Hi Rachel,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

The copyright date MDCCCLXI equates to 1861, not 1866 (which would be MDCCCLXVI).

The 1662 Book of Common Prayer (BCP) set the standard forms for worship (daily offices, Holy Communion, occasional services) across the Church of England—and, after the 1800/1801 union, for the United Church of England and Ireland. It functioned as the Church’s baseline for doctrine-in-worship and remained in continuous official use. The “United Church of England and Ireland” wording reflects the legal union of the English and Irish established churches under the Act of Union, effective 1 January 1801; that union was later dissolved by the Irish Church Act 1869 (effective 1 January 1871). Editions printed during the union typically carry that title-page wording.

Eyre & Spottiswoode held the royal patent as Queen’s Printers (from 1845), producing authorised Bibles and Prayer Books. Their imprint often reads “Printers to the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty,” signalling an official, standard text; yours has that, which is good.

The wording on the title-page - “according to the use of the United Church of England and Ireland" - pinpoints it to the pre-1871 period. Post-1871 English printings typically revert to “Church of England,” while the disestablished Church of Ireland moved toward its own editions (notably 1878). There were no major 1861-specific textual revisions and the 1662 book remained the norm; the next big historical changes were constitutional (Irish disestablishment in 1871) and later lectionary/printing developments. So the interest of an 1861 Eyre & Spottiswoode-published book is chiefly its status (Queen’s Printers, authorised text) and its union-era titling, not a unique liturgical text.

Other copies of this BCP from 1861 that have come to auction in comparable condition have sold for between $75 and $125, though there are book sellers with available copies they are asking retail pricing between $350 and $650.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

UNITED CHURCH OF ENGLAND
Book of Common Brayer, with Psalster / Psalms of David
Published by George E. Eyre & William Spottiswoode, Printers to the Queen's (Queen Victoria)'s most Excellent Majesty, London, 1861
Gilt embossed leather calf binding with gilt edging and brass lock; flyleaf inscribed with 1870 inscription.
Octavo copy: Height: 7-1/4 inches tall by 4-3/4 inches wide
CONDITION: This appears to be in good condition.
PROVENANCE: Unknown
$75-125*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia