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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: talesofthesevenseas on September 06, 2013, 12:50:14 am
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Just two weeks ago, I sat beside the grave of my 10x great-grandfather Thomas Bolles (1644-1727) for the first time. He was my immigrant ancestor who first came to America in about 1668 and is the founder of the Bolles family line here. He is buried in Ye Antientist Cemetery aka Ancient Cemetery in New London CT and I took the photos below. Then today I check my Ebay search alerts and...
Oh... my... god...
It was his family bible, an old Geneva bible from 1615, so old that it pre-dates his entry, which says "Tho Bolles 1696, his book" It had been deaccessioned from the Washington Cathedral Library's rare book collection in 2010 and tucked into the pages was a four page letter, written in 1909 explaining how his father, the author of The Genealogy of the Bolles Family in America, had obtained the book in 1860 for $5 and a promise that it would always stay in the Bolles family. He wrote the genealogy from it and other sources.
It is in rough shape with serious condition issues. I paid through the nose for it, $999. I had to. How could I not? It would have haunted me the rest of my life if I had not come to its rescue. I don't expect to recoup that money, it was a lot, but I did it to save an incredible relic, that has been a part of my family for almost 400 years. I know next to nothing about buying rare books.
So now I have some big decisions to make about how to keep it physically safe and to make it accessible to the Bolles family. For starters I am thinking a fire-safe, climate controlled safe deposit box. I'm a member of the Bolles Family Association and have already sent an email to the organization's president to let him know.
So tonight I'm feeling a little shell-shocked, I've only once paid that much for anything non-essential. My husband, God bless him, has officially earned sainthood for being fully supportive. But like my son said "Just relax, have a good night and know that now it is safe."
Me at Thomas' grave two weeks ago:
(https://sphotos-a-pao.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1185690_697606326921886_574139871_n.jpg)
View from his grave:
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/New%20London%20CT/DSCN1092_zpsc3c93cae.jpg)
Pics of the bible from the seller
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/Bolles%20Bible/BollesBible3_zpsf5fa2a1a.jpg)
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/Bolles%20Bible/BollesBible8_zps8d9424bc.jpg)
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/Bolles%20Bible/BollesBible7_zps40178023.jpg)
Two pages of the 1909 letter
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/Bolles%20Bible/BollesBible11_zps9e31dba7.jpg)
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You always have the coolest stories!, that's awesome!!!
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Totally in awe! While most of us can only hope to find mention, at best scant information about ancestors from that long ago......... you my dear have hit the genealogical jackpot! So happy for you and for the entire Bolles family.
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Absolutely amazing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have you checked Genesis 3,7 ? Where it reads " breeches " instead of " aprons " ?
I don't think you have paid through the nose for it. Worth hundreds of dollars without the family connection, and what price do you place on that ?!!
There are ways to store this and it should only be touched using suitable gloves
Another incredible story.
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Tales--pls contact teresa on that tv show--want to know what she would find with you!!
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Worth every penny!
Great story
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Tales you never cease to amaze me! :) Great find at any cost.
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Tales;
Looking at eBay, I see your bible has had an interesting history just in the last few weeks. I'm glad you found it...or it found you! History can never be valued in dollars.
(BTW: I had a classmate with the name Bolles. Her Mom worked at the drug store and made the best cherry cokes at the soda fountain. :D)
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Tales, in 2 years it will be 400 years old, that is just a little over $2 for each year it has existed ...Doesn't sound much when you put it like that.
I wonder how much $5 was worth in today's terms back in 1860? If it was a week's salary, then not much has changed ;)
It's just another one of those things that 'was meant to happen'
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Great story! I would call it destiny on how it made it's way back to you, was meant to be!
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Good morning all, thanks for all the enthusiastic replies! Yeah it was a lot of money to shell out on a 'non-essential' kind of item, but you all make wonderful points. I'm glad no one said "what the heck were you thinking?!!!" LOL!
I think of it this way. In a year, or ten years or one hundred years that thousand dollars will matter very little. What will matter is that Thomas Bolles' bible was saved and made available to his descendants and researchers. My son sent a text message this morning, he and his fiancee said they wanted to be a part of this and sent over $100 and my mom said the same thing. So I now have partners in this venture.
