The 1795 Holy Bible printed by Thomas Bensley features exquisite, masterful illustrations engraved by James Fittler. The detailed copperplate engravings were highly celebrated artistic achievements, sourced directly from legendary paintings by Old Masters like Rembrandt, Rubens, and Dürer. In late-Georgian England, fine-art plate books served as major status symbols for wealthy aristocrats and high-church collectors. The Scripture text is meticulously arranged in two balanced columns per page using Bensley’s clean, elegant Roman letterpress typography. This grand layout was specifically designed by publisher Robert Bowyer to integrate visual art and holy text more seamlessly than standard contemporary printings. It stands out because it contains a notorious, shocking typographical blunder in Mark 7:27, where the text reads "Let the children first be killed" instead of "filled". This specific printing became famous and highly notable as the legendary "Child Killer Bible" (or simply the "Killer Bible"), making it a scarce, darkly fascinating prize for antiquarian collectors. Herbert 1394 | ESTC T123287 | Large Quarto / Cabinet Edition (Approx. 10 x 6 1/2 in | 25.4 × 16.5 cm).

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About this Particular Bible Set

Produced during the turbulent reign of King George III, this luxurious 1795 edition entered the market during a period of intense global instability, coinciding with Great Britain's involvement in the French Revolutionary Wars and the growing threat of republic radicalism. Inorder to preserve institutional stability and cultural supremacy amidst global upheaval, the British monarchy actively leveraged lavish, nationally produced religious texts. The master engraver himself, James Fittler, enjoyed a direct relationship with the crown, holding the prestigious appointment of Marine Engraver to King George III. This royal connection elevated the 3-volume set into a monument of state-endorsed high art, utilizing Fittler's prized copperplate illustrations to firmly reinforce scriptural orthodoxy and defend the established Church of England against the rising tide of secular radicalism.

The promotion and execution of this magnificent text were orchestrated by the artistic circles of Robert Bowyer and Thomas Macklin, two of the most dominant forces in late-Georgian luxury publishing. The Bible was published by Robert Bowyer, an elite print merchant, historic miniature painter, and operator of the famed Historic Gallery in Pall Mall. Bowyer’s influential family and professional network heavily cross-promoted grand national artistic endeavors, leveraging their connection with high-society subscribers to pool the immense financial resources required to fund James Fittler’s lengthy, meticulous copperplate engraving process. Simultaneously, master printer Thomas Bensley was working in close collaboration with the family and estate of Thomas Macklin, another legendary publisher renowned for hyper-luxury plate books (The Famous Macklin Bible Set). Macklin’s elite circle included celebrated artistic dynasties, most notably the families and studios of Sir Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough, who provided the original Old Master paintings that Fittler so skillfully translated into typographical art.

Historic Aura / Vibe:

To hold or behold this three-volume masterwork is to step directly into the world of King George III, a young America, and the cultural battlegrounds of the late Enlightenment. It provides a living bond to a post-Revolutionary era, a critical moment when the newly independent United States was forging its raw national identity while still relying on the artistic mastery of its European roots. Because early American printing infrastructure lacked the sophistication required to manufacture expansive luxury texts, this specific edition crossed the Atlantic to serve as an enduring witness to history and a definitive theological status symbol for the generations who would build the early American republic.

The Exterior:

This magnificent three-volume set is bound in premium, deep navy bluish-green straight-grained morocco leather, presenting a stately and commanding presence on the shelf. The covers feature elegant, understated double-gilt fillet borders that handsomely frame the fine, textured grain of the premium historic hide. Each spine is masterfully structured by sturdy raised bands, dividing the layout into six distinct compartments meticulously accented with delicate gilt rules and fine geometric roll patterns. The upper compartments feature a striking, intricately stamped gilt crest depicting a rampant heraldic griffin, while the middle panels bear clean, brilliantly struck gilt lettering reading "HOLY BIBLE" and the respective volume designations ("VOL. I," "VOL. II," and "VOL. III"). All board edges are finished with a fine, repeating gilt dotted roll, and the text blocks feature heavily gilded edges that still retain a brilliant, reflective sheen with an attractive, naturally aged patina. Crucially, this set represents a pinnacle of late-Georgian luxury bookbinding, commissioned from the workshop of Charles Hering, one of London's most elite and celebrated period binders. This definitive attribution is anchored by the surviving pink binder’s ticket on the flyleaf ("Bound by C. HERING, No. 10 St. Martin's Street, London"), proving these volumes received a top-tier, bespoke treatment right around their time of publication. Opening the covers reveals beautiful, traditional hand-marbled paper pastedowns elegantly framed by morocco leather turn-ins, which are adorned with a striking, highly detailed Greek key roll pattern stamped in brilliant gilt and bordered by a secondary blind-tooled geometric line. Showing only minor, superficial shelf wear and minimal rubbing to the extreme corner tips consistent with age, the bindings remain remarkably robust, tight, and square, offering a pristine, investment-grade display piece for any fine antiquarian library.

