Physical description

The book has a dark green and brown leather hardback cover. There are also water stains and what appears to be mould growth. The cover has an Imprinted border around the edges of the title. The spine is torn at the top and bottom. A page is torn out between front cover and introduction page. The pages have stains from use and some foxing.

Inscriptions & markings

Inside front cover has a glued-on certificate which reads:
Presented by the Prayer-Book and Homily Society this 7th day of October 1861 to Thos (Thomas) Moorfoot for his use embarking on board the ship Agincourt Captain Tickell lying in the Port of London, and bound to Melbourne

Thomas Seaward
Visiting Secretary

Society’s Office
18, Salisbury Square, London

Handwritten
Presented to Thos (Thomas) Moorfoot on the 7th day of October 1861

Summary

On May 20 1812, a group of Church of England evangelical clergy & laity met in The Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street, London, to form "The Prayer Book and Homily Society." The founders were also members of the Church Missionary Society (founded 1799) and the British and Foreign Bible Society (founded 1804). <br/><br/>The purpose of this Society was to print and distribute the Book of Common Prayer (1662) in English and in other languages, as needed by missionaries; and also to publish "The Book of Homilies" which is referred to in "The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion" as a source of the foundational doctrine of the Church of England by law established.<br/><br/>The Society published the Prayer Book in at least 12 languages and seems to have been at the peak of its activity in 1828-1833. The Homilies were only published in English and in editions without the critical apparatus.<br/><br/>http://pbs1928.blogspot.com/2003/01/prayer-book-homily-society.html

References