The Book of Common Prayer
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    The 1662 Book of Common Prayer
Church of England

 

The complete 1662 Book of Common Prayer, in HTML format, from Lynda Howell.; also in PDF format (note that this is a single very large file)

The Church of England now has the complete 1662 BCP online.

The 1662 BCP: a classic printing by John Baskerville in 1762; in PDF format 

The 1662 BCP, as engraved and printed by John Sturt in 1717; as PDF graphics.

The 1662 BCP printed in 1775, said to be the printing on which the first US BCP was based.

The BCP with Plain-Tune (1843, Griffiths 1843/26): The Book of Common Prayer up to Holy Communion, with appropriate portions set to music.   new!

Statutory Common Prayer (1901), a "true" copy of the 1662 BCP, without any of the unauthorized changes which had crept in over the years.

The making of the 1662 BCP, a transcription of the manuscript attached to the 1662 Act of Uniformity; also the marked-up 1636 BCP approved by Convocation in 1661.   updated

Deviations of Modern [1892] Editions of the 1662 Prayer Book from the Text of the Sealed Books, a report of a Commission charged to determine if significant deviations existed.

The Convocation Prayer Book (1879), an attempt by the Convocations of York & Canterbury to modify certain rubrics in the 1662 BCP. (from Google Books)

(Proposed) Amendments to the Book of Common Prayer (1861): Proposals to move the Prayer Book in a decidedly Protestant direction.

The 1662 Book as a series of B/W pictures in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format, from a 1771 printing (Griffiths 1771/2).