Here is the completed Ebay auction as Rauville mentioned. As I said there are major condition issues, but it is what it is and this is what remains after almost 400 years is the passage of time. From my point of view it is priceless in any condition. I'm still in shock over the whole thing this morning. I hardly slept last night and kept waking up and my first thoughts were that I could hardly believe this happened and that such a thing existed, let alone wound up on Ebay a matter of days after I visited Thomas' grave.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HOLY-BIBLE-1615-GENEVA-American-Provenance-BOLLES-Family-CT-ME-LEATHER-Antique-/171120425936?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&nma=true&si=cud6xrw%252F9sZonbZAuj%252BFNFeIrDM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc (http://www.ebay.com/itm/HOLY-BIBLE-1615-GENEVA-American-Provenance-BOLLES-Family-CT-ME-LEATHER-Antique-/171120425936?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&nma=true&si=cud6xrw%252F9sZonbZAuj%252BFNFeIrDM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc)
Hey look... I think he's smiling!
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/Ancient%20Cemetery%20New%20London%20CT/558809_692208150795037_718421461_n_zpsa9bf5869.jpg)
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Tales;
I was referring to the fact that it was offered and sold back in July from a dealer in California.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1615-GENEVA-BIBLE-and-CONCORDANCE-BOLLES-FAMILY-EARLY-AMERICAN-PROVENANCE-/271246193799?pt=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item3f27887487 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/1615-GENEVA-BIBLE-and-CONCORDANCE-BOLLES-FAMILY-EARLY-AMERICAN-PROVENANCE-/271246193799?pt=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item3f27887487)
I think the amazing thing is that it reappeared on the market once again in order for it to come back home to you. Stranger than fiction!
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How strange that I did not catch it on the first go-round, I might have saved 50%! It must have been one of the rare days when I didn't check my alerts or I somehow missed it. I'm glad it came up again too! I will see if the seller has any provenance from the Washington Chapel Library.
I've been thinking about the issue of storage. I know it has to be in an acid-free environment and that a archival box with acid-free tissue in a deep dark drawer are about ideal conditions and I do have that. I am guessing that a fire safe would not allow the air circulation that it needs, and neither would a safe deposit box. Any thoughts on this?
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...I've been thinking about the issue of storage. I know it has to be in an acid-free environment and that a archival box with acid-free tissue in a deep dark drawer are about ideal conditions and I do have that. I am guessing that a fire safe would not allow the air circulation that it needs, and neither would a safe deposit box. Any thoughts on this?
If it was mine, I wouldn't worry about it. Other than theft or natural disaster, what could happen? Find an appropriate display case and enjoy it for what it is. Books and bibles were never intended to be locked away out of sight in a vault. It looks like it has survived a rather robust life up to now, and with common sense precautions it will be around generations from now.
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Living in a redwood forest in California, fire is always a danger, but I looked online to see if there was a bank or some kind of company that had safe deposit boxes in a fireproof vault, but it looks like safe deposit boxes are just as vulnerable as any other structure. It looks like it will have a comfortable home in an acid free box in a deep dark drawer, at least to start.
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hermetically sealed case perhaps....
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Obviously this is not just any book! Your ideas about acid-free storage are good. I would also think about regulating humidity (at least in the room in which the book is stored) if that's a realistic option for you.
Can a headstone be cool? If so, your ancestor's definitely is!
Thanks for sharing your remarkable story. I have ancestors from western Connecticut in the 17th century, and it made me pull out my geneology for another read! If only they had saved their bible.... ;) ;D
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This book will be fine without any special treatment. The paper from those days is a very low acid type and will last through the ages. Once you get over the shock of what you had to pay for it I would recommend having the binding restored in a way that is correct for its age. A good binder will be able to use the original boards in the new binding. This will probably cost a few hundred dollars but will give the book back the dignity it deserves.
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Thanks very much for the input, that's good to know about the acidity of the paper. I'm guessing it is cotton linen?
I was thinking it would be good to get a small thermometer and humidity gauge for the draw that the two bibles are to be kept in. I think the temperature and humidity are pretty constant but it would be good to monitor it more closely, now that I've taken on responsibility for the Bolles bible. The drawer is in the lower half of my 1870s china hutch, so it's nice thick wood, very deep with plenty of air circulation. The hutch is strapped to the wall and the ceiling beam above it for earthquake protection. Inside the drawer I have the Bradbury bible that I got two years ago on a 1940s cotton placemat to protect it from the acidity of the drawer bottom and it is inside a custom-fitted dust cover that I made from 1930s cotton tea towels so it is protected from light, dust and the wood of the drawer.
