Holy Bible 1723

5B Holy Bible with Old and New Testaments. London: John Baskett, printer to the King. 1723. With Book of Common Prayer and The Whole Book of Psalms:Collected into English Metre by Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins and Others. 

Notes

This 1723 edition of the Holy Bible, printed in London by John Baskett, "Printer to the King’s Most Excellent Majesty," is a distinguished example of early 18th-century English Bible printing. Bound together with the Book of Common Prayer and The Whole Book of Psalms—as was customary in Anglican tradition—this volume reflects both the religious practice and publishing standards of the Georgian era. These combined works were often issued for use in both personal devotion and public worship, making them central to everyday spiritual life in 18th-century England.

John Baskett, one of the most prolific Bible printers of his time, held the prestigious royal patent for Bible printing. His editions were known for their large format, fine type, and decorative flourishes. Although some of his earlier work was criticized for typographical errors (earning one 1717 edition the nickname “Vinegar Bible”), later printings like this 1723 Bible exhibit greater care and craftsmanship. Baskett's work helped solidify Oxford and London as key centers for English Bible production in the post-Restoration period.

Included in this edition is the Book of Common Prayer, the foundational liturgical text of the Church of England, guiding worship services, sacraments, and daily prayer. Following it is The Whole Book of Psalms, collected into English metre by Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins, and others—a poetic rendering of the Psalms intended to be sung in churches. This metrical psalter was immensely popular from the 16th to 18th centuries and was frequently bound with English Bibles for congregational use.

Together, these works reflect the deep interweaving of Scripture, liturgy, and music in Anglican spiritual life. A volume like this would likely have belonged to a parish, a well-to-do household, or a devoted individual, offering a glimpse into the devotional rhythms of early 18th-century Britain. Its craftsmanship and content make it both a historical artifact and a testament to the enduring role of the Bible in English religious culture.

Description

Contemporary black Morocco decorated with gilt panel and corner pieces as lettering. Six raised bands. Corners bumped and some rubbing to extremities with slight fading to spine. Fifty one plates with over two hundred engravings. Ruled in red throughout. Preliminary end leaf with an inscription of “John Henry Bacon. A Keepsake from his Aunt Fanny Claypole. Feb 25th 1912.” Above is pinned a (seemingly unrelated) newspaper cutting. Very fine condition.

Bound before the title page is an attractively calligraphed ownership page recording this book as a gift to John Claypole from his grandmother Elizabeth Tomlinson on April 1st 1827. Beneath this inscription is a charming verse by Claypole:

Steal not this book for fear of shame/ For here doth stand the owners name/ The First is J a letter bright/ the next is C to all Men’s sight/ This is a noble book you see. And/ When I’m dead pray think of me.