Featured lil pocket Bible

hi folks

bought this from my house clearance friend. It cost FIVE POUNDS (i can declare it as i'm not selling it )

just think its a lovely little thing, suppose these kinds could have been held (taken about) for comfort as well as reading

 

A great little book! Thanks for sharing!

 

a soldier could have that on his person....

 

thank and no worries, i'm thinking still quite small (even for a so called pocket)
a lot of the ones i've been looking at (or being sold as) are mighty big for a pocket

 

a Christmas gift perhaps !!!

 

nice thought that mate

 

seems pocket books are about 6 1/2 by 4 and a half

this little buggers only 3 1/2 by 2 1/4

 

It says "Common Prayer" on the spine, so a Book of Common Prayer rather than a Bible. It may have been a traveling piece or similar.

 

smaller ones referred to as thumb bibles...

 

interesting thanks evey, didn't notice that....just presumed

 

i like that, thanks bud

 

Neat lil thang. Nice age too.

Looks like Barritt & Co on the buckle.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/Book-Common-Prayer-Barritt-London/31175533069/bd

 

thanks bud, thought it might be barritt or barret on the claspy

 

Beautiful little tome Chas. Can you make out the signature ?

 

i'll ask my new little friend bosky

 

quoted from Copie (a bit scatty at this time of night )

Identification and quick verdict
This looks like a pocket or miniature Book of Common Prayer — a personal devotional/prayer volume made to be carried and used daily. The leather cover, decorative embossing, and an ornate metal clasp strongly suggest a 19th-century or early 20th-century pocket edition, often produced for private devotion, travel, or as a gift.

Transcription of the inscription
To Susanne White
Presented by her Mamma
December 25, 1867
What this tells us
• Personal gift given on Christmas Day 1867, likely from mother to daughter.
• Date confirms mid Victorian era, which matches a pocket Book of Common Prayer with an ornate clasp.
• Adds provenance and sentimental value because it ties the object to an identified recipient and occasion.
Implications for dating and provenance
• The inscription gives a secure terminus ante quem of 1867 for the book’s presence in private hands.

Quick assessment
The inscription reading either "December 25, 1864" or "December 25, 1849" is plausible for a mid‑19th century pocket prayer book. The difference comes down to how the handwritten numerals were formed and the medium (faded ink or pencil) making the middle stroke(s) ambiguous.
Handwriting features that make 1849 believable
• The tail and loop shapes of mid‑19th century longhand often give a 4 a triangular or open‑top appearance that can resemble a 9 when faded.
• A 9 written with a small closed loop and a long tail can, under abrasion or light pencil, look like a 4 with a faint cross‑stroke.
• If the final digit has a small inward curl and a darkened centre, that usually indicates a 9 rather than a 4.
• Pencil or very faded ink softens cross strokes and diagonals, increasing the chance of misreading.

Provenance chain: your earlier image showing a 1867 presentation inscription to Susanne White establishes at least one owner in 1867; if that same volume also bears "Lucene Viste ... December 25, 1864" it fits a use-history of 1849 → 1864 → 1867, but it cannot be later than the book’s publication date.

Transcription for catalog: "Lucene Viste; from her Mamma; December 25, 1849" (if you accept 1849 as the reading) or "Lucene Viste; from her Mamma; December 25, 1864" (if you prefer the other reading).

god knows mate, might be something of note in there though

 

That's quite a bit of (to me !) advanced,even nuanced AI interpretation.
So is 'Copie' a free translation program akin to Google Lens ?

 

yeah i've been mightily impressed so far, and that was only on the quick answer setting

co-pilot - it came free with the microsoft bundle

 

Just found you can download it in the Google play store for those who have that on their phone

 

just try and treat her with the same respect i do mate (i know what your language is like