When I got the other bible (Bradbury) I researched bookbinders and found a couple of them up around San Francisco and Sacramento that did nice restorations. When we got that bible it was in better than expected shape. This one is a different matter. The cover is completely off, it looks like it is tied on with string and the book has been hand repaired by family over the ages. Seeing those repairs is part of it's charm I think, so I will have to see what I think when it gets here. My feeling at this point is to preserve it in it's present condition without making any changes to it. But I have to think ahead to future generations and what this book needs to survive. Due to the great age of it, I'm inclined to do as little as possible. My only thought is to add a note on acid-free paper about how we brought the bible back into the family in 2013 and that it had been in the Washington National Cathedral Library before that. I will also put a piece of acid-free tissue around the 1909 letter so that it does not hurt the pages it is on.
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Thanks for posting about this new piece of family history that's made its' way into your hands , talesof .
Seems like you've had a couple of visits from the great Swami Hafnaguutyme Vishnuwerhere , as to recent 'luck' with things that have found you !
Hells bells , maybe you'll decide to do a little 'fixin' on it yourself & continue &/or start a family tradition ?
Congrats on your really cool keeper (& I don't think you made such a bad deal @ all !!!) !
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Words cannot express the joy of reading your (once again) amazing story. You really topped yourself this time.
Every time I think...what is she going to do to top the last one...YOU DO IT!!!
Thank you for sharing this AND DO ADD YOUR STORY on acid free paper to the bible!!!
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Thanks gang, I will definitely add the story. I get to be an important chapter in it's history and I think that is really exciting. I'm glad that it wasn't an ungodly sum of money to spend on a 17th century manuscript and I'll get over it. I spent that much on my Chinese bed and I know I will never regret having spent it to return the bible to the family. If I had not done it, I would have spent the rest of my life regretting the decision. Fortunately I have a wonderful husband, who supported the decision and understood the importance of rescuing it from Ebay. The seller is putting it in the mail Monday and I'll let you guys know when it arrives.
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Hi Tales,
I noticed that the P&P was only $4 .. over here the postal service would charge a lot more for an item of that value. Not knowing the US postal system, will that be tracked?
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I contacted the seller and they are sending it with tracking and insured for $1000 I don't know why the amount is low but they are turning a pretty good profit on it
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That's good, a bit of peace of mind!
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Yeah I sent about four Ebay messages when I realized that they had economy shipping listed. Usually I will offer to pay for shipping extras, but in this case it should be expected with a rare manuscript. I also did a Buy it Now payment, so they got what they were hoping for. So I just told them how I wanted to to be shipped and they said not to worry.
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I thought you guys might like to read a transcription of the 1909 letter that is with the bible:
The Old Bolles Bible
When father was searching through Connecticut for Bolles relatives and records to add to the family genealogy which occupied all his leisure for many years, he was told that a farmer of the name owned a very ancient Bible, which he would show, but never part from.
Going to the house, he was told by the wife that her husband was at work in the swamp. He soon found him, knee-deep in cold Mud and water.
Sitting on the wall, Father made friendly talk for awhile, & then said- “Aren’t you likely to have rheumatism after this work?”
“Likely?” growled the man, “I’m a martyr to it now.”
“Why not have long rubber boots?”
“Because five dollar bills don’t grow on bushes ‘round here.”
“I can tell you of one if you’ll give me your old English Bible, and I promise you it shall always be Kept in the Bolles family and you shall have a copy of the Genealogy I am writing.”
So the Bible changed owners. The Genealogy was published in 1865. Father told me he, at first, Kept account of what he spent in postage, but the figures accounted so alarmingly that he ceased to record them. His correspondence with Mrs. Richard Paddock (nee Bolles) of Princeton Illinois, led to our acquaintance with her for George when he came to Harvard Law School.
In 1862 he married my sister Cassie.
Lucy D. Bolles
April 1909
As none of Father’s sons left sons, Judith and I wish the Bible to go to the daughters of our Brother Frank, as at least born Bolles.
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I contacted the seller and they are sending it with tracking and insured for $1000 I don't know why the amount is low but they are turning a pretty good profit on it
Its that cheap because its media mail and rates are almost nothing !! I use it for any written material !! Books ect !! You could have requested priority mail for (usually) 3 day delivery !! This is an amazing story and meant to comment days ago but always got sidetracked !! Sorry Tales,, but glad you got the bible !!
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I am sooooo glad it is insured shipping!!!! I cringe to think after all this time it could encounter a fate....
