Featured 1848 Bible

Good evening all! I haven't been able to get out to any shops or sales so no new finds, but I wanted to share my very first purchase as a 13 year old. We were browsing a second hand store in Arizona when I came across this 1848 family bible. It didn't have a family tree that I could see, which was what I was wanting, but it was so old and worn I had to have it. The lady wanted 5 dollars and mom said I could get it. The Bible is worn, the pages are stained, torn, and yellowed. The first half of the book is in fairly good condition, but the second half's binding is shot and some pages fall out if you're not careful.

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Got it home and there were some treasures inside, a few pieces of paper with notes, a couple of pressed leaves, but also a little pamphlet dating to June 1879. Some more digging revealed a family record in between the old and new testaments spanning from the late 18th century to the 1940s! I was able to research their genealogy and found them in Tennessee. Don't know how it got to AZ but isnt that the nature of things. It's signed by Silas Bumpus (1836) in the back and then Edna Wilson (1873) in the front, so I assume he got it new and it was passed down from there. From their geneology I was able to match it to someone else's work who went even farther back and they appear to be descendants of such royals as Richard III.

I also found some of this family's descendants, and as much as I'd hate to part with it, I wonder if the family would like to have their Bible back.​

 

What a VERY cool thing to have wanted and at such a young age!!! AND to find that there IS a Family Record, even COOLER!!!!! That's going to be a tough choice, if you've found living family....as I imagine they just might be thrilled to have a family record!!!!

 

What a cool object, story and research! Well done!

 

Sounds like a perfect mom. Good to have such an inquisitive mind at such an early age, and it paid off in all the knowledge and researching experience you acquired. Wonderful, thanks for the show and tell!

 

Great Post Rachel !! .. VERY interesting too, Wonderful that you would be willing to pass it too the original family .. Joy.

 

Yup I was thrilled to find the record! I didn't think to look in the middle, my own bible has it in the front and that was my only experience with such things. If the family wants it then its really theirs, I'm not going to stand in the way of their history. I would prefer to do it in person though, and as I'm not in the US I'll have it with me for a couple more years lol.

She really is! Genealogy has always been an interest of mine and I found myself drawn to old books in terrible condition, they've been used and loved and to me they've earned their age if that makes sense? I've gone as far as I've been able to with my own family, and theirs, but last time I looked at their records was several years ago so I may have to check back. I think I traced the family that are relatives but not in direct line to the last names in the Bible if I'm not mistaken.

I'm just glad I found a place where I can share! I don't have many people I can share these things with. Thank you all for being so welcoming.

 

I have 2 old bibles I found many years ago & love- one is from 1870 & the other is from 1939 (the 1939 is more interesting than the 1870 one in that it's covers are made of metal & that it was printed - in English - by the Hebrew Publishing Co.!)
Neither one had any family tree/info inside them though
Great sleuthing!

 

What wonderful finds @journeymagazine! Both are lovely, the metal one must be rather heavy lol! I love the characters on it. The red one looks in great repair for its age.

 

A couple of beauties. Had you not mentioned it, I would have thought the metal one on the right was the older of the two.