Bindings. 1783 Family Prayer-Book containing the Book of Common Prayer...

Binding by the Liverpool Binder, as identified by Michael Laird (see his 1776 A New Version of the Psalms example, and the Thorn Books 1780 copy also).

The 1783 A New Family Prayer-Book, containing the Book of Common Prayer, and the Administration of the Sacraments;... together with the Psalter or Psalms of David; The Companion to the Altar and New Version of Psalms...

An attractive 18th century devotional work, with a series of female ownership recorded by gift and provenance inscriptions on the title page (front and rear).

Bibliographic Details -

Worldcat Catalogue number 22875014. Strangely, no libraries in Worldcat hold this edition.

Physical Attributes -

Measures approx. 24 x 15 x 5.5 cm. Red morocco leather binding. Boards with an outer frame of urns, florets and vines in gilt. Spine with five raised bands; all compartments with a central gilt urn medallion surrounded by corner leafy sprays and frames o fillet and one roll in gilt. Faded all edges gilt. Frontis illustration.

Pages - The first work is unnumbered; I collated using the gatherings (see below), but Worldcat claims this first section equals to "xii, 548 pages". The back two works are numbered, 42,77 respectively. Verso of last leaf blank.

Collation - 16 leaves not signed. b-z8, Aa-Ll8. The Companion A-C5, A new version of the Psalms, C6-C8, D-M4

Condition -

See pictures. Binding respined with the spine relaid; older repair. Edges worn, corners bumped. Several stains to boards and a little rubbing. Spine with some light surface crazing. 2" crack along rear joint near bottom. Top endband a little loose. Top edge slightly darkened by dust. Blank binder's endpapers with various bookseller and ex libris inscriptions.

Text block with a little toning throughout, occasional rust spots, thumbs, dog-eared pages, etc. Frontis more heavily foxed. Title page with heavy thumbing and "Mary Taylor" inscription. At verso (rear) of title page "Louisa Combe from Mrs Harding, July 25th 1(?)22. Silk place keeper detached at top. Occasional rust spot in paper. Ink mark at bottom of Bb4verso-Bb5recto.