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I feel the same way, it would be awful. It wouldn't stop anything terrible from happening, but I could recoup the investment. I would think something with a thousand dollars of insurance would at least get a little more attention than a book rate package, or be watched a little more closely, but maybe that is wishful thinking. If it had still been with the CA seller, I would have picked it up in person.
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I did a little hunting on Ancestry.com, it looks like the letter was written by Timothy Dix Bolles. His father was John Augustus Bolles who published the genealogy and he has a sister named Judith and a brother named Frank, all mentioned in the letter. However there seems to be a problem with the date of his death, as there is a photo of a TD Bolles stone that has a death date of 1892 that is apparently not the same person since the letter was written in 1909
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Perhaps they didn`t use the media mail rate but it probably as safe as any !! No one wants to steal a book !! But if it looks important as priority does,,they might !!
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I just always remember when I sold a lady a collection of 10 nutcrackers in a large box. I sent it parcel post without tracking and the darn thing vanished off the face of the earth. She claims she never got it and I had no choice but to refund her money. It is possible someone stole it from her doorstep or the package was misdelivered or she just said that it never showed up. So far things have worked out very well for me shipping to my PO box. The Bolles Bible went out today, but I will be anxious until it gets here. At least with the tracking and insurance if it were to be lost (Heaven forbid!) I could recoup the money. I think with insurance a signature is required to pick it up.
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That's awesome! And a bargain at that price!
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Guess I have been lucky,, never had anything that didn`t eventually get to the destination intended !!
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Thanks for all the reassurance on both the price I paid and the shipping!
It's good to know that even without the family connection I didn't do too badly and the history is certainly priceless. Now that the initial shock has worn off, I'm really looking forward to being the bible's caretaker, and sharing it with people who want to see the cherished bible of a very early colonial family. One thing I love about all those repairs is that they make it so human. It doesn't look like a relic that was kept behind a velvet rope in a museum. This was clutched to someone's heart when they sailed across the ocean, prayed over in times of fear and wept on in times of grief, then carefully stitched and cobbled back together because it had been through it all. Ya gotta love that!
I've never had problems receiving and I keep a PO box near my work because I'm in a rural area and things arrive wet and/or damaged here. It is the main post office hub, and I usually get things a day earlier because it is the sort facility. I looked at the tracking and they sent the package insured, with a signature required and proof of delivery. Still, I will be anxious until it gets here.
That said, I'm SO freakin' excited!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D
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There's a lot of crossed fingers out here!
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LOL yeah we were a team when I went after the first bible and we're a team for this one!
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Don't worry , things will be just fine .... once the truck gets there !
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LOL Fancy! I've been watching my USPS alerts, it left Rochester NY and should be delivered in the morning.
(http://media.apracticalwedding.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/woo-yay-emtakesphotos.jpg)
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Waiting....... ;D
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On my way to the post office before work!
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Here it is! Back in the hands of Thomas Bolles family once again!
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How did it feel to hold it for the first time?
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Chills all over, head to toe!
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Here it is! Back in the hands of Thomas Bolles family once again!
YAY! Congratulations!!
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Chills all over, head to toe!
Just what I'd expect to feel as well
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Wonderful fam dambly reunion , talesof !
Now it's time to start saving for a nice Lazy-Boy for the hubby ?
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I'm surprised he hasn't reminded me that he doesn't like the one he has!
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;D priorities!
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Yahoooooooooo!!!!! Glad it made it safely!!!!!
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Aright! You may want to use a different copy for "updates" though. This one looks a little delicate. ;)
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Right! There won't be any updates added to this one, just a separate note on acid-free paper telling how we brought it back into the family in 2013
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Tales,
If you ever start thinking about how much profit the seller made, then consider this. It could have been the case that a very different buyer snapped it up earlier in the year, one that wanted it for a private collection, and so it would have been lost to you and your family. Luckily the person who bought it did so with the intention of selling it on, so maybe think of the few $$$ as a finding fee ;D
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That's a good way to think of it since I missed it the first time around. Not sure how that happened. Yes, I am feeling extremely grateful tonight that I had an opportunity to bring it back into the family. I would have been thrilled just to see this bible, but I get to be its caretaker... Wow, I'm still trying to wrap my head around that!
I spent some time with my neighbor looking closely at it under magnification. It is so cool to see the impressions of the old printing plates in the paper and to see the old style English!
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Destiny fulfilled!
Have you thought of contacting the California seller to ask how they acquired it?