The Interior:

he interior of this three-volume masterwork remains remarkably bright, crisp, and clean, showcasing the absolute pinnacle of Thomas Bensley’s legendary letterpress typography. The text is printed on heavy, premium period woven paper, arranged in two perfectly balanced columns with crisp, deep-black Roman letterforms. In contrast to most heavily used pulpit or family Bibles of the late-Georgian era, the text leaves are entirely free of heavy thumb-soiling, severe liquid stains, or significant tearing, retaining firm and square paper margins throughout. Opening the volume reveals a secure, sound inner hinge structure that lies flat, ensuring the leaves remain structurally stable and well-supported during reading or display. A light, completely authentic historic patina is present across the text block, characterized by a uniform, gentle cream toning and faint, localized foxing spots. The sensational full-page copperplate engravings, masterfully cut by James Fittler, remain sharp, dark, and highly detailed. This includes the prominent full-page engraving at the start of Genesis, meticulously translated by Fittler from the original canvas by Old Master painter Luca Giordano, capturing every dramatic shadow and fine line of the scriptural scene. The original pink paper Charles Hering binder’s ticket remains firmly adhered to the front flyleaf next to vibrant, pristine hand-marbled pastedowns, certifying a well-preserved, investment-grade example of late-eighteenth-century luxury book arts.

Provenance & Collector Significance: Lord Viscount Cremorne (1725–1813) The highly prestigious provenance of this specific three-volume set is revealed in an elegant, handwritten historic inscription on the front flyleaf. The sweeping period ink reads: "The Gift of Lord Viscount Cremorne To His much Esteemed Friend The Revd David Davies." This explicit dedication anchors the volumes directly into late-Georgian high society, documenting a profound personal connection between the wealthy Irish peer Thomas Dawson (the 1st Viscount Cremorne) and a respected member of the Anglican clergy. This exceptional gift context perfectly mirrors the elite, bespoke nature of the Charles Hering luxury binding, proving that this masterpiece of print and artistry was commissioned specifically to serve as a monumental token of high-church friendship and aristocratic esteem. Born Thomas Dawson, Lord Viscount Cremorne was an influential Irish landowner, politician, and wealthy banker. He served as a Member of Parliament for County Monaghan in the Irish House of Commons for nearly two decades before being elevated to the peerage as Baron Dartrey, and later Viscount Cremorne in 1785. Lord Cremorne moved in high-society British enlightenment and political circles. He married Philadelphia Hannah Freame, the granddaughter of William Penn (the founder of Pennsylvania). He was famously painted by legendary artists like Sir Joshua Reynolds and Sir Thomas Lawrence, and his name lives on geographically through Cremorne Gardens in London and the suburb of Cremorne in Sydney, Australia.

Reference: https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/the-dealers-eye-new-york/sir-thomas-lawrence-p-r-a-portrait-of-thomas

The Reverend David Davies (1742–1819): A Welsh-born clergyman in the Church of England, Davies served as the Rector of the small rural parish of Barkham in Berkshire, England, from 1781 until his death. Beyond his pastoral work, Rev. Davies is celebrated by modern historians as an empirical social scientist and pioneer of economics. Troubled by the severe poverty hitting rural families due to rising food prices, he began collecting detailed data on household budgets, wages, and expenses. He compiled these into a landmark 1795 book, The Case of Labourers in Husbandry, which is widely credited by historians with containing the very first modern household survey in British history

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