For The Love of Hand-Me-Downs ~ 100+ Year Old Bible

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2020 Week 24 (HANDED DOWN)

Maybe if I was the youngest child in a large family I would have hated hand-me-downs, but I was the oldest in my family of origin. My mom was the oldest of 6 kids, and I am only 15 months younger than her youngest brother. The hand-me-downs I received were from my very cool young aunties and uncles. 


One of my fondest memories of my high school years was telling my 10 years older auntie that I loved the jeans she was wearing and I wished I could wear them to the dance that night. She dropped those jeans right there in our living room, handed them to me, and said she would need a pair of pants to wear home to avoid being arrested. 


I still love getting hand-me-downs from my family & friends, and even colleagues. Several years ago I worked with a colleague who had great taste in clothes. She offered me a bag of hand-me-downs after commenting that we had similar taste. I was so excited to receive them that day. Every now and then a surprise package arrives from her even though we no longer work together. 


I really do love hand-me-downs.

The oldest hand-me-down I have received is my great grandmother's bible. 

I realized that my great grandmother Elizabeth Young (nee Slicer) Thomson received this bible before her marriage on December 31st 1908 because the monogrammed initials are her maiden name - E.S.

I opened the bible to search for the copyright date, and spent a few moments sorting my emotions as I viewed my great grandmother's handwriting for the first time. 

This page gave me some clues to date the bible. The Oxford Press began doing business in New York in 1896. Henry Frowde was publisher for Oxford Press from 1880 to 1913. 

Horace Hart was the printer for Oxford University Press from 1883 to 1915. 


I will never be able to determine exactly when or why great grandmother Elizabeth received this bible. Using the available information at this point the published date is between 1896 and 1908. 


I found a copy listed on the WorldCat site (sourced below) that estimates publishing about 1900. Although the book looks similar there is one difference. The WorldCat notes Diamond 32mo on the title page, great grandma's is Emerald 16mo. It is in very good shape. All of the silk sewn binding is intact. There is very little staining.
It is humbling to hold a bible that is is 112-124 years old. 

There were two bookmarks in the bible when I received it. I don't know if anyone used the bible besides Great Grandma Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) who died in 1958. Her daughter (my grandmother) cared for it until she died in 2005, and then my dad looked after it until giving it to me this year.


I'm not sure if these bookmarks were initially placed by my great grandmother

I noticed there are some differences in current day bibles to this bible.

The pages below assist with navigation.

The page below is one of many for special occasion prayers. I found this one for travelers interesting.

I have never seen an indexed atlas to the Holy Bible

The maps are very detailed.  Just a few of the 12 maps below

The last page of the bible is a picture of the TEMPLE REBUILT BY HEROD which left me pondering how far we have come since ancient times.

Found inside the bible was this envelope

Inside the envelope I found quotes that my grandmother felt important enough to cut out and save. I also found a handwritten inspirational writing, and what may have been bookmarks. 

Trying to date what I found in the envelope proved difficult until I turned the newspaper clippings over. 

I found results of the horse races, but my searching didn't turn up a date. Cliff Johnson was killed in a logging accident in Port Alberni on November 3rd, but my searching the records on Ancestry and online didn't turn up a year. I was unsuccessful in narrowing down a year that Bob Long was re-elected as President for the Vancouver South Lawn Bowling Club. The article about the Chrysler Eight gave me the best guess since it was sold from 1931-1933.


I'm sure these enveloped treasures are from various times. Some of the clippings look older than the car article, but the paper type is different.


I loved getting a chance to meet my great grandmother, and hear what she thought was important. 



Passing things down through the family!





This is why I search - 



Cause ... 





You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Sources:

Chrysler cars, 1924-1966, Allpar, Retrieved June 14th 2020 from
https://www.allpar.com/cars/chrysler/chrysler-cars.html

CHRYSLER Imperial 8- 1931-1933, AutoEvolution, Retrieved June 14th 2020 from
https://www.allpar.com/cars/chrysler/chrysler-cars.html

The Holy Bible : containing the Old and New Testaments : translated out of the original tongues; and with the former translations diligently compared and revised, by His Majesty's special command. Appointed to be read in churches., WorldCat, Retrieved June 14th 2020 from
https://www.worldcat.org/title/holy-bible-containing-the-old-and-new-testaments-translated-out-of-the-original-tongues-and-with-the-former-translations-diligently-compared-and-revised-by-his-majestys-special-command-appointed-to-be-read-in-churches/oclc/926985410

A Short History of Oxford University Press, Oxford University Press, Retrieved June 14th 2020 from
https://global.oup.com/about/oup_history/?cc=ca

Sutcliffe, Peter (1978). The Oxford University Press: An Informal History. Oxford: Clarendon Press. List of Illustrations, Retrieved June 14th 2020 from
https://archive.org/details/oxforduniversity0000sutc/page/n17/mode/2up?q=frowde



Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

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