A recent discussion between Jean Sanderson and myself about Henry Hubbard's little book revealed intriguing differences between the different editions known to us, and a comparison between those in the Library and others in private collections enabled me to draw up a list of the different editions and variants.

Hubbard was a leading member of the Norwich Scholars and at the time that his book was first published in 1845 was aged about 38. This first edition was printed by Thorndick & Co of Norwich, and apart from the introduction had 112 pages of text. It was clearly printed in two batches, the first printing having a two-page list of subscribers, while the second printing has also Addenda and list of additional subscribers, making a total of 236 copies that had been ordered. Most subscribers were from East Anglia, but there were others from farther afield, London, Birmingham and Leeds among other places. The book saw the first appearance in print of Middleton's composition of Cambridge Surprise Major.

At about the time that the book was published, Hubbard's name drops out of ringing records in Norwich and elsewhere and only appears again in 1852. Two years later an expanded edition of the book was printed by Fletcher and Alexander of Norwich. It cost 3s 6d (17½p) in publisher's boards and the title page states that it was written by Henry Hubbard 'Late of the Society of "Norwich Scholars"', a interesting statement in view of the fact that Hubbard moved to Leeds, Yorkshire, about two years later. After the Preface, there are 20 lines of poetry, written by a Norwich Scholar, bearing at the bottom the initials SN, those of Stephen Nobbs. The main body of the text was numbered up to page 203 but in all the copies that I have seen so far pages 193-200 are missing, and it may have been expected to fill these with advertisements. The final pages have a subscribers' list showing that 142 copies had been ordered, the majority being from outside Norfolk. One of the subscribers was W Hamerton of (Kings) Lynn, and his copy is now in the Central Council Library.

In 1864 an unauthorised printing of the second edition took place, being described as a second edition 'with corrections', although the only differences seem to have been in the title page and in certain omissions. But here the plot becomes more confused, for while one version bears on the title page the name of J Fletcher, in the Market Place, Norwich, another version bears the name of Stephen Nobbs, Loddon. There appear to be only minor differences in order between the versions and the printing was almost certainly done in Loddon, for the Loddon version stated that it was 'Printed by Stephen Nobbs', a fact not mentioned in the Norwich version. Like the second edition, both versions cost 3s 6d (17½p). Stephen Nobbs was a printer working in Loddon (often confused with London in booksellers' catalogues) and there is firm evidence that a later edition was printed at Loddon. He was the author of the lines mentioned above and was probably the person of that name who rang in the first peal on the bells of Southwold, Suffolk, one of Oxford Treble Bob Major rung on 26th July 1858, although the peal was stated to have been rung by members of the Redenhall Society.

A third edition appeared in 1868, again in two versions, apparently identical except for the title page, one version bearing the name of Fletcher and Sons, Norwich, the other bearing the name of Stephen Nobbs as the printer. The cost had fallen to 3s (15p) in embossed cloth, the reduction being possibly explained by a reduced number of pages, 161 against over 200 in the previous version.

The fourth and final edition appeared in 1876, again in two versions. That bearing the name of Fletcher and Son, of Davey Place, Norwich as publisher is described as the fourth edition on the title page: it also bears the name of S Nobbs of Loddon. The other version bears the name of Stephen Nobbs and Son, Loddon, as the printer and was described as the fourth edition revised, although apparently identical to the other version. Both cost 3s (15p). Interestingly, there is independent evidence to confirm that the fourth edition was printed in Loddon. In the 1948 Norwich Diocesan Association report, the obituary of Rupert J Goate, who was born in Loddon and learned to ring there before moving to Beccles, states that he learnt to set type in the Loddon office where Hubbard's fourth edition had been printed. This edition was advertised in a long article that appeared in the issue of Church Bells of 6 May 1876, which brought out the fact that it included compositions taken from Annable's manuscript. These had been transcribed by Jasper Snowdon who had taken an interest in this edition and who was acting as a distributor.

At the time that this fourth and final edition was published, Hubbard had been incapacitated from work for some considerable time, and he subsequently became a confirmed invalid. He died in 1881. It is possible that he was predeceased by Stephen Nobbs, for the Norwich Diocesan Association reports for 1877-8 and 1878-9, give an S Nobbs as a member at Loddon, but no mention after that.

I should like to thank Jean Sanderson for her help, Cyril Wratten for checking his records for references to Stephen Nobbs and Neil Skelton for checking the copy of Hubbard in Church House, Salisbury.