1850 Rare Bagster Bible - Polyglot Bible, Old and New Testament, Clasp and Maps

Author: The Church of England (text); Samuel Bagster (publisher/binder).
Title: The English Version of the Polyglott Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments. With Liturgia Britannica: The Book of Common Prayer bound at the front.
Publisher: London, Samuel Bagster, c. 1850 (not dated).
Language: Text in English.
Size: 6.5 x 4 inches.
Pages: Complete text of the Old and New Testaments, preceded by The Book of Common Prayer; with double-page and coloured maps including the Chronological Map from the Creation to the time of Jesus Christ.
Binding: Attractive and very good full brown morocco leather binding, elaborately decorated in blind and gilt with a rich swirling panel design to both boards. Spine in compartments with raised bands, gilt-lettered “POLYGLOTT BIBLE / ENGLISH VERSION / COMMON PRAYER / AND N.T. PSALMS.” Silvered metal corner pieces and a silvered metal clasp engraved with a contemporary gift inscription (“To Mrs. W. H. Woodhouse from The B.C.”). All edges gilt (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. 
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing or toning - as shown, exlibris of a previous owner on the first endpaper. Bookseller’s ticket of Seacome, Chester to the front blank page. The inner bottom corner of the upper and lower boards shows a small crack in the leather - as shown).
Illustrations/Maps: Complete with all maps.

Estimate: (USD 300–350).

The book: This is a finely bound Victorian Bagster Polyglott Bible in a compact, devotional format, made to be both portable and impressive. Bagster’s editions were prized for their careful printing, scholarly apparatus, and high-quality bindings, and this copy exemplifies that tradition with its ornate morocco, silvered fittings, and gilt edges. The inclusion of The Book of Common Prayer at the front reflects nineteenth-century Anglican devotional practice, making this not just a Bible but a complete liturgical companion. The suite of maps situates sacred history visually and reflects the period’s didactic approach to scripture.

The publisher/binder: Samuel Bagster (1772–1851) and his firm were among the most respected London Bible publishers of the nineteenth century, renowned for polyglot editions, concordances, and finely bound presentation copies. Bagster bindings, often signed, are now sought after for their craftsmanship and distinctive decorative style.