The Internet Archive has several 19th and 18th century Books of Common Prayer online. All are in PDF graphics and plain text formats (the text files are uncorrected and so will have errors).
  • A "current" (1953) standard copy, from OUP (Griffiths 1913/3); includes the English Hymnal
  • 1936: Cambridge U Press for SPCK, with prayers for Edward VIII;
  • 1921, Collins Clear-Type (Griffiths 1921/1)
  • about 1915, Eyre & Spottiswoode (Griffiths 1862/2);
  • 1906, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1906/3)
  • An elaborate and richly decorated edition from Essex House Press (Griffiths 1904/1)
  • one from about 1892, which includes many marginal notes (Griffiths 1892/1);
  • Facsimile of the Original Manuscript of the BCP (Griffiths 1891/1)
  • 1888: "The Prayer Book Interleaved ..." 11th ed. of that below (Griffiths 1888/4)
  • 1880's: Cambridge U Press for SPCK (Griffiths 1882/5)
  • The Book of Common Prayer Revised (Griffiths 1874/10): a "low-church" proposal
  • late 1800's: Cambridge U Press (Griffiths 1871/5)
  • 1866; The Prayer Book Interleaved with Historical Illustrations and Explanatory Notes, Cambridge U. Press & Rivingtons (Griffiths 1866/3)
  • 1866, The Annotated Book of Common Prayer, JH Blunt, ed., Rivingtons (Griffiths 1866/12): Part 1 & Part 2   new!
  • 1863, richly decorated, publ. Bickers & Bush (Griffiths 1863/22);
  • 1857, Eyre & Spottiswoode, Griffiths 1857/1   new!
  • 1854, Oxford U Press for SPCK (Griffiths 1852/21)
  • 1852, BCP "adapted for general use in other Protestant Churches" (Griffiths 1852/32)
  • 1850 with notes by Richard Mant, publ. Rivingtons (Griffiths 1850/24);
  • 1850, richly illustrated, publ. J Murray (Griffiths 1850/26); also 1845 printing (Griffiths 1845/24)
  • 1849 & 1850 The Book of Common Prayer : Printed from the Manuscript Originally Annexed to Stat. 17 & 18 Car. II. c. 6. (Ir.) and now preserved in the Rolls' Office, Dublin: Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol.3, with many notes (Griffiths 1849/24)
  • 1839, Oxford U Press
  • "The Pictorial Edition", publ. C Knight, 1838 (Griffiths 1838/24); another printing from Ward & Lock (1860; Griffiths 1846/33)
  • another "illuminated" edition, publ. R Ryley, 1838 (Griffiths 1838/26)
  • 1826, Eyre & Strahan (Griffiths 1826/1);   new!
  • 1820, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1820/8)
  • 1816, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1816/7);
  • 1816, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1816/8);
  • 1811, "The Christian's Best Companion", with notes (Griffiths 1811/18);
  • 1810, John Reeves (Griffiths 1810/2)
  • about 1808, Cambridge U Press (one of the first stereotyped printings);
  • 1796, Cambridge U Press (Griffiths 1796/2)
  • 1796, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1796/9)
  • 1794, Good & Harding, London (Griffiths 1794/9)
  • 1791, Oxford (Griffiths 1791/7)
  • ~1789, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1789/4?)
  • 1777, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1777/5)
  • 1772, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1772/3)
  • 1770, Cambridge U Press, (Griffiths 1770/2)
  • 1762, J Baskerville, Cambridge U Press (Griffiths 1762/4)
  • 1753, Baskett, London (Griffiths 1753/1)
  • 1724?, Sturt, London, entirely engraved
  • 1716, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1716/4)
  • 1710, Wm. Bradford, New York (Griffiths 1710/9). The first BCP printed in North America.
  • 1706, Oxford U Press, Griffiths 1706/7, with Sturt engravings
  • 1669, HM Printers, London (Griffiths 1669/1) 
  • and 1666, J Field, Cambridge, incl. KJV Bible (Griffiths 1666/1)
Google Books also has a number of 18th and 19th century printings online. All are as PDF.
  • The Prayer Book Interleaved with Historical Illustrations and Explanatory Notes, by WM Campion & WJ Beaumont (1898 13th ed., Griffiths 1898/3)
  • 1891, Facsimile of the Original Manuscript of the (1662) BCP (Griffiths 1891/1)
  • 1880, The Convocation Prayer Book, being the BCP ... with Altered Rubrics (Griffiths 1880/2)
  • Oxford U Press, 1869 (Griffiths 1865/5)
  • Oxford U Press, 1868 (Griffiths 1866/4)
  • Oxford U Press, 1866 (Griffiths 1866/7)
  • Oxford U Press, 1866 (Griffiths 1866/8)
  • Oxford U Press, 1865 (Griffiths 1865/9)
  • 1865, in Pitman shorthand (Griffiths 1865/15)
  • The Arranged as Said Edition of the BCP, 1864 (Griffiths 1864/10)
  • 1862, Oxford U Press, The BCP ... Together with the Proper Lessons for Morning & Evening Prayer; also 1857 printing; 1855 printing; 1852 printing
  • 1859, Oxford U Press for SPCK (Griffiths 1859/8)
  • The Whole BCP ..., Prayer Book & Homily Soc. (Griffiths 1857/30)
  • The BCP ... for General Use (Griffiths 1855/28)
  • one from 1853, with elaborate woodcut borders by Mary Byfield, publ. Pickering (Griffiths 1853/22) ; also an 1863 printing (Griffiths 1863/22), omitting the preliminaries, and an identical 1863 printing of R&A Suttaby.    updated
  • in phonography (i. e., Pitman shorthand - 1853, Griffiths 1853/24); also from the Internet Archive, 1869 (Griffiths 1869/9);
  • 1852, "with illustrations, chiefly from the Old Masters", Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1852/31) ;
  • BCP "text taken from the Manuscript Book originally Annexed to Stat. 17 & 18 Car. II c. 6 with an Historical Introduction & Notes", by Archibald John Stephens, Vol. 1, 1849; Vol. 2, 1850; Vol. 3, 1854 (Griffiths 1849/22)
  • 1852, Oxford U Press
  • 1846, Eyre & Spottiswoode
  • 1844, Pickering, London; in blackletter (Griffiths 1844/32)
  • 1840, Cambridge U Press for SPCK
  • 1840, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1840/19a)
  • 1840 with notes by Richard Mant, publ. Parker & Rivingtons (Griffiths 1840/23a) also 1849 printing; also from the Internet Archive   new!
  • 1838, with color illustrations (Griffiths 1838/26)
  • 1837, Oxford U Press for SPCK (Griffiths 1837/16);
  • 1836, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1836/10)
  • 1831 from Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1828/10);
  • 1829, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1829/10);
  • 1827, Oxford U Press
  • 1825, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1825/13)
  • 1825, "with Notes" by Bp. Richard Mant (Griffiths 1825/20)
  • 1824, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1824/18);
  • 1823, Bartlett & Hinton, Oxford (Griffiths 1815/19)
  • 1822, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1822/14)
