Historical information

This Bible belonged to Minnie Maud Middleton (d. 1958). She came from Framlingham, near Warrnambool. Miss Middleton’s parents, Hannah and Thomas, brought the Bible to Australia from England in the 1870s. The Bible, printed in 1816, contains a pencil drawing of the Roydon Church of England where the Middletons worshipped in England.

Significance

This Bible is of interest as an example of a Bible that many families owned, treasured and read in times gone by and especially in the 19th century. It has local provenance.

Physical description

This is a Bible with a hard leather cover and the spine covering replaced at some stage. The front and back of the book are much rubbed and scored. The pages are numbered according to the sections and the font varies with two columns to each page. There are over 40 black and white illustrations (from engravings) and several pressed ferns. Some pages are damaged. There are four loose sheets.

Inscriptions & markings

Brown’s Holy Bible printed 1816
Presented to G. Phillpot 80 Kelp St Warrnambool in 1953 by Miss M. Middleton of Bendigo, late of Framlingham. Was brought to Australia by Miss Middleton’s parents approx 80 years ago. The pencil drawing is of Roydon Church of England where Miss Middleton’s parents worshipped. Copy of ‘Willing Work’ dated Nov 3 1877 was found in the Bible.