20 CHAINED BOOKS IN DORSET AND ELSEWHERE. 



America. But the Bishop, hearing of what had been done, 

 interfered ; and after some delay, and the payment of the 

 purchaser's expenses, books and chains were returned 

 from London and restored to their original position in the 

 vestry. 



At Minster in Thanet (Kent) for many years past the 

 boards alone of a Bible have been chained, every page of the 

 Volume of which at one time they were the covers having 

 been carried away and, presumably, appropriated by 

 trippers. 



At Whitchurch, Little Stanmore, Middlesex, the Earl of 

 Carnarvon, afterwards Duke of Chandos, rebuilt the church 

 in 1715, and had two copies of the Book of Common Prayer 

 chained to the book rests in each pew b}^ means of iron chains 

 about 10 inches in length. Some of the chains still remain in 

 situ ; but only a few of the books aie left, and these in a very 

 imperfect condition. 



In the Minutes of S.P.C.K. for June 16th, 1707, occurs the 

 following : " Mr. Skeat moved that a large decent Bible 

 might be bought for the Use of the Prisoners in the Compter- 

 Prison in South wark. 



" Agreed to the said Motion and that the Whole Duty of 

 Man, the Art of Catechising, the Xtian Monitor, and Dr. 

 Gibson's Family Devotion (the last three to be bound to- 

 together) be added thereunto and all to be chained in that 

 Prison." 



The Calendar of Treasury Books and Papers (1739-41, 

 p. 18) gives warrant (3 April, 1739) for delivery at a cost of 

 13 of a folio Bible, folio Book of Common Prayer, and 

 Baker's Chronicle, with iron chains and pins to chain them to 

 the reading desk in the Guard Chamber at St. James' for the 

 use of the Yeomen of the Guard. 



Blades (Bibliog. MisceL, 1890, pt. 2, p. 6) states that at 

 Wimborne " a copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs was in bygone 

 days chained to a desk in the dissenting chapel," cf. also 

 Hutchins' Hist. Dorset (last Edn. Vol. III., p. 229). Nothing, 

 however, is now known of this. 



