1629 First Edition of the Authorized Version at Cambridge

The Holy Bible Containing the Old Testament and the New: Newly Translated out of the Original Tongues…

Summary

An attractive, red-ruled copy of the first Cambridge edition of the King James Bible. The text is bound with the Book of Common Prayer, Genealogies, Map, and Psalter in a contemporary binding with gauffered edges.

Description

Bound with the Book of Common Prayer which lacks the title page and begins at the first page of the Calender. Bound with the Genealogies by John Speed with the title page, ending on the double-page map of Canaan. Engraved general title page (1629). Text in two column Roman font, the whole ruled-in-red throughout. Apocrypha included as issued. Printed New Testament title page (1629) and text ends on dated colophon (1629). Bound with the Whole Booke of Psalms (1629).

Collation

[unsigned]^2, [par]^6, A-Z^6, Aa-Zz^6, Aaa-Iii^6, Kkk^4, Lll-Zzz^6, Aaaa^6, Bbbb^4. Complete with all titles.

Binding

Contemporary calf, sometime rebacked. Spine with five raised bands and red gilt-lined morocco label with the words “Holy Bible” and a date of “1629” lettered in gilt. Marbled endpapers. All edges gilt and gauffered.  

Condition

Rubbed. Outer margin shaved, frequently removing the outer of the two red ruled and infrequently touching the side notes; genealogies title page with repaired closed tear, A2 of Genealogies with lower marginal loss; General title page, first page of Genesis, and final leaf of Psalter soiled. Overall a clean, bright copy with attractive gauffering to text block.

Provenance

Tipped in memorandum from Edwin A.R. Rumball-Petre (the eiminent American Bible dealer of 80 years ago) describing this particular copy as “a desirable collectors’ item.” Inserted leaf from Henry Brown wishing this Bible to be given to Mary Watson upon his death May 21, 1824 before NT title.

Note

Cambridge’s revision of the Authorized Version required a complete examination of the text against the original languages. Cambridge was a making a claim to printing and editorial quality that the London printers could not produce. The editors made more changes to the text than any other set of editors. Norton counts 222 readings, one for every five chapters with a total of 493 changes made.

References

Herbert 424; STC 2285; Norton 83.