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I already did! Here's the discussion:
Dear talesofthesevenseas,
I obtained the bible from someone who had bought about eight boxes of early books from the Reese warehouse (it is a large company with quite a few employees). The Bolles connection of this bible hadn't be noted or investigated until I noticed it. Reese had purchased literally thousands of books from Washington Cathedral and were much more concerned with the higher end items. This bible (along with various others) was found in the part of the warehouse storing Washington Cathedral material so it almost certainly originates from that source though it did not have a library card with a catalogue number attached to it. I hope that helps. I don't really have any more information to offer.
- bavarianantiquarian
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From: talesofthesevenseas
To: bavarianantiquarian
Subject: Re: talesofthesevenseas has sent a message
Sent Date: Sep-06-13 15:05:22 PDT
Dear bavarianantiquarian,
Hi Thanks for getting back to me so quickly!
Yes, it is back in the Bolles family once more, and will be carefully stored in an acid-free environment. If you can suggest the best way for me to go about contacting William Reese, that would be great. I really appreciate your help on this!
-Claire
- talesofthesevenseas
From: bavarianantiquarian
To: talesofthesevenseas
Subject: Re: talesofthesevenseas has sent a message
Sent Date: Sep-06-13 15:01:01 PDT
Dear talesofthesevenseas,
Hello, I did not buy the bible directly from Washington Cathedral Library. That library sold off their rare books collection to a partnership of William Reese and James Cummins, both prominent American dealers. This bible was then part of a largish group of books purchased from William Reese (Literature division). It is wonderful that the bible is back in the family. Do let me know if you would like any further information.
- bavarianantiquarian
From: talesofthesevenseas
To: bavarianantiquarian
Subject: talesofthesevenseas has sent a message
Sent Date: Sep-06-13 11:14:54 PDT
Dear bavarianantiquarian,
Hello, I recently purchased the Thomas Bolles bible that you sold last July. I was wondering if you have a copy of the receipt from Washington Cathedral Library who deaccessioned the book in 2010? If so could I get a copy to keep with the bible to record its provenance? I'm a direct descendant of Thomas Bolles, so his bible is back in the family again!
Thank-you,
Claire
- talesofthesevenseas
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Just a small idea for you to ponder , talesof ....
Had a collector/friend who was into 17th century & earlier books ... he passed away & there were some disputes regarding his collection ... they were resolved , due to the fact that he'd gotten a number of veterinary 'microchips' placed within the bindings of the dearest ones to him ... who'da thunk it !
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What did putting in microchips resolve, since you have to take them in to be scanned it wouldn't prevent theft? I don't understand.
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Family members claimed that the (pricey & rare 1st editions , mostly) books belonged to them & had only been 'loaned' to my friend .
He'd made a list of said books , along with provenace photocopies & purchase details (receipts & such) , details of condition/defects & had his lawyer do the notary work .... copies to his ins agent & safe deposit box .
Seems he had some idea about the nature of his relatives' nature ?
Good for I.D. also , in the event of recovery/resurfacing from theft , which was his primary concern , I guess .
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That is a good idea. It would be neat if there were a tracking device, It looks like there are GPS dog collars, but the technology isn't microchip sized yet: http://www.pettracker.com/ (http://www.pettracker.com/)
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Would any of you like to try your hand at deciphering some of the writing on this page of the bible? The background info is that Thomas Bolles (1644-1727) would be the signer of the clearest text which reads "Tho Bolles his Book 1696". His father was Joseph (1607-1678) and grandfather Thomas (1576-1635) were both born in England where the bible was published in 1615 and one or both of them are the apparent first owners. I can make out "John" "His Booke" "God" and a few other words, but I can't make anything very coherent out of it. Thomas also had a son named John (1677-1767). Remember also that the S in these times is written like a lower case f and things are spelled phonetically
So it goes like this:
Bible published in England in 1615.
Thomas (1576-1635) born in Osberton Nottinghamshire England
Joseph (1607-1678) born in Nottinghamshire England
Thomas Bolles (1644-1727) Clear signature dated 1696, born in Winter Harbor, Hancock, Maine
John (1677-1767) born in New London CT
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/Bolles%20Bible/BollesBible8_zps8d9424bc.jpg)
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Aint life weird.
I could walk to Osberton from here.
You know you've typed John 1607, do you mean Joseph ?
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=cdn-kemp&id=I5775
http://histfam.familysearch.org/getperson.php?personID=I4870&tree=Nixon
Dates differ slightly.
Had a son called Thomas, born 1644 in Wells, Maine ?
Joseph was Christened down the road from where i sit !
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Whoops! Yes, Joseph. He was b. 1607, I'll fix the post. That's a trip he is from your neck of the woods!
