America’s First Printed Psalms: The Bay Psalm Book

The Bay Psalm Book printed by early settlers in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1640. TIMOTHY CLARY/Getty Images

The long journey from England to the newly founded British colonies meant that the Pilgrims could travel with only a few of their most precious belongings. Their treasured items primarily consisted of various religious books, including several different translations of psalms found in the Old Testament.

However, the budding community longed for a more cohesive collection of “metrical psalters,” or hymns translated from the Book of Psalms, and took it upon themselves to accomplish this task. Known as the Bay Psalm Book, its inaugural edition was printed in 1640 and became the first official book produced in British North America.

A Sacred Purpose

An engraving of "The Departure of the Pilgrim Fathers, for America," circa 1847, by John Burnet, after the painting by Charles Lucy. Library of Congress. Public Domain

The story of the Bay Psalm Book began in 1628, when English Protestants first settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They brought with them 150 different Hebrew psalms with varying English translations. As they grew their community and worshiped together, residents realized that a single collection of properly translated psalms would be beneficial for their church services.

Residents called on members of the community and surrounding areas to come together to work on what would be a collection of newly translated psalms. Ultimately, 30 different respected spiritual “elders” were tasked with the project, including Massachusetts Bay’s beloved minister John Cotton and prominent missionary John Eliot. Others who worked on the project traveled from colonial Boston and the early settlements of what is now modern-day Martha’s Vineyard.

The dedication that the elders exhibited—combining more than 100 different psalms into one cohesive collection—was driven by a sacred purpose. Like the members of the communities they hailed from, they wanted a religious text that represented the teachings of the reformed church that they brought with them from Europe. This meant careful work with translations so that they remained as close to the original Hebrew text as possible.

The elders also had to keep melody and phrasing in mind while translating the psalms, and the Massachusetts Bay community wanted the verses to resemble the metrical psalters they were already familiar with.

The New World’s First Printing Press

A photograph of the Day Press from Cambridge, Mass., circa 1908. Library of Congress. Public Domain

The colonies were still under British rule at the time. So when the elders’ work was done and it came time to print the book, they had to outsource much of the material and equipment to England. When Reverend Jose Glover was notified about the colony’s project, he packed up his family’s belongings and they boarded a ship for Massachusetts from Surrey, England.

Having run a printing press in England, the reverend shipped everything he would need for printing the newly translated book to Massachusetts. During their travels, Glover unexpectedly passed away. Coincidently, before setting sail, he willed his business to be left to his wife, Elizabeth, if anything were to happen to him on their arduous journey. After his untimely death, it was up to her to establish Glover’s printing press and follow through with printing the colony’s sacred text.

After the printing press was assembled in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Elizabeth put Glover’s former apprentice in charge. Stephen Day (sometimes spelled Daye), had traveled with them from England. A locksmith by trade, he was now responsible for heading up the New World’s first official printing press. With only two other minor projects under his belt at Stephen Day Press, the young businessman took on the historic task of printing what is now considered to be British North America’s first book.

In 1640, 20 years after the Pilgrims first set foot on North American soil, the original colonies celebrated the debut of the Bay Psalm Book. Featuring new translations of the Massachusetts Bay community’s favorite metrical psalters, 1,700 copies were produced for the book’s initial run. And they were sold by British America’s first recognized bookseller, local bookshop owner Hezekiah Usher.

A Monumental Achievement

Page 4 of an original Bay Psalm Book, printed by the Day Press in Cambridge, Mass., 1640. Library of Congress. Public Domain

The printing of the Bay Psalm Book represented many firsts for the growing Massachusetts colony. And it remained an integral part of church services for over 100 years, with several new editions printed as demand for the book grew. It was made possible by the vision of a faithful community and the diligent guidance of ministers, missionaries, and clergymen who worked on the book.

The original Bay Psalm Book sold for 20 pence when it was first printed in 1640, which is the equivalent of about 25 cents today. Though thousands of copies of the book were printed over the years from the 1600s to the 1700s, now only 11 first edition copies are known to exist. It’s considered to be one of the most historic books printed in the United States, and several of the surviving copies are housed in some of the country’s most prestigious libraries, like the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University.

The bravery and fortitude of the Glover family and Stephen Day were instrumental in bringing the beloved psalms to the community, which had waited so patiently for the completion of the project. The hard work, cooperation, and dedication of all involved marked a monumental cultural achievement for the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the New World as a whole.

The Bay Psalm Book printed by early settlers in Cambridge, Mass., in 1640. Timothy Cleary/Getty Images

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