The Exploring Family History Tutorial

Researching the "Lewin" Bible

Description

The bible is a massive leather bound book about 16 by 11 inches and 4 inches thick. There is a full page frontispiece, and many engravings illustrating biblical texts, arranged four to a page. Two blank sheets at the front carry family inscriptions, as does one at the back.

THE
CHRISTIAN's
NEW AND COMPLEAT
FAMILY BIBLE
OR
Univerfal Library of Divine Knowledge
Containing the Whole of the SACRED TEXT of the HOLY BIBLE
AS CONTAINED IN THE
OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT
 With the APOCRAPHA at LARGE
Illuftrated with ANNOTATIONS and COMMENTARIES
In which the moft DIFFICULT PASSAGES are rendered clear and familiar; the feeming CONTRADICTIONS removed; the MIS-TRANSALATIONS rectified; important TRUTHS confirmed; and DEISM and INFIDELITY confuted.
TOGETHER WITH NOTES
HISTORICAL, CHRONOLOGICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, THEOLOGICAL, MORAL, SYSTEMATICAL, PRACTICAL, ADMONITORY,
DEVINE, and EXPLANATORY.

[etc, etc, etc.]

THE WHOLE FORMING
A Compleat Body of Christian DIVINITY
Explained and Illuftrated in such a Manner as to guide the Reader through the paths of virtue and Happiness in this World, and lead him to the Manfions of Eternal Blifs in that which is to come.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bt the Rev. THOMAS BANKES, of ST. MARY HALL, OXON,
VICAR of DIXTON, in MONMOUTHSHIRE, and Affiftant Preacher at ST. GEORGE, MIDDLESEX
====================================================
LONDON
PRINTED FOR J, COOKE, No 17, PATER-NOSTER-ROW; and fold by the bookfellers of BATH, BRISTOL, BIRMINGHAM, CANTERBURY, CAMBRIDGE, EXETER, GLOUCESTER, HEREFORD, NEWCASTLE, NORWICH, OXFORD, SALISBURY, YORK, WORCESTER, and by all other Bookfellers in BREAT-BRITAIN.

The Bible shows considerable signs of wear and while the main body of the bible is solid, both covers have become detached, and the spine damaged. The pages carrying the inscriptions were so weakly attached that they have been removed for safety. The first section has also become loose.

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Genealogy in Hertfordshire Home Page

In January 2007 Ron emailed me to say he had a similar bible and what it was worth. I replied:

In the UK in Victorian times, nearly every family who could read and write and could afford it  had a massive family bible. Because of their weight they are often the worse for wear - with the covers loose or detached and most have very little value.  In many cases the main interest is that the family recorded births, marriages and deaths, in the bible, either on the fly leaves or sometimes in a special section bound between the Old and New testaments. My Bankes Bible has detached covers and I brought it because it was had belonged to a Hertfordshire family and the family details looked interesting. I paid a pretty nominal sum for it and I suspect that many old bibles in a similar damaged condition end up on the scrap heap once they get separated from their family. In fact some people "rescue" such bibles simply to save the family pages - and record the genealogical information for posterity.

However a 200 year old Bankes family bible in very good condition could well cost you about  $500 from an antiquarian bookseller.

In February Jenny also reported she had a copy of a Bankes bible which had ended up in New Zealand - having probably been taken there in the mid-19th century. All entries appear to have been made at the same date, possibly to record something of the family origins in England.

This page is now closed for further questions or discussion unless there is a clear link to Hertfordshire.

Page updated February 2007