Accession Number

2007.001.001.001

Alternate Name

Book of Common Prayer

Description

A small Book of Common Prayer with dark brown Morocco leather covers, the title in gold incised lettering along the top section of the front cover and top section of the spine.

Narrative

This is part of a very small cased set of The Book of Common Prayer and Hymns, Ancient and Modern that was presented to Elizabeth Georgina Harvey (1870-1928) by her brother and sister-in-law at Christmas, 1899 while she was residing at Craigdarroch. It is an important object documented to have been originally located at the Castle during the Dunsmuir period.

Elizabeth was nicknamed “Noel” because she was born on Christmas Day. 

History of Use

This object was used by Elizabeth Georgina Harvey (1870-1928), also known as “Noel” while she lived at Craigdarroch until 1903, when she married Victoria businessman, George Alan Kirk (1870-1928). She probably took it with her when she moved with her husband into her new house named Riffham, designed by Francis Mawson Rattenbury, and now situated at 582 St. Charles Street. On her death, the set was inherited by her brother James’s son, Robert Oliver Dunsmuir Harvey (1900-1958), who bequeathed it to his son, the donor, Robert James Harvey (1927-2013), who gave it to The Castle Society in 2007.

Date

1899

Material

Paper; Leather

Country of Origin

United Kingdom