1674 CAMBRIDGE KING JAMES BIBLE LARGE PAPER PULPIT FOLIO- KING CHARLES II MEARNE BINDING

Description

King Charles II 1630-1685

1674 King James Holy Bible Massive Pulpit Folio

The Holy Bible, Containing the Bookes of the Old & New Testament. Cambridge: printed by John Hayes. Printer to the University, 1674. Measures 18 1/2″ tall by 13 1/2″ wide by 5 1/2″ thick overall and weighs a hefty 34 pounds before packaging.  Not in Herbert but 717 for reference and a new entry, 718 is added by this seller,  Wing B2291, ESTC R38709. COMPLETE,  Very Good.

  John Hayes large paper edition pulpit folio profusely extra illustrated. A wonderful example of an English Restoration Era Bible with King Charles II association. Bound by the Royal Book Binder, Samuel Mearne and gifted to his Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, Sir Edward de Carteret. Then passing by descent to his daughter, Dame Elizabeth de Carteret. Her inscription appears on the bottom of the general title page engraving documenting uncommon early female ownership – ” My father Sr. Edward Carteret gave me this book: Eliz. Carteret.”

  Sir Edward Carteret (1620- 1683) of Jersey Island was a member of King Charles II court in exile, was Knighted and appointed the first Gentleman Usher Daily Waiter in Ordinary to the King, Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod and Bailiff of Jersey during the Restoration. His Daughter Elizabeth (1663- 1717) married her kinsman Sir Phillipe de Carteret, 2nd Baronet of St. Ouen, Jersey, and their son Charles, was Baptised in 1679 with King Charles II standing as one of his godfathers. She is interred in Westminster Abbey where there is a monument to her in the north aisle nave. 

  It appears to have been a practice of Charles II to gift the Hayes folio Bible to members of his court: the Hely-Hutchinson copy, now in the New York Public Library, is also in a Mearne binding, includes the Visscher engravings and was a gift from Charles II to John Maitland, First Duke of Lauderdale who also served the King while in exile.

  Printed in double columns, calendar in red and black, separate letterpress title for the New Testament and doubled ruled in red throughout affirming its Royal / Noble provenance. With an engraved general title page by Jan Drapentier and extra illustrated with 95 double page plates engraved by Claes Jansz Visscher after Rubens, Diepenbeeck, Vos, Bloemaert, Bruyn, Heemskerck, Landerseel and others. The plates are from a series originally published in the Netherlands by C.J. Visscher and later acquired by printer John Hayes. They are found in several copies of this edition, in varying numbers, up to 115. 

 A complete list of the engravings and an extensive biography of the de Carterets is available upon request. This Bible appeared in Bonham’s auction catalog on June 8th, 2016 with an auction estimate of $25,000- $35,000. (See pics at the end of the picture gallery, catalog is included with purchase.)

Collation and Condition: Half Title (supplied in facsimile on cotton linen paper) [1], General Title page engraving [1], King James Dedicatory Epistle (2pp.), The order of how the psalter…and…the rest of the Holy Scriptures are to be read…(1pp.), The Kalendar (3pp.), The Translatours to the reeder…(11pp.), The names and order of all the books…(1pp.), The Old Testament , signed B2-Iii3, The Apocrypha, signed Kkk-Yyy, The New Testament Title page [1], The New Testament, signed Yyy3- Qqqq3b ending with Finis. Wants the final blank otherwise COMPLETE. The paper is thick, bright, crisp and very clean with only some scattered marginal spotting and occasional mild toning. It has wonderfully large margins all around with straight edges, strong corners and clean gutters.  There are 5 leaves remargined, repaired tears to 5 other leaves , additional minor marginal repairs and a few plates mounted to new matching leaves. All work has been carried out neatly and to high degree of professionalism using sympathetic paper. 

ABOUT THE BINDING: This Bible is in its original restoration era fine dark brown leather binding. It is both extra gold and extra blind stamped with beautiful details as pictured. The spine has raised cords creating 8 compartments and is stamped Holy Bible. The covers also feature wonderfully decorated turn ins. It has been rebacked at some time in the distant past with the original spine laid on. The front cover outer joint is cracked but not split and is holding firmly as it should. The rear outer and both inner joints are not cracked or split and are also holding firmly. Beautiful marbled end papers and gold gilt text block fore edges complete the binding very nicely. It has been recently treated with a centuries old formulation used by the best restorers in Europe for decades and gently buffed to a lovely sheen.

SAMUEL MEARNE- (20 April 1624 – May 1683)

 An English Restoration Bookbinder and publisher whose work is considered a high point of pre-industrial bookbinding. He and his sons, Charles and Samuel Jr., were referred to by historians as the Queene’s Binder.

 Mearne was born in Reading, England and lived all of his professional life in Little Britain in Aldersgate. He passed his apprenticeship in 1646 and set up as a bookseller and publisher. In 1655, he and two others went to the Netherlands, where he probably performed a service to Charles II in exile, because he was named bookbinder to the king on 20 June 1660. He was also a part owner of the king’s printing house, with John Bill and Christopher Barker. In 1668, Charles petitioned to have Mearne and others admitted to the Stationers’ Company. In the Stationers’ Company, Mearne would serve as warden and, later, master. In 1674, he became the stationer in ordinary to Charles, and the next year he and his son were made grants for life to their position.

 The earliest surviving books bound by Mearne come from 1655, while many survive from his time as bookbinder to the king. His workshop produced beautiful gold tooled and onlay bindings for Charles and the royal libraries. For the chapels, gifts, and presentations of the installation of the Knight of the Garter ceremonies, Mearne’s shop produced even more lavishly bound books. 

 Professionally, Mearne was popular with other publishers for his work at hunting down illegal presses. While he did not perform the binding himself, personally, after his appointment, he oversaw the production and designs of his books.

Samuel Mearne, Sr., died in 1683, with his son, Charles, dying in 1686, and Samuel Mearne, Jr. taking over the shop and appointments until the Glorious Revolution in 1689.

 

A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO OWN A TRUE MUSEUM PIECE