The Holy Bible, a 1940 Second World War gift from British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill's only niece to her dying mother, Winston's sister-in-law, on the last Christmas before she lost her battle with cancer.
London: Oxford University Press, Undated. Full leather. This almost painfully poignant gift provides a single, vignette snapshot of impending loss suffered by the family of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill during the Second World War. This finely-bound Bible was a 1940 gift from Winston Churchill’s only niece to her dying mother, Winston’s sister-in-law, on the last Christmas before she lost her battle with cancer. The three-line inscription, inked on the recto of the blank following the front free endpaper, is “Darling Goonie | with Anne’s Love | Christmas 1940”. Anne’s further inscription, lower on the page in the same ink in five lines, is a keening 16th-century Scottish translation from German text by Martin Luther. The inscription reads: “O my deir hert, young Jesus sweit | Prepare thy creddill in my spreit | And I sall rocke thee in my hert | And neuer mair from thee depart | 16th Cent.”
The compellingly lovely binding is full brown Morocco goatskin, the most prominent feature of which is extensive front cover gilt print featuring various quotes drawn, respectively, from The Wisdom of Solomon 7:29; Isaiah 42:6; Julian of Norwich; Philippians 4:6; Isaiah 51:3; and William Blake. The binding features a hubbed spine with gilt ruled compartments with “GOONIE’S | BIBLE | FROM | ANNE | DEC. 1940” gilt-stamped directly in the second compartment. The spine ends are gilt-rule capped and further decorated. Both covers are gilt-rule bordered with a further gilt decorated border within. The cover edges are gilt-ruled. The contents are bound with all edges gilt, two red ribbon markers, silk head and tail bands, and cerulean silk endpapers, the deckled edge pastedowns framed by extensively gilt ruled and decorated turn-ins. The lower left rear pastedown is gilt-stamped “BUMPUS LTD. OXFORD ST. W.” Of note, we know Bumpus to have been used by Winston Churchill for fine binding of inscribed books intended as gifts for significant occasions.
Condition is very good. The elegant binding is square and tight, the joints sound, the corners sharp, with a touch of sunning to the spine, wrinkling to the upper spine panel, and light shelf wear to extremities. The contents, printed on onion skin paper, are clean and complete with no spotting, soiling, or ownership names other than the inscription. One of two red ribbon markers is loose from the headband. Laid in we found a 1973 franked postcard of the Musee Oceanographique de Monaco filled out, addressed from “The Countess of Avon”, and signed. It seems clear this Bible returned to Goonie’s daughter and long remained in her possession, plausibly until her own death.
Lady Gwendeline Theresa Mary Spencer Churchill, nee Bertie (1885-1941), “Goonie” to friends and family, married Winston Churchill’s only sibling, his younger brother John “Jack” Strange Spencer Churchill in 1908 – the same year that Winston married. Goonie was a witty and vivacious host to artistic and literary figures and her friendships placed her at the heart of the cultural society of her day.
During the First World War, while Jack was continuing to prove himself a brave and capable officer, Goonie turned her efforts to nursing. She also introduced Winston, to whom she was close, to painting, which would be a passion and source of release and renewal for the remaining half century of his long life. As with so many soldiers, wartime nerves and habit made Goonie a habitual smoker. This eventually cost her her life via lung cancer, which she fought for years and which claimed her in July 1941, half a year after her daughter inscribed and gifted her this specially-bound Bible.
Jack and Goonie had three children. Their youngest, and only daughter was Anne Clarissa Spencer-Churchill (1920-2021). She would eventually become the second wife of Churchill’s longtime lieutenant and successor as prime Minister, Anthony Eden, and become Countess of Avon when her husband was created Earl of Avon in 1961. Item #008333
Price: $2,750.00