Books bound by Ratcliff John Ratcliff (bookbinder)

1 books bound ratcliff

1.1 indian bible
1.2 book of general laws , liberties concerning inhabitants of massachusetts
1.3 other bindings ratcliff

books bound ratcliff
indian bible

ratcliff of boston, massachusetts bound 200 of 1500 copies of eliot s indian bible in 1663 influential noblemen , higher ranking church dignitaries. bindings made sheep-skin. historical records note in 1664, ratcliff complained in petition commissioners of united colonies paid little binding eliot s indian bible. ratcliff being paid 2 shillings , 6 pence per copy hezekiah usher , had supply covers, clasps, glue, , thread himself. said had pay 18 shillings book binding accessories (i.e. thread, glue, pasteboard, clasps) cost 4 shillings in england. each bible copy took day s labour bind. told commissioners lowest price bind eliot s indian bible 3 shillings 4 pence book, because of high price had pay english book binding accessories. in comparison, samuel gellibrand, london bookbinder, paid ten shillings copy binding 20 copies of indian bible sent him in england binding. 4 times ratcliff being paid same work.

the eliot indian bible mamusse wunneetupanatamwe up-biblum god. printers samuel green , marmaduke johnson of cambridge, massachusetts.
this copy bound ratcliff in 1663 held @ rosenbach museum & library

the book of general laws , liberties concerning inhabitants of massachusetts

massachusetts general laws

bound john ratcliffe in 1676

the general laws , liberties of massachusetts colony revised , reprinted order of general court bound around 1676. printed in 1672 samuel green bookseller hezekiah usher of boston, massachusetts. book folio 6 inches 10 inches. binding made calfskin. color deep tone mellow brown, comparable mahogany. cover has lines , tools in blank, developing darker brown cover.

the edges of front cover board covered in calfskin consist of 2 lines. within these 2 line borders there marked out panel of 2 lines. on corners of panel flourish of tooling. tooling center flower fan-shaped tool within corner. small flower cluster goes outwards edge corners of cover towards center. @ upper , lower ends of main cover halfway between outer corners impression of triangle of 3 buds. in dead center of cover impression of small flower cluster used on outer edge corners. there j gold initial on left side of center image , s gold initial on right side of center image, perhaps name john sherman. sherman representative general court of massachusetts colony in 1651, 1653, 1663 , 1680.

the folds of sections sewn per custom of time. book did not follow custom however. body of book cut 4 small eye holes through sides along margins. through these holes threaded 4 rawhide strings hold book tightly cover boards had 4 eye holes. cover boards edges of paper in book.

the american antiquarian society has in possession book copy of these massachusetts laws bound ratcliff. speculated reason leather covers have held on 300 years leather treated sumach tanning agent, though calfskin has become hard old vellum. front of book covers furnished 2 clasps closing book. upper clasp closing book missing on antiquarian copy. lower 1 still there , has simple design on it.

other bindings ratcliff

other book bindings credited ratcliff work are:

collection of tracts

increase mather 1670–80




^ wolf 2009, p. 113.
^ ringwalt 1871, p. 155.
^ holmes 1929, p. 5.
^ littlefield 1900, p. 95.
^ cite error: named reference kane invoked never defined (see page).
^ holmes 1929, p. 3.
^ holmes 1929, p. 17.
^ darrin, darrin; lythgoe (2001–2013). captain john sherman . next generation of genealogy sitebuilding. retrieved 2 september 2013. 
^ nathaniel morton s new-england memoriall (cambridge, mass., 1669) . americanantiquarian.org. american antiquarian society. 2011. retrieved 31 august 2013. 
^ holmes 1929, p. 15.
^ holmes 1929, p. 9.