An extraordinary example of 18th-century English regional printing. This massive 1792 Folio Pulpit Bible was printed in Newcastle upon Tyne by Matthew Brown and features the highly regarded "Practical Observations" of theologian Jean-Frédéric Ostervald.  
 
Most significantly, this specific edition features a spectacular suite of large-format engravings executed by the legendary partnership of Ralph Beilby and Thomas Bewick—the latter universally celebrated as the father of modern wood engraving. Several plates carry their famous joint workshop signature, capturing the exact era when their Newcastle studio was revolutionising the global history of printmaking.  
The text block and the highly detailed Beilby & Bewick plates remain in remarkably crisp, clean condition with minimal foxing or offsetting. The original heavy leather covers are present but currently detached at the hinges. The Bible includes the family history of the owners Richard and Mary Rawdon. The Rawdons were an influential, aristocratic English and Anglo-Irish dynasty. The primary branch of the family held the title of Earl of Moira (and later the Marquess of Hastings). John Rawdon, the 1st Earl of Moira, died in 1793—exactly one year after this Bible was printed. The family's ancestral roots were firmly planted in Yorkshire and the North East of England (Rawdon is a town near Leeds). The wealthy merchant and land-owning branches of the Rawdon family frequently operated between the industrial hubs of Leeds, Hull, and the bustling port of Newcastle upon Tyne. A large-format, heavily illustrated Pulpit Bible like this—custom-ordered from Matthew Brown and featuring plates by the renowned Beilby & Bewick—was a massive financial investment. It was almost certainly purchased by Richard and Mary Rawdon as a "Family Heirloom Bible" to anchor their estate, chronicle their lineage, and pass down through generations.
 
Specifications:
Date: 1792.
 
Printers & Illustrators: Printed by M. Brown (Fleshmarket); Plates engraved by Beilby & Bewick.  
 
Format: Large Folio / Pulpit Edition.
 
Condition Report: Text block and illustrations are in good, clean antique order.
 
Original boards are present but detached. Complete with Old and New Testaments and including the Apocrypha.
 
Collector's Note: Folio Bibles featuring verified Beilby & Bewick plates are fiercely contested by both fine art collectors and bibliophiles. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a complete, unharvested example of their collaborative mastery.
 
The Bible measures 43 x 28 x 10cm (17" x 11" x 4") and weighs 6.8kg (15lbs).