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Yep ! I'm going to visit the church where some of the family were christened, married or buried at the weekend ! See if i can spot something. ( i did a paper on it for school. Quite a well known church on the edge of Sherwood Forest country ! )
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NEAT!! Would you mind taking a photo or two?
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At what point did it metamorphose from Bowles to Bolles, or the other way?
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NEAT!! Would you mind taking a photo or two?
I will !
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The binding looks better than i thought. Just has character like you said. Also for an English Bible printed in 1615 you didn't pay as much over market value as you may think.
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How great for you Tales! I think Ipcress will be a good detective! Sherwood Forrest how cool!
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How great for you Tales! I think Ipcress will be a good detective! Sherwood Forrest how cool!
Unfortunately it's not as it appears in all the old Robin Hood movies :(
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Tales, I hadn't realised that your family was so widespread over there! Do you take part in this ..?
http://www.bollesfamily.org/BFAnotice.html
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I sent out several inquiries to different institutions, hoping to get some help deciphering the two lines of 17th century handwriting. I heard back from a professor who is head of special collections and rare books at West Michigan University. She was able to decipher it, but wants to run it by two specialists she knows.
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I thought it said something like God, give him grace.....
Something along those lines.
Going to The Priory in the next couple of days, Tales.
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Cool!
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Update on the Bible of Thomas Bolles: I sent a request for help deciphering the early handwritten entries to the curator of the rare books collection at West Michigan University. It was shown to several specialists and they were able to decipher a partial transcription, which in context with the known history, makes perfect sense, and we can get the gist of what is being said.
So, lets take the upper portion first. Remember that spelling had not been standardized and that in the 17th century spellings were phonetic and there were letters and abbreviations that are no longer used today.
At the top we have clearly, "Tho Bolles His Bokk". There is no date, so it wasn't clear at first if this was Thomas Bolles 1576-1635 or grandson Thomas Bolles 1644-1727 inscribing the book twice, with differing spellings of Book and Bokk.
Now we know that the line below it says "That som (or Son) Sayest givves of s---igence Ld." What you need to know here is that "Ld." is the old abbreviation for "Lord" used in the 17th century. So loosely translated, this appears to say "Tho Bolles that son says (or some say) given of significant lord."
This would make sense since Thomas Bolles 1576-1635 was "landed gentry" in England, owner of a large estate in Osberton, Nottingham England and in his second marriage, married Mary Wytham who later became a barontess and heir to her father's estate. Upon Thomas' death, his lands and Osberton Hall passed unexpectedly his younger son Joseph Bolles. Joseph had moved to New England and was the father of the later Thomas Bolles (b.1644). Joseph decided to remain in America and sold the estate. Mary Wytham Bolles survived her husband Thomas (b.1576) and went on to live at Heath Hall (her fathers home) and is rumored to haunt it today. The clear inscription on a nearby page of the bible that says "Mary Bolles Her Booke" may be Mary Wytham Bolles wife of Thomas or Mary Howell Bolles wife of Joseph. Both survived their husbands and the book apparently didn't pass to the younger Thomas Bolles (1644-1727) until 1696 and this date does not match any death dates for Thomas or Joseph.
Moving down to the lower portion, reading around the text that says "Tho Bolles his Book 1696" written by Thomas Bolles 1644-1727 we have this:
"John (B?) (stricken out)"
"John (or Folow?) ----- good his ----
God gives him grase -----
fond so loke"
John Bolles is the son of Thomas Bolles (1644-1727). He was the sole survivor of a terrible axe murder.
A sixteen-year-old boy in the settlement where they lived in New London CT named John Stoddard, came asking John's mother (1696 Thomas' wife) for something and she refused him, knowing that he was a troublemaker. He went and got an axe, came in and struck her in the head as she was sitting by the bed holding her baby John. John Stoddard then went out and killed her two children who were playing outside at the time. For whatever reason, John Stoddard spared the baby John, who was found clinging to his mother. (It is a sobering thing to realize that an entire family line, not only me, but hundreds of people, all hinged upon that moment when a disturbed teenager stood over a baby with a blood-soaked axe and decided not to kill him!)
When baby John grew up, he felt very strongly that his life had been spared for a reason and he had a purpose in life to fulfill and he became intensely religious. He joined a religious movement called the Rogerenes that believed in living life by the Old Testament. This group would go to other churches and disrupt their services, so consequently, John spent a fair amount of time incarcerated for his activities. So I think the lower inscription is John Bolles, talking about God giving him grace, having spared his life.
