The Radbourne Family Bible

 

I'd like to share this part of my family's history with you.

If I remember correctly, Dad rescued this copy of the bible while was was working as a refuse collector many years ago. (I'm sure someone can give the full story.) It's been a part of our family since then, and was always held in high regard.

If you look at some of the scans you'll see that the births and deaths of my parents and my siblings have all been documented in here over the years. I recently updated it to include my brother Jon's passing a few weeks ago.

It had always been the intention to pass this on to the youngest child, (me), upon the passing of both of my parents, but when it became apparent that I wouldn't have anyone to pass it on to, it was decided, after a few discussions with a few of my siblings, that I could give it to Jon, so he could pass it on to his children when he passed.

It came back into my possession last week, thanks to Jon's children, so I decided to do a little research online about it. I used the first picture in a Google image search, brought up the following information:

"This antique book is The Illustrated National Family Bible or The National Comprehensive Family Bible, a notable Victorian-era religious volume typically containing the commentaries of Scott and Henry.

Edition and Features: These bibles were popular in the mid-to-late 19th century, with many editions published between approximately 1858 and 1880. This specific version is often edited by Rev. John Eadie and includes:

Physical Details: A heavy, large folio-sized volume, frequently bound in full black morocco leather with ornate raised decoration and gilt lettering.

Decorative Elements: This copy features distinctive brass corner pieces and often originally included brass clasps to keep the thick volume closed.

Content: In addition to the biblical text, it contains numerous "critical and explanatory notes," colored plates, references, and maps.

Potential Value: The market value for these antique family bibles varies significantly based on their physical condition (such as the presence of original brass hardware and the state of the leather):

Recent Auction/Sale Prices: Estimates and sale prices typically range from approximately £30 to over £200, depending on rarity and condition.

Restoration: Due to their age, these bibles often show wear such as scuffing, foxing (brown spots on pages), or detached boards."

I did a bit more research, and found out that some copies are being auctioned for anything up to £500.

I have to admit that I was a little surprised that this book could be over 160 years old. But then again I hadn't really paid much attention to it when it was originally in my possession, so the only thing I knew about it's history came from my family.

 

If you look at one of the images it documents a few things that were entered into record by the previous owner, of a gentleman named "Joe", who sailed to Egypt in 1917 and returned in 1919, l lady named "Emma", who passed away in 1926, and a lady named "Elsie", who passed away in 1931.

One page, however, was particularly emotional, the first page of the "Family Register" section, containing details about the births and deaths of Mum and Dad. Dad wrote a few words after Mum passed in 1983, and you can easily forgive his spelling here, considering how hard Mum's passing hit him back then.

This book was always held in high reverence by Mum and Dad, and even though I'm an atheist, I do admire a lot of the architecture and artwork that has been made in honour of the Christian religion over the centuries, which is the reason I've included some scans of the art work in this post.

You're probably wondering now what's going to happen to this book now. I had considered donating it to the museum or the church here in Cromer, but having taken a look at it again in some detail for the first time in years I've decided that it will remain here with me. It will go into storage here at home.

But if you're wondering what will happen to it if I pass, I will say this: I have left instructions for what's to happen to the bible whenever that happens. I won't say what those instructions are, simply because these may change, depending on circumstances. I will say that this book will be well looked after, not just because of it's age and history, but because of it's connection to two people I hold so dear, and who I miss with every fibre of my being each and every day.