1773 KJV 8vo With OT, Apocrypha and NT - Herbert 1230

Offered here is an authentic 18th-century King James Bible printed in Cambridge in 1773, during the reign of King George III and just a few years before the American Revolution. This Bible was printed by John Archdeacon, Printer to the University of Cambridge, and represents one of the official authorized printings of the King James Version used throughout Britain and its colonies.

The title page reads:

“The Holy Bible, containing the Old Testament and the New: Newly Translated out of the Original Tongues, and with the former translations diligently compared and revised, by His Majesty’s special command. Appointed to be read in churches. Cambridge: Printed by John Archdeacon, Printer to the University; and sold by John Beecroft, John Rivington, Benjamin White, and Edward Dilly in London; and T. & J. Merrill in Cambridge. 1773.”

This copy contains the Old Testament, Apocrypha, and New Testament, as well as additional reference tables typical of 18th-century Bibles, including tables of scripture measures, weights, money, and time.

Binding

The Bible retains a period calf leather binding with raised spine bands, typical of late-18th-century English bookbinding. The leather shows significant honest wear consistent with over two centuries of use and handling.

Features include:

• Original calf leather boards

• Raised spine bands

• Remnants of clasp hardware on the covers

• Hand-sewn text block

• Herbert 1230

The binding shows expected wear including cracking, edge wear, and surface scuffing but remains structurally intact and historically appropriate.

Interior

• Classic double-column King James Bible layout

• Early typography with the long “s” (ſ) used in 18th-century printing

• Chapter summaries and marginal references

• Includes the Apocrypha, often missing in later editions

• Additional tables of biblical measures and chronology

Pages display normal age toning and occasional marks but remain highly readable.

Ownership Inscription

A handwritten inscription near the end of the book appears to read:

“Thos. Baker
Booker near
Stockton on the Moor
1814”

This likely records ownership by Thomas Baker in the Stockton-on-Tees region of England in 1814, about forty years after the Bible was printed. The handwriting and ink are consistent with early 19th-century quill pen writing and provide a fascinating glimpse into the book’s early history and use.

Historical Context

This Bible was printed in 1773, a remarkable moment in world history.

During this period:

• King George III ruled Great Britain and its growing empire.

• The American colonies were on the verge of revolution, with tensions rising that would lead to the American Revolutionary War in 1775.

• Britain was entering the early phases of the Industrial Revolution, transforming society through advances in manufacturing, trade, and transportation.

• The King James Bible remained the standard English Bible, widely used in churches, homes, and schools across Britain and the colonies.

Books like this were central to daily life. Families often read from them regularly, recorded important events within them, and passed them down through generations. Surviving copies with signs of long use—such as inscriptions and worn bindings—offer a direct connection to the religious and domestic life of the 18th and early 19th centuries.

By the time the owner’s inscription was added in 1814, Europe had just witnessed the fall of Napoleon and the end of decades of conflict. This Bible had already been in circulation for more than forty years, demonstrating how such volumes served multiple generations.

Condition notes:

• Heavy wear to leather binding with cracking and scuffing

• Corners and edges worn

• Interior pages generally intact and legible

• Age toning and occasional stains

• Handwritten ownership inscription dated 1814

Please review photographs carefully as they form part of the description.

Significance

This Bible represents a genuine artefact from the late 18th century, produced by one of the most important printing centres in England. Cambridge Bibles from this period were printed under royal authorization and distributed widely throughout Britain and the English-speaking world.

With its 1773 printing date, early ownership inscription, and well-preserved interior, this volume offers collectors and historians a tangible connection to the religious and cultural life of the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Dimensions:

Weight - 1.29KG

Height - 21.5cm

Width - 14.5cm

Thickness - 7.5cm