Lot 266
Bible; English; Great Bible version
[The Byble in Englyshe]
Auction: Books & Manuscripts | 01 October 2026 from 10am | Lots 253 to 285
Description
[that is to say. The contente of all the holy Scripture, both of the olde, and newe Testamente. Accordynge to the translation that is appoynted to be red in the Churches]. London: Jhon Cawoode, prynter to the Quenes Maiestie, 1561 [colophon]. 4to in eights (17.5 x 12cm), old marbled sheep over wooden boards, rebacked with gilt spine laid down, brass bosses to covers, 554 leaves (of 558: lacking par. 1-2, i.e. general title-page and ‘A Table for the Order of Psalms’, blank leaf C12 at end of prelims, and s2, divisional title-page to the 'Hagiographa'), text in black letter, double column, 61 lines, divisional title-pages to ‘The Thirde parte of the Byble’ (i.e. the second part, Psalter-Malachi) and the New Testament (a1 and AA1), each with woodcut border, woodcut initials throughout, leaves closely trimmed along fore and top edges cropping foliation and running heads, worm-tracks in text and gutter, a few damp-stains and other marks, first two quires misbound (in order A2-3, A1, par. 3-8, A4), c2 (Psalter) lower fore corner near detached, d2 (Psalter) torn with extensive loss of text [ESTC S122372; Herbert 110; STC 2094], with a fragment of a contemporary edition of the Book of Common Prayer (28 ff., colophon ‘imprinted at London in Powles Churchyarde, by Rychard Jugge, and Jhon Cawood, Printers to the Quenes Maiestie') bound in between prelims and Old Testament, and an incomplete copy of Certayne Sermons appoynted by the Quenes Maiestie, 1562, bound in at rear (apparently ESTC S125415, woodcut border to title-page, final extant leaf X4, repairs to final 2 leaves)
Provenance
16th-century annotations (including to blank final pages of OT and NT, and title-page of Certayne Sermones); 19th-century ownership inscription of one Sarah Hardy of Loughgall House (Armagh).
Footnote
A largely complete copy of the first Bible printed in Elizabethan England, extremely uncommon in any state, with one other copy traced in auction records.
The printer John Cawood had held the office of queen's printer under Mary, but survived the change of regime and under Elizabeth was appointed holder of the office jointly with Richard Jugge in 1560. Before his death in 1572 he printed three further editions of the Great Bible, and one of the New Testament only.