1847 Rare Bible bound by Bagster - Polyglot Bible, Old and New Testament, Clasp

Author: The Holy Bible; The Book of Common Prayer.
Title: The English Version of the Polyglott Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments; together with The Book of Common Prayer, and a New Version of the Psalms of David.
Publisher: London, Samuel Bagster & Sons, circa 1847.
Language: Text in English, with extensive polyglot references.
Size: 5.5 × 3.5 inches.
Pages: Collation complete as issued, including: The Polyglott Bible (Old and New Testaments); The Book of Common Prayer; and A New Version of the Psalms of David.
Binding: Very good mid-19th-century full dark morocco binding, covers richly blind-stamped with scrolling ornamental panels. Spine with raised bands and gilt lettering (Polyglott Bible – English Version – Common Prayer and Index). All edges gilt. Gilt-tooled turn-ins. Fitted with working metal clasps and corner guards, the principal clasp is engraved “Miss Priestley 1847”, providing clear contemporary ownership provenance. (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. The binding remains solid and attractive, with surface rubbing, patina, and oxidation to the metal fittings consistent with devotional use and age.
Content: Very good, near fine content (bright, tight and clean - as shown). A remarkably well-preserved pocket-format devotional Bible for the period.

Estimate: (USD300–350).

The book: This nice compact 1847 Polyglott Bible issued by Samuel Bagster & Sons represents an ambitious achievements in 19th-century English Bible publishing. Designed to be both portable and scholarly, the volume integrates the English Bible text with an extensive system of cross-references drawing on Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese sources. Bound together with The Book of Common Prayer and A New Version of the Psalms of David, this edition was intended as a complete personal devotional and study companion. The finely executed morocco binding with working clasps underscores its role as a valued private possession rather than a purely ecclesiastical object.

The publisher: Samuel Bagster & Sons was one of the most influential Bible publishers of the 19th century, renowned for its innovations in polyglot and reference Bibles. Operating from Paternoster Row in London, Bagster specialized in scholarly yet practical editions that bridged academic biblical study and personal devotion, making their Polyglott Bibles particularly sought after by collectors today.