1857 CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD — DR CHARLES A. HEURTLEY ALS — ORDERING “PSALTERIUM QUINTUPLEX” FROM BOOKSELLER STARK (TENTATIVE ID: ADAM STARK OF GAINSBOROUGH)

A clean and attractive one‑page autograph note dated Christ Church, Oxford, June 6, 1857, written by Dr Charles Abel Heurtley (1806–1895), long‑serving Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford. In this brief but revealing letter, Heurtley requests that “Mr Stark” send him “No. 5, Psalterium Quintuplex”, promising to remit a post office order for 15 shillings upon receipt.

The content is particularly interesting for illustrating mid‑Victorian academic book‑buying practice: Heurtley is clearly responding to a bookseller’s catalogue (hence “No. 5”), and the tone is the standard polite commercial formula used when Oxford dons ordered specialist works from dealers. The reference to “directed as above” shows Stark already knew Heurtley’s Christ Church address — implying an established supplier relationship.

The identity of Mr Stark is not stated in the letter. A tentative identification may be made with Adam Stark (1784–1867), the printer, bookseller and antiquary of Gainsborough, who traded in second‑hand and antiquarian books during this period. While no firm link to Oxford is documented, Stark is one of the few known English booksellers of the era with the surname, and the attribution is offered provisionally.

The book requested — Psalterium Quintuplex — is a major early printed polyglot Psalter containing five Latin versions of the Psalms in parallel columns, originally edited by Jacques Lefèvre d’Étaples in 1509. Its appearance here shows Heurtley engaged in serious textual‑critical and patristic scholarship.

A good Oxford‑theological manuscript, combining college provenance, book‑trade history, and bibliographic interest.

Condition as photos. All items can be returned for a full refund if found to be not as described.

Charles Abel Heurtley (Jan 1806 - May 1895) was an English theologian

Adam Stark (1784 – 1867) was a printer, bookseller and antiquary, who worked for most of his life in Gainsborough. His father was probably the notable Edinburgh architect William Stark

PROVENANCE:

One of c.2,500+ items once from the collection or dealer stock of Winifred A Myers (Autographs) Ltd, St Martins Lane, London, evidenced by the quantity of Myers pre-printed envelopes and paper folders and the general ‘presentation’ of the items, many having Myers identification notes in pencil. 

Winifred Alice Myers (1909 - 1985) served as ABA (Antiquarian Booksellers Assoc) president, 1950-1952. See the ABA website for an extended article on Myers. Myers left her business, in 1985, to Ruth Shepherd, who traded from home until 2004.  

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