Identification
Author: Robert Southey
Title: Book of the Church
Publisher: William Clowes and John Murray
Place of Publication: London, England
Year of Publication: 1824
Michigan State University Library Call Number: BX 5055. S7 1824
Background and Publication
The book was published in 1824 in London, England by Northumberland Court, a company that was purchased by William Clowes in 1824. As far as evidence shows, Clowes’s publishing house was owned by John Murray. The John Murray publishing house still operates out of London today and is owned by the U.K branch of Hachette. Book of the Chuch tells the story of the Church of England from its founding to the time that the book was published. Written by poet Laureate Robert Southey. Southey was a well-known poet and writer in early 19th century England who had published other works on historical figures and events, including Joan of Arc, Wat Tyler, and the Peninsular War. The book also contains a letter written by Southey that will be discussed later.
The Book in it’s Current State
The book is in good condition, suggesting that previous owners took excellent care of it. Most pages within the book show signs of slight discoloration, which are most likely wear or age-related. There are pencil and pen marks on some of them as well, most are not important to the provenance of the book. On the spine of Volume II there is a slight tear. Both covers are in good condition as well.
Provenance
The book was dedicated by Southey to Reverened Peter Elmsley. Elmsley was a scholar of manuscripts and classics who was ordained into the Church of England in 1798. In 1823, he was appointed professor of ancient history at Camden and principal of St. Alabans Hall. A year later the book was published. However, Elmsley died in 1825, just one year after the book was published. Thus, the confusing ownership chain of the book begins.
J.C Frampton May
Contained within the front cover of both books is a book plate. The plate depicts what appears to be a lion drawn from the neck up, sitting in a crown. Underneath the crown is a Latin phrase on a banner reading “Non Flectere a Vero.” Translated to English as “Not to be Swayed (Bent) From the Truth.” John Coleridge Frampton May was born in 1837. He was married in 1873 to his wife, Ethel Maude Scaife, in Olveston, England. Olveston is a town near Bristol and the Welsh border. This leaves a question as to the early provenance of the book. May was not born until 13 years after the publication of the book. Barring future research, that question is unanswered.
John Coleridge Frampton May died in 1902 in Taunton, a city in Somerset. His obituary makes the reader painfully aware of his rowing accomplishments but mentions nothing about his will or possessions. It is noted that his sister, Susannah Frances May, is the executor of his will and estate. However, the genology trail runs cold with her other than of a mention of her dying outside of London.
J.A.D Bridger
Provenance evidence shows the book appearing next in Penzance, Cornwall. A port city on the English Channel, Penzance was home to the bookseller J.A.D Bridger. A sticker saying as much appears in both volumes’ top left corner of the inside front cover. Revered John May lived in Devon and was a vicar there. Still, Devon is 100 miles away from Penzance. Current research shows no connection between the family of John May or John Coleridge and the city of Penzance. It is a stretch, but a family member of John Coleridge who likely lived near the city may have been bequeathed the book in his will. This as-of-yet-unknown relative then likely donated the book to Bridger’s bookstore.
Research does not reveal when Bridger founded his bookstore nor when he was born. One of the first records that Bridger appears in was in 1926 when he edited a handbook on Penzance. He was photographed in front of his bookstore sometime during the 1960s as well. It is unknown exactly when Bridger came into possession of the book. An educated guess based on previous research suggests that it is either in 1902, when John Coleridge died, or sometime in the 1920s or 1930s, when his children would have died.
Wayne Phelps and the Ravenstree Copany
The last owner of the book before Michigan State University was Wayne Phelps. A professor at the Univeristy of Pennsylvania, Phelps was a collector of rare books. Phelps died in 2024 and Michigan State purchased the book from his estate. Backing up the timeline to Penzance, a record of sale from Bridger’s bookstore does not exist. The only provenance that can be obtained from Phelps is a typed note on a separate sheet of paper located within the book. It describes the contents of the letter from Southey and has provenance information contained within it. The letter is dated July 1970 and is connected to a P.O box in Pasadena, California. The provenance chain is very simple from here. The Ravenstree Company, a bookseller, purchased the book around July 1970 and had it shipped to California. It was later purchased by Wayne Phelps and taken to his home in Pennsylvania. Upon the death of Phelps in 2024 the book was purchased by Michigian State University at his estate sale.
Southey’s Letter
Many letters written by Robert Southey have been published or digitized in the century and a half since his death. However, this letter has not yet been published online or in print. The letter contains a dispute between Southey and the publisher Murray in London. Undoubtedly worthy of future study, as of the writing of this section, there is no further provenance information that can be gleaned from the letter.
Created by Ryan Courtney in Spring 2025 for Dr. Brockey’s HST 475 class at Michigan State University
Works Cited
Antiquarius.com. (n.d.). https://www.antiquarius.com/products/author/CORNISH,%20J.%20B.%20and%20BRIDGER,%20J.%20A.%20D.%20-%20Editor
Archive, T. B. N. (n.d.). History’s colourful stories in black and white. Home | Search the archive | British Newspaper Archive. https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/
Bull, S. &. (2024, July 30). Robert Southey. Keswick Museum. https://keswickmuseum.org.uk/collections/literature/robert-southey/
Clowes, William (1779–1847), printer. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. (n.d.-a). https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-5718
Cornish stained glass. John Coleridge Frampton MAY. (n.d.). https://www.cornishstainedglass.org.uk/mgsdb/person.xhtml?personid=441
Elmsley, Peter (1774–1825), classical scholar. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. (n.d.-b). https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-8737
FamilySearch.org. (n.d.). https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/sources/MGW6-87P
Library, M. (n.d.). J.A.D. bridger booksellers. Morrab Library Photographic Archive. https://photoarchive.morrablibrary.org.uk/items/show/16965
Robert Southey (1774-1843) – The book of the church ; vol. 1. (n.d.). https://www.rct.uk/collection/1053777/the-book-of-the-church-vol-1
