My father, the Reverend Humphrey John Paine, made a collection of Books of Common Prayer while a vicar in the Norwich diocese. Although he lectured on its history to the diocesan clergy, he never wrote up that story. The present volume seeks to address that omission. It includes many illustrations from the collection, focusing on some of those volumes of particular interest and inspiration to my father. Starting with the situation of lay spirituality before the Reformation, the story includes descriptions of the most significant moments and seeks to describe the most important changes in the contents of the BCP through its turbulent and colourful history.