Lot 207
Holy Bible - Alexander Ogstoun, bookbinder
Auction: 16 September 2009 at 12:00 BST
Description
The Holy Bible. Edinburgh: Heir of Andrew Anderson, 1678. Large 8vo [230 x 160mm.], double column; bound with The Psalms of David. Edinburgh: Andrew Anderson, 1676. Contemporary onlaid binding by Alexander Ogstoun with interlacking ribbon/strap work with intricate gilt decoration, spine with 7 raised bands, ornate gilt decorated compartments with lozenge shaped onlays, gilt edges with gauffered pattern on top and bottom edges, fore-edge painting with a floral motif (now dulled) and a central motto "A.C. Many daughters have done well, you excellist them all" (Prov 31:29), the painting signed by the binder "A. Ogstoun" and dated "fecit 1678", inner gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers, black leather presentation label to verso of the front board: "Agnes Campbel 1679", light foxing to outer margin of title, very slight strengthening to extreme tip of lower corner of first few leaves, expertly rebacked retaining original spine, corners neatly repaired
Footnote
Note:
Alexander Ogstoun [or Ogston], Edinburgh bookbinder and stationer, became a Burgess and Guild Brother on 13 February 1680 'being well commended by H.M. Advocate and many of the College of Justice, and likely also to be useful to the good toun' . In 1683 Alexander Ogstoun and George Mosman were employed in binding books for the newly formed library of the Faculty of Advocates. In the accounts for the 14th of February appears the entry 'By money peyed to Alexr Oigstoun bookbinder for binding ane parcell of the ffaculties books as per accompt order and receipt 0200.16.0' Faculty Records 40, folio A3. The National Library of Scotland has two volumes bound by Ogstoun: The Holy Bible. London: Robert Barker, 1603. (bound with The psalms of David in meeter.
Edinburgh: printed by Andrew Anderson, 1676). [Shelfmark: Bdg.s.108
Ref. 00002665] and The Holy Bible. Edinburgh: heir of Andrew Anderson, 1678. (bound with the Psalms of David in meeter. Edinburgh: printed by Andrew Anderson, 1676) [Shelfmark: F.5.f.13. Ref. 00002662].
In 1688 Ogstoun was threatened for selling anti-popish books, and in the same year Agnes Campbell [Mrs Anderson] seized some octavo Bibles he had imported from London (Fountainhall ii,852,866). He died in 1690, was buried at the North side of Greyfriars Churchyard on 29 March, and was succeeded in the business by his widow. Two of his four children Alexander and James seem also to have been bookbinders. His name also appears in the imprints of seven books between 1685 and 1688.
Aldis 1904; Mirjam M. Foot. 'A binding by Alexander Ogstoun, c.1689' (English and Foreign Bookbindings 31). The Book Collector xxix, 255-7 (1980). H.M. Nixon Broxbourne Library, styles and designs of bookbindings. London, 1956 163-65. John Morris. 'Wheels and Herringbones: some Scottish bindings 1678-1773'. Bookbinder i,39-49 (1987);
Provenance: Agnes Campbel, 1679 [gilt label]; Presentation inscription from Alice Lindesay to Mrs Forbes: "I give this Bible to Mrs Forbes, as a token of her worthy cousines love for Mrs Forbes, Craill, Sept. 17th 1804. Alice Lindesay. It was the Bishop of Aberdeen's Lady's Bible"; Miss Peggy Hallyburton, Wormington, 10 Dec. 1782. An early twentieth-century note states "This Bible, known for generations as "Peggy Halyburton's Bible" really belonged to her mother Agnes Campbell of Keithock, known as the Dowager Lady of Pitcur. She was born in 1626, and was the great grand-daughter of Donald, the last Abbot of Cupar, who was the son of Archibald, 2nd Earl of Argyll, killed at Flodden. She married (1) Halyburton of Pitcur, by whom she had two sons. The elder, the Baron of Pitcur, was killed at the Battle of Killiecrankie. She married (2) Halyburton of Denhead, Bishop of Aberdeen, her first husband's kinsman. At her death the Bible passed to her daughter Margaret, who married Lindsay, the Baron of Wormistoun. It remained in the family of Wormistoun till it was given to Mrs Forbes of Westfied by her cousin in 1804".