Antiquarian 1893 SPCK Bible – Gift from Archdeacon Gorton to Walter & Ellen Barlow
 
Publication & Binding
 
Title: The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments...
Publisher: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK), London
Printer: Eyre & Spottiswoode, Printers to the Queen
Date: Circa 1893 (as per dated inscription)
Binding: Full black leather with five raised bands, and gilt title. All gilt edges and black pastedowns and free endpapers; includes blue ribbon marker.
 
A Touching Lincolnshire Provenance
 
This Bible holds more than sacred text; it holds a love story.
On March 14th, 1893, this Bible was gifted to Walter and Ellen Barlow, two young villagers from Lincolnshire, England. Walter, a labourer from Kirkby la Thorpe, and Ellen (née Towns), a housemaid from Asgarby, had just married. Their union was humble, but heartfelt.
 
The inscription from Archdeacon John Gorton, a prominent churchman of the time, reads:
“Walter and Ellen Barlow, from Archdeacon Gorton, with very good wishes for their health and happiness. Asgarby, March 14th 1893.”
 
The page is framed by delicate hand-painted floral borders, and an additional gilded image of a cross in clouds decorates the pastedown; a rare, personal artistic embellishment.
 
The Venerable John Gorton (b. 1821), Archdeacon of Madras (1871–1875), became rector of Asgarby with Kirkby le Thorpe in 1877, appointed by the Marquess of Bristol. His gift of this Bible likely commemorated the just-celebrated marriage of Walter Barlow (b. c.1866, Kirkby le Thorpe) and Ellen Towns (b. c.1861, Asgarby). Ellen had been a housemaid in Asgarby in 1881. The wedding, registered in the first quarter of 1893, makes this Bible a deeply personal keepsake from the Archdeacon to a newlywed couple emerging from humble roots into married life.
 
Condition
 
Exterior: Good, with minor surface wear/rubbing, a few scratches, and light marks. Gilt titles and leather remain intact and robust.
 
Interior: Dark-toned pastedowns/endpapers. Hand-painted floral motif with gilt cross among clouds on front flyleaf. Gold-ink inscriptions (“Lead kindly light…” and the gift inscription) are delicate and vivid on the front pastedown and front free endpaper. Lightly tanned pages with foxing on prelims and occasional light foxing on the interior pages. The pages are predominantly uncreased, with just a small fold on a few pages. A minor edge tear top of page 361 and overleaf, not affecting the text, and a small tear affects pages 1079-1080, creating a rip through this leaf, though the text remains legible (see photo). The pages are tightly bound and complete (1125 pages). Two Victorian-era stamps (Queen Victoria half-penny and lilac 1d) appear on the title page, which are interesting historically, though of modest monetary value.
 
Dimensions & Weight
 
Size: Approx 22.8 cm × 16 cm × 4.2 cm
Weight: Approx 1,200 grams: a substantial and hearty historical artifact.