Overview:

Title: The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments
Date: 1799
Place of Publication: Edinburgh, Scotland
Printer: Sir J. H. Blair and J. Bruce, Printers to the King's Most Excellent Majesty
Edition: King James Version (Authorised Version)
Format: Quarto
Binding: Leather

Description

An attractive late 18th-century Scottish printing of the King James Bible, published in Edinburgh in 1799 by Sir J. H. Blair and J. Bruce, official printers to the Crown.

The Bible retains both its general title page and New Testament title page, each dated 1799, together with the royal coat of arms and the dedication to King James I.

Bound in leather, the volume is accompanied by a collection of Scottish religious texts, including an 1824 edition of The Psalms of David in Metre, Translations and Paraphrases of Several Passages of Sacred Scripture, and additional religious tracts.

Historical Background

Printed at the close of the 18th century, this Bible dates from a period of considerable religious and political change in Britain, including the aftermath of the French Revolution and the early years of the Napoleonic Wars.

The Edinburgh printing reflects Scotland's established tradition of producing the Authorised Version under royal printing privileges. Its accompanying metrical Psalms are particularly characteristic of Scottish Presbyterian worship, where the singing of biblical psalms formed an important part of religious life.

Provenance and Inscriptions

The volume contains a handwritten family register recording births and other family details from the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Several entries appear to relate to members of the Park family, with dates extending from approximately 1785 into the 1810s. These inscriptions offer an interesting glimpse into the Bible's history as a family possession.

Some entries predate the Bible's publication, suggesting that earlier family records were subsequently copied into the volume.

Contents:

• General title page dated 1799.

• Dedication to King James I.

• Old and New Testaments, with a separate New Testament title page dated 1799.

• Biblical index.

• The Psalms of David in Metre, Edinburgh, 1824.

• Translations and Paraphrases of Several Passages of Sacred Scripture.

• Additional religious tracts, including God Is Merciful.

The Apocrypha appears to be absent. Whether this reflects the original binding arrangement or a subsequent omission has not been established. A complete signature-by-signature collation has not been undertaken.

Binding and Condition

Bound in leather, showing considerable external wear consistent with age and use. The boards exhibit rubbing, scuffing and worn corners, with further wear to the spine.

Despite the external wear, the binding remains secure and structurally sound.

Internally, the leaves exhibit age-related toning, occasional spotting and handling marks. The handwritten family inscriptions remain an appealing feature.

The accompanying 1824 Psalms and additional religious material indicate that the volume was assembled or supplemented after the original Bible's publication.

A characterful example of a Georgian Scottish Bible, retaining the appearance of a volume that has seen generations of family and devotional use.

The title page is loose but not separated.

Please look through all photos for reference.

Why Buy This Bible?

This 1799 Edinburgh Bible combines the history of Scottish Bible printing with a personal record of family ownership. Its quarto format, secure leather binding, handwritten inscriptions and accompanying Scottish metrical Psalms make it an appealing example of a late Georgian devotional volume.

Dimensions:

Weight - 2.1kg

Height - 27cm

Width - 22cm

Thickness - 6.3cm