Vulgate Bible

1619

Shoults Lb 1619 B

[Antwerp]: Officina Platiniana

These three books show a few ways in which past owners marked the bindings of their books. The 18th century guide book to Rome (right) has ‘Antoine Delphin’ stamped in gold and the date, 1740. A 19th century ‘Holland House’ armorial bookplate is pasted on the front endpaper with a pencil note of ‘Paris 1835’, which was presumably when this book, certainly bound in France, left for England. The names Joannis Smyth (1691); Martin Gaven (1760); John Caldwell (1820); and George Smyth (1842) are inscribed on the title-page of the Bible in the middle. None of these names match the initials ‘H C’ blind-stamped on the original calf cover. The battered, re-backed binding of Dauncey’s The History of His Sacred Majesty Charles the II carries a crown and the initials ‘CR’. The use of Royal arms was not uncommon as a decorative device; their presence did not normally indicate royal ownership.