1 6 NOTES ON OLD BELPER AND OLD HELPER BOOKS. 



Mr. Henry Lomas states that sixty years ago there was a head- 

 stone near to the entrance of tlie porch conveying this information. 

 The stone has since been restored to its position. At the time 

 of the plague the old churchyard was not consecrated, and as a 

 matter of fact, the ceremony of consecration did not take place 

 until 1793. 



In 1823, Mr. Samuel Mason printed " Forms | of | Prayer | 

 for the use of a | Congregation | of | Protestant Dissenters | in | 

 Belper. | Belper; | printed at the office of S. Mason, | 1823. It 

 is a fine octavo volume of 106 pages, beautifully printed in pica 

 type for the use of the Unitarians. The copy possessed by the 

 writer, bears the imprint of " G. B. Strutt '' on the front cover in 

 gold letters. The editor again was the Rev. D. P. Davies. On 

 page 16 is pointed out in a quaint foot-note, "All high titles 

 or appellations of the king, queen, etc., should be left out of 

 the prayers, such as most illustrious, religious, viighty, etc., and 

 only the word sovereign retained for the king and queen." 

 The absence of capital letters and the italics are as in the 

 original. 



The Rev. D. P. Davies a few years after the issue of the 

 volume of prayers, came to reside permanently in Belper, where 

 he continued his academy. In 182 1, Mr. Samuel Mason 

 commenced the printing of the reports of the Bible Society, with 

 which Mr. Henry Lomas has been connected so many years. 

 The printing of these reports was continued by Mr. Samuel 

 Mason until the year 1825, when he was succeeded at his death 

 by his son, Mr. George Mason. 



It is curious to find that early in the present century a 

 Mr. John Mason, publisher and bookseller, resided at 14, City 

 Road, London. It is just possible that a relationship existed 

 between the two families. It is of more general interest to note 

 that the founder of the " Daily News," the " Field," and the 

 publisher of " Punch," came from an old Derbyshire family, 

 the Bradburys of Bakewell. 



It may be said of Samuel Mason, that he was the pioneer of the 

 printing press in Belper. He exercised considerable influence for 