  • 1822, J McGowan, London (Griffiths 1822/19)
  • 1818, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1818/14)
  • three edited with notes by Sir John Bayley (1813, Griffiths 1813/1; 1816, Griffiths 1816/1 and 1824, Griffiths 1824/1);
  • 1816, Cambridge U Press (Griffiths 1816/2)
  • 1815, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1815/12);
  • 1814, Cambridge U Press (Griffiths 1814/6) ;
  • 1810, J Christophe, Verdun (France) ed. JB Maude (Griffiths 1810/16)
  • 1809 "with an introduction" by Rev. Richard Warner (Griffiths 1809/13);
  • 1800, London, "illustrated with notes" (Griffiths 1800/8)
  • 1799, London, "with notes" (Griffiths 1799/6)
  • 1798, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1798/7)
  • 1797, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1797/6)
  • 1797, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1797/7)
  • 1797, London (Griffiths 1797/9)
  • 1796, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1796/5)
  • 1794, Newcastle, "with notes & annotations" (Griffiths 1794/10) 
  • 1793, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1793/4)
  • 1793, Bath, "illustrated with notes" (Griffiths 1793/12)
  • 1792, T Davison, London, "with Notes" (Griffiths 1792/9)
  • 1792, J Jarvis, London (Griffiths 1792/11)
  • 1791, J Jarvis, London (Griffiths 1791/13);
  • 1791, P Didot, Paris, with "Preparatory Introductions" (Griffiths 1791/16)
  • 1790, Cambridge U Press (Griffiths 1790/1)
  • 1790, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1790/6)
  • 1790, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1790/9)
  • 1790, The Christian's Companion, or the BCP... with notes ... (Griffiths 1790/12)
  • 1789, Cambridge U Press (Griffiths 1789/1);
  • 1787, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1787/4) 
  • 1784, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1784/2);
  • 1784, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1784/3)
  • 1783, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1783/6)
  • 1783, A new Family Prayer-book containing the BCP ... (Griffiths 1783/10)
  • 1779, The BCP ... Illustrated & Explained ... (Griffiths 1779/8)
  • 1778, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1778/4)
  • 1778, The Christian's Universal Companion, containing the Whole Book of Common Prayer ... (Griffiths 1778/6)
  • 1777, Cambridge U Press (Griffiths 1777/1)
  • 1774, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1774/3)
  • 1773, Abridgement of the BCP ... (Griffiths 1773/7);
  • 1772, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1772/3);
  • 1772, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1772/4)
  • 1771, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1771/5); incl. KJV Bible
  • 1770, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1770/12) 
  • 1769, Cambridge U Press (Griffiths 1769/2) 
  • 1768, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1768/6)
  • 1768, A New & Correct Edition of the BCP [with] Alterations & Amendments ... (Griffiths 1768/10)
  • 1765, Cambridge U Press (Griffiths 1765/3);
  • 1765, An Exposition on the BCP with Notes ... (Griffiths 1765/8)
  • 1763, Baskett, London (Griffiths 1763/2)
  • 1762, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1762/12)
  • 1762, Baskerville, Cambridge (Griffiths 1762/4) 
  • 1762, Baskerville, Cambridge (Griffiths 1762/8)
  • 1761, Baskerville, Cambridge (Griffiths 1761/1)
  • 1761, Baskerville, Cambridge (Griffiths 1761/2)
  • 1761, The Christian Common Prayer Book, or Universal Liturgy (Griffiths 1761/5);
  • 1760, Cambridge U Press (Griffiths 1760/8)
  • 1756, A Watkins, Edinburgh (Griffiths 1756/9)
  • 1750, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1740/2); incl. Constitution & Canons
  • 1745, J Bentham, Cambridge (Griffiths 1745/7)
  • 1737, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1737/3);
  • 1731, HM Printers, London (Griffiths 1731/2
  • 1730, in shorthand (Griffiths 1730/7)
  • 1729, HM Printers, London (Griffiths 1729/2)
  • 1729, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1729/7)
  • 1721, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1721/3)
  • 1720, J Baskett, London (Griffiths 1720/2)
  • 1720, J Watson, Edinburgh (Griffiths 1720/5)
  • 1719, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1719/6);
  • 1716, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1716/4)
  • 1712 & 1710, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1712/4 & 1710/5)
  • 1710, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1712/6)
  • 1707, Bill & Newcomb, London (Griffiths 1707/2)
  • 1706, Bill & Newcomb, London; includes "At the Healing" & Canons (Griffiths 1706/1)
  • 1703, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1703/6);
  • 1701, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1701/3)
  • 1693, C Bill, London (Griffiths 1693/2)
  • 1687, C Bill, London (Griffiths 1687/1)
  • 1687, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1685/7)   new!
  • 1686, Oxford U Press (Griffiths 1686/3   new!
  • 1681, J Bill et al., London (Griffiths 1681/1)
  • 1675, J Bill et al., London (Griffiths 1675/2)
  • 1674, J Bill et al., London (Griffiths 1674/3)
  • 1669, H. M. Printers, London (Griffiths 1669/1)  new!

Holy Communion in large type.

Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer (from the 1662 book), and Compline with today's readings are available on the Church of England's web site.

Variations in the 1662 Book: Yes, there have been changes over the years - now you can date that old Prayer Book.

The 1662 Book has been translated into many languages. Links to all available online may be found on our Other Languages page. Several of these are on the web thanks to Project Canterbury.

Jeremy Taylor's Communion Office (1658)
For use during the Commonwealth

 

 The Book of Common Prayer, as revised in 1662, is still the current "official" prayer book of the Church of England, although currently Common Worship is, in practice, much more widely used. We present here a number of books related to the 1662 BCP, plus printings on this site and links to a very large number of printings from the Internet Archive and Google Books.

Links in bold are on this site.

1662 Book of Common Prayer
Title page of the 1662 BCP, as currently printed

 

"Griffiths" refers to books listed in David Griffiths' Bibliography of the Book of Common Prayer.

 

Last Updated: 15 November 2023

Web author: Charles Wohlers U. S. EnglandScotlandIrelandWalesCanadaWorld