Leavers' Bibles

blondie95 · Post by **blondie95** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 7:15 pm

I certainly got a prayer book but never went to communiun etc. I think we all did

englishangel · Post by **englishangel** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 7:53 pm

I think we went through this somewhere before. Everyone at Hertford got a Bible and Monitresses got a choice of Concordance or Prayer Book, which I thought was strange as many had a prayer book when they were confirmed (not a school one of course, usually a white one from god-parents).

99yorkpj · Post by **99yorkpj** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 7:58 pm

There really doesn't seem to be a set tradition to it.. Perhaps its simply a matter of how much money there is to spare at the time and whether the school feels the yeargroup was worthy(!) (on that note it may explain a few things about my yeargroup seeing as very few got one..!!!).
I don't know, will there ever be a verified answer to why some people get them and others don't?!

blondie95 · Post by **blondie95** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 8:38 pm

true true, considering some decisions made by the school recently in terms of money spending!

sejintenej · Post by **sejintenej** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:08 pm

blondie95 wrote:I certainly got a prayer book but never went to communiun etc. I think we all did

Now I think back, a prayer book was one of the few things we were required to take to school

- so why give anyone what they were supposed to already have?

An aside - HRH the Queen Mother did not use the "normal" prayer book - there was another version of about 1690 and her private chapel was the only place where it was used - according to the vicar. No, I dont know which version HM the Queen uses.

DavebytheSea · Post by **DavebytheSea** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:13 pm

Yes - you are right! We were not allowed to take underpants, shoes or pyjamas, but a prayer book was a must. Hence only a bible at the leaving service.

jhopgood · Post by **jhopgood** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:16 pm

DavebytheSea wrote:Yes - you are right! We were not allowed to take underpants, shoes or pyjamas, but a prayer book was a must. Hence only a bible at the leaving service.

Precisely why I took the Companion to the Bible.
Definitely 2 books but only one box, for the bible.

englishangel · Post by **englishangel** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 8:04 am

Both my Bible and my Concordance are in boxes. And for some reason I have two prayer books, and I am not even (or ever) C of E.!!

jhopgood · Post by **jhopgood** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 8:34 am

I must go back and ask for the box.

midget · Post by **midget** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 3:07 pm

DavebytheSea wrote:
midget wrote:At Hertford in 1052 it was Bibles for all leavers, and a prayerbook (or concordance) for monitresses.
Blimey! pre Conquest, then! Was it the Wycliffe Bible?

OOPS

midget · Post by **midget** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 3:11 pm

We had to take both Bible and prayer book with us,also Songs of Praise.

Katharine · Post by **Katharine** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 4:36 pm

midget wrote:We had to take both Bible and prayer book with us,also Songs of Praise.

Same in my day, Songs of Praise was for prayers in house in the evening. When my father did Lenten Lectures he asked that everyone should bring a prayer book with them to the lecture - this meant a lot of searching for some people!

englishangel · Post by **englishangel** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 6:38 pm

I have a Songs of Praise too, I certainly still have the one with the music in, not sure about the words only one.

99yorkpj · Post by **99yorkpj** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 11:32 am

Wow, things really change don't they! In some way traditions are the same, but they seem to be looked on with completely different attitudes etc over time. People now would scream blue murder if they were made to take a songs of praise!
Boxes? Never knew they had them. My Dad's an OB (joined 1956- (i think) when he was 9) and he doesn't have one either...

jhopgood · Post by **jhopgood** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 12:27 pm

99yorkpj wrote:Boxes? Never knew they had them. My Dad's an OB (joined 1956- (i think) when he was 9) and he doesn't have one either...

Your father must be my vintage (1947), so if I have a gold box for the Bible, I am sure he must have got one. Mine is still in the box and has only been taken out occasionally. Your Dad probably read his and threw away the box.