Lot 1359 , A BIBLE ARCHIVE - A highly unusual collection of three English Bibles, having belonged to the Whytehead family (of Yorkshire's North and East Ridings); comprising The Bishops' (1573 edition), a Geneva (1603 edition) and

° A BIBLE ARCHIVE - A highly unusual collection of three English Bibles, having belonged to the Whytehead family (of Yorkshire's North and East Ridings); comprising The Bishops' (1573 edition), a Geneva (1603 edition) and a King James Bible (1619 edition). Intriguingly, all three have very detailed manuscript annotations throughout, covering most of the side and lower margins, blank versos of existing leaves and with many additional written leaves bound-in. They are assuredly in the hand of the Rev. William Whytehead (1729-1817) who, after curacies including Bridlington, was Vicar of Atwick, near Hornsea (Holdernesse) from 1756 until his death. The texts include notes on biblical and church history - especially the Reformation era (major participants, liturgies, festivals, the Book of Common Prayer, etc.); whilst throughout a host of scholars and commentators are quoted - both well-known and somewhat lesser lights; also journals of the period: Christian Observer, Orthodox Churchman and others.
The Whyteheads were a well established Yorkshire family, counting a Lord Mayor of York and a Chief Bailiff of Scarborough amongst their number. Two of the writer's notebooks complete the lot - miscellaneous writings, including family and local history. Doubtless much could be mined from this fascinating collection; whilst one factor in the marked scarcity of other such examples may be the reluctance of many to themselves write, so comprehensively, on the printed page of sacred scripture.
The Bibles: 1) Bishops', the second quarto edition, black letter. [The holie Byble conteyning the olde Testament and the newe]. i.e. lacks general title; with NT. pictorial engraved title (dated 1573), 2 decorated part titles, decorated Apocrypha title, 2 maps, a plan, table and 1 illus. (OT.) and 2 maps (NT.); historical and decorated initial letters, and with pictorial engraved colophon at end. signatures - A-C8, A-Z8, Aa-Hh8, Ii4, A-V8, Aaa-Mmm8, Nnn4, A-P8, Q6 (but see below). old reversed calf, 4to. colophon - Imprinted at London in Powles Churchyarde by Richard Jugge, Printer to the Queenes Maiestie ... (?1573). *with The booke of common prayer ... (A-C8) preceding main text (as called for by Herbert 135), but not prior to that the 32ff. of prelims; ownership Wm. Whytehead 1801 at front.
2) Geneva (black letter) The Bible: that is, The Holy Scripture conteined in the Old and New Testament ... With most profitable Annotations ... heart shaped general title within pictorial borders, num. OT. illus. (incl. Garden of Eden and other maps, also the Ezekiel vision), NT. with pictorial title and Holy Land map, head and tailpiece decorations, decorated initial letters, includes Apocrypha (drophead title), the 2 tables follow main text, pictorial colophon at end. signatures - (A2), qiii and iv, A-Z8, &6, (Aa1) - Zz8, &&8, **4, (Aaal) - Qqq8, Rrr4: foliated as - (3), 190, 197, 121, 11ff.; old panelled calf (distressed), with ownership of Thomas Whytehead stamped in blind central panel of both covers, 4to. Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie, 1603. Herbert 274.
3) KJB. - The Holy Bible, Containing the Old Testament, and the New: Newly Translated out of the Originall Tongue ... heart-shaped general title within engraved pictorial border, head and tailpiece decorations, decorated initial letters, NT. engraved pictorial title, Apocrypha drophead title, main text preceded by the Genealogies (pictorially engraved and with the d-page map) and followed by the Concordances. signatures - A8, A-Z8, Aa-Zz8, Aaa-Sss8 (Hhh not used); old blind decorated calf; later morocco panelled spine, 1 clasp present, 4to. Imprinted at London by Bonham Norton and John Bill ... 1619. * on front pastedown 2 small decorative mounted plates, a calligraphic 'W' in their centres and an ink depiction of a Bible between them (and dated 1783). Herbert 374. Sold with two related family notebooks - one with notes on the European and especially the English coinage from the Anglo-Saxon period, the other with much family and local history
£1,200-1,500

Condition:
Bishops - OT (complete) has following misbinding - ff.1-128 (beginning to Judges), then (2nd foliation) 49-64 (Song of Soloman-Isaiah), then (1st foliation return) 129-252 (Judges-Job), then (2nd foliation) 1-48 (Psalms-Song of Soloman), then (2nd foliation) 65-159 (Isaiah-end); Apocrypha complete 99ff.; NT complete 126ff. There are occasional foliation discrepancies-but all come to a final correct figure. Damage - OT. Genesis A2 laid down recto. with lower third loss (partly supplied ms.); f74 sl. loss (ms. added); f. 252 stain obscuring pt. of 6 lines; 2nd foliation - 130 (r) 2 word corner loss; 159 stains; NT. - after main title 3 lines of quote torn (ms. supplied); ff. 2 and 3 marked loss (approx. 50%) with ms. supplied, f.7 (r) some text ms., 31 (r) few letters loss, 46 few words loss, 93 few words loss. Overall few headlines cropped, but loss mostly of foliation. At end, after an (incomplete) S & H. Psalmes (1573) there is Speed's Genealogies (complete 36ff.), not called for by Herbert. Some wear to binding, back inner joint cracked Geneva - without leaf (A1) before title, fol. 129 (in Apocrypha) not used in numbering. There are some foliation discrepancies - but overall correct. Usual stains and other (mostly non-obscuring marks), marginal tear 26 (some printed notes loss), ink from ms. notes shows through on some 5ff. incl. NT. title, approx. 24 margins cut close or sl. cropped (some loss printed notes), more marked stains E6v, Dd3r, Bbb8. Binding worn, rough spine repairs, badly cracked (vol. almost in 2 halves) with some leaves loose; colophon's device (final leaf) mostly obscured by old bkplt,; the tables at end as called-for by Herbert 274. KJB. - Usual stains and other (mostly non-obscuring marks, some headlines cut close; 23 marginal tear (1 word loss), Kk4 some marginal loss (ms. words supplied), Iii6 ditto; Genealogies and Concordances as called-for by Herbert 374. Genealogies A-E4; (2), 34, (4)pp.; Concordances A-K8, L2. Colophon (with engraved decoration) dated 1620. Binding reasonable, the brass clasp dated 1726. As with the other 2 Bibles, the extensive marginal ms. notes seldom obscure any printed ones. Notebooks - 1) old calf - slim tall 8vo., approx. 122pp. used;, mostly notes on Coinage, esp. English Anglo Saxon onwards, some family history; some wear on spine: 2) old half calf and marbled boards, med.8vo., approx. 156pp. used; mostly family and local history (esp. Holdernesse) and dated 1825. Bible 1573 First PP - book of CP (Ai) last PP - revelation / colophon (Q6) extra material at end of psalm 101 Bible 1603 first PP extra material part of prayer book lass PP extra material psalm 122, the first page proper is the title KJB 1619 First PP part old prayer book first proper page - Genealogies, map, title last - part of prayer book last proper page end at end table colophon