A large (and very heavy) Victorian family Bible, c.1872, printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode, London, and W. P. Bennett & Co., Birmingham and London, with embossed black leather board covers with red and gilt decoration, metal edging and clasp (which appear to be brass with a bronze finish) and gilt page edges, measuring approximately 24 x 29.6 x 7.3cm. The title page bears the embossed stamp of "C. H. Calvery, Publisher & Bookseller, 2, Floriston Villas, Polsloe Park, Exeter" to the top right corner. There are 807 numbered pages, including an Appendix comprising various tables, an Index and Concordance, together with eight colour plates (reproducing paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds, Schopin, Beaume, Horace Vernet, Jalabert, Dubufe and Scheffer) and four pages for family records. Three of these pages have been used to record births, marriages and deaths within the Hartwell family of Wellington (connected by marriage to the Taylor, Satchwill and Giles families) between 1850 and 1928; the first marriage recorded therein was that of Edward Hartwell and Emily Taylor at the "Baptist Chaple, Wellington" on 19 December 1872, and it is probable that the Bible was bought or given on this occasion. There is considerable wear to the cover, including some missing leather to the ends of the spine (especially the top end), creasing to the spine, and three small insect holes near one corner of the back cover; the front cover is externally loose although held in place by the internal cloth hinge. There is considerable foxing and some discoloration to the pages, together with occasional other marks; there is some creasing, bumping to the edges and corners, and slight tearing to the edges of the first few pages including the title page and frontispiece.
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