So there we have it. Not precise transcriptions I'm afraid, but I think we can understand the gist of what our early ancestors were saying.
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Osberton Hall was sold for a few million recently.
I'll post some pics later or tomorrow but i'm busy / multi-tasking at the moment ;D
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I saw that! 2011 I think was when it sold. The manor house that is there now was built after my family was there. It was built in the early 1800s and replaced the earlier house that they lived in.
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Hi Tales,
Here is a slightly different account of the murder ...
Notes for ZIPPORAH WHEELER:
On the evening of 6 JUNE 1678, Mary and Joseph (children of Thomas), with their mother, Zipporah, were murdered by a boy named John Stoddard. Suspicion of the murders first rested on Suskquanch and Keweebhunt, two Mogegan Indians, who were proved to have been at the Bolles' house not long before the murder. They were arrested and imprisoned. Subsequently the murder of a brother of this John Stoddard, and the suspicion attached to the latter of being the perpetrator of the crime, led the authorites to suspect his participation in the murders. He was examined and strongly denied that he was ever in the house, but later owned that he was the person who did the murders. He declared that he came that evening with the intent to lodge there, but Mrs. Bolles denied him liberty to lodge there and thrust him out of doors, striking him with her hand. He then drew the latch, came into the house, took an axe that stood by the wall, and struck her in the head with which she fell to the floor. He then struck her another blow on the head. He then struck the girl on the head and then the little boy on the head. The infant, John, was in the mother's lap and fell into the blood of his mother. Stoddard was hanged on 9 OCT 1678.
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/n/u/n/Raymond-J-Nunweiler/GENE6-0007.html
What a lovely name ... Zipporah
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Thanks, I was just giving a summary of the murders above. The whole thing is spelled out in quite a lot of detail in The Genealogy of the Bolles Family in America. It is several pages in length and gets pretty graphic. Stoddard was attempting to kill his own relative (I think a step brother) when all this came out. He confessed to all the Bolles murders and the attempt on his brother, and was hanged.
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I saw that! 2011 I think was when it sold. The manor house that is there now was built after my family was there. It was built in the early 1800s and replaced the earlier house that they lived in.
It's a gorgeous area. There are a few horse stables and a stud nearby. Not far to the north there's Scrooby and the land of the Pilgrim Fathers, to the south is Clumber Park and Sherwood Forest.
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It would be neat to go there someday. It meant a great deal to me to visit New London where the American Bolles descendants lived. You can still very much get a sense of their lives even if their house isn't standing, just by visiting.
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Hey there Ipcress,
I found a description of where my 12th great-grandfather is buried. He's at the parish church of Worksop. Is that "the priory" that you were speaking of? I think it is this place, is that near you?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worksop_Priory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worksop_Priory)
Here is the description of his grave location, it says he is under the side of the north wall:
http://books.google.com/books?id=4LgUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA17&dq=bolles+osberton&lr=#v=onepage&q=bolles%20osberton&f=false (http://books.google.com/books?id=4LgUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA17&dq=bolles+osberton&lr=#v=onepage&q=bolles%20osberton&f=false)
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;)
Having breakfast and i'll post those pics.
( that link doesn't say anything ? )
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This is really fascinating to hear all of this about your family. Sounds like a book/movie.
So excited for you to find out more about your family like this Talesof. Ipcress you were meant to be on this forum! How exciting to be a part of it! Thanks for all your help!
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Here's a link the the full gallery
http://imageupper.com/g/?S020001005F13800272 39496144 (http://imageupper.com/g/?S020001005F1380027239496144)
Here are the images. Click on them to see the large version
(http://s02.imageupper.com/1_t/5/F1380027239496144_1.jpg) (http://imageupper.com/i/?S0200010050011F1380027239496144) (http://s02.imageupper.com/1_t/5/F1380027239496144_2.jpg) (http://imageupper.com/i/?S0200010050021F1380027239496144) (http://s02.imageupper.com/1_t/5/F1380027239496144_3.jpg) (http://imageupper.com/i/?S0200010050031F1380027239496144) (http://s02.imageupper.com/1_t/5/F1380027239496144_4.jpg) (http://imageupper.com/i/?S0200010050041F1380027239496144) (http://s02.imageupper.com/1_t/5/F1380027239496144_5.jpg) (http://imageupper.com/i/?S0200010050051F1380027239496144) (http://s02.imageupper.com/1_t/5/F1380027239496144_6.jpg) (http://imageupper.com/i/?S0200010050061F1380027239496144) (http://s02.imageupper.com/1_t/5/F1380027239496144_7.jpg) (http://imageupper.com/i/?S0200010050071F1380027239496144) (http://s02.imageupper.com/1_t/5/F1380027239496144_8.jpg) (http://imageupper.com/i/?S0200010050081F1380027239496144)
From left to right
1 ) The West side ( facing east ) with the entrance. This is at the end of a tree lined avenue called Memorial Avenue. A 100 yards behind where i took that picture is the memorial for WWI and WWII.
