mended; P1/Q2 tiny hole. CONCORD.: F3 tail recornered.
