Bidspirit auction | First Siddur Translated into English

First Siddur Translated into English for Jews of England London, 1770 * The present siddur includes prayers for the whole year (weekdays and Shabbos) with their English translation, written by the young Torah scholar Bendit Zusha of Halberstadt and Rabbi Alexander ben Yehuda of London. Large, clear Hebrew and English text on facing sides; instructions for prayers in small Yiddish print. This was the first siddur with an English translation published for English-speaking Jews in the United Kingdom (including America, which was under British rule at the time). Rare siddur in excellent condition. Leaf 119b features the prayer ‘Hanosen teshuah lamelachim’ (Who grants salvation to kings), which was included in honor of the reigning monarch King George III, his wife Queen Charlotte von Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and the royal family. A complete and pristine copy, including the rare leaves that are missing in some copies: the introduction leaves (bound at the end of the sefer), the leaves of the Haftarah, as well as the subscriber leaves containing approximately 200 names, among them more than ten women and even several British non-Jewish figures known for their love of the Jewish people. Among the subscribers are prominent and widely known figures such as: Francis Salvador (1747–1776)  who was born in London and later emigrated to South Carolina where he was elected to the South Carolina General Assembly. He supported the American Declaration of Independence, and is considered the first Jew to fall in the American Revolutionary War; Aaron Hart (1724–1800) , also a native of London, regarded as one of the earliest Jews to settle in Canada (noted here explicitly as a resident of Canada); Emanuel Mendes da Costa (1717–1791) , secretary of the Royal Society; and John Newton (1725–1807) , Doctor of Divinity and a well-known activist against the slave trade. London, 1770. Page Count: [1], 202 leaves; 203–213; [16] pages. Three title pages: a lengthy Hebrew title, a shorter Hebrew title on its verso, and an English title. Size : 16.8 cm. Condition : Good. Minor restorations to the first leaves. Light, typical usage stains. Old leather binding, worn. Bibliography : Hebrew Printing in London (Betzalel Roth), no. 16 (in: Kiryat Sefer, vol. 14, p. 100). Roth notes that this siddur, with its translation, was printed in five additional editions.