2 ) a brass memorial plaque for Mary Lassells ( link to her Wiki page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Lascelles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Lascelles) ) . The surrounding marble is very old but i think the plaque is a later sympathetic copy of the original stonework. This is inside the Priory. Helps give you an idea of how it's decorated.
3 ) The North wall exterior. The tombs infront were excavated many, many years ago for water mains etc. Remains were interred inside or elsewhere.
4 ) A pathway leading away from the Priory to the south.
5 ) The South wall
6 ) Pathway to the Gatehouse
7 ) The Gatehouse itself. Wonderful condition and just looks the part !!!!
8 ) Another view of the main entrance.
When i took these they were preparing for mass so i had limited time. I'm going back shortly to take more of the inside and do research as the Father has kindly allowed me access to certain areas otherwise restricted. There are also records of where people were buried and they are archived elsewhere but again i've been given permission to look at them.
Hope it gives you an idea of the place !
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Ipcress, this is absolutely spectacular! I agree, you we were meant to cross paths! I owe you an apology, this morning I was trying to click the applaud button and I appear to have bumped into the smite button by mistake, so I will contact Dontbe and get that removed. I was working off my handheld!
I can't wait to see the rest of these photos and I will share them with the family. This is just wonderful. When you are there again, if you can ask after any records on Thomas Bolles, I would love to know where he was reinterred and anything else you can find on him.
Again, this is absolutely wonderful and makes the incredible find of the bible all the more meaningful. Makes me want to make a trip across the pond!
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Glad you like them !
The church floor, like many, is made from stone slabs, interspersed with tombstones which have been removed from the graveyard. Most are early 19th century. However, there are some 17th and early 18th but i had around 10-15 minutes and the writing is obviously very faint or inellegible in many places.
In one corner of the church is a small chapel, outside of which lie three sarcophagi / tomb effigies , similar to those seen in The Da Vinci Code in Temple Church when they arrive in London. One is for Thomas Furnival who fought with Henry III in 1341.
Thomas Bolles first wife Elizabeth is also buried there and i have seen a tombstone with Elizabeth and 16 on it but it's mostly effaced now.
I waited an extra few days to take the photos in good weather. Nice to have stunning views instead of drab clouded skies
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I'm guessing that the parish records should be able to identify where the Bolles reburials are. The online parish records show baptisms but not burials, and Find-a-Grave only lists 22 internments, the Bolles are not among those. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsr&GScid=2408457 (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsr&GScid=2408457) My guess is that there may be a parish record from when they were reinterred.
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Ipcress, I've been asked to write a series of articles for the Bolles Family Assn newsletter. Could we use your photographs in one of the articles when I tackle the Osberton/Nottinghamshire/Worksop stuff? I would like to credit you for your assistance in the article and give you photo credit in your actual name if that would be OK. Please drop me an email and we can talk more, I'll probably deal with this one last in the series, so there is no hurry. talesofthesevenseas@hotmail.com
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That's fine ! I'll e-mail you.
I'm closer to Osberton and have identified a few artefacts that were connected with your family and once in the hall's museum. I'm going to see if they're still present. They may have been sold, donated to a museum....Hopefully someone will know.
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Oooooh!!! Awesome!!! That would be fantastic to be able to cover those in the article, and I would love to see them. Hopefully if they are still in the museum vaults we could get a photo? Thank-you VERY much for working with me on this. Looking forward to the email.
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This is just like the TV show "Do you know who you are?"
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If only I were a celebrity, my press agent would be all over that! :D Seriously though, if this happened to me it could happen to anyone. Those Ebay alerts can be used as a genealogy tool. You never know what might turn up, I certainly never imagined something like this.
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Do you play the lottery? ;D
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How cool! I decided to try to find help ironing out some of the blanks in the West Michigan University transcription of the handwriting in the bible. I decided to try contacting Rebecca Romney, the rare books expert who comes in to assist with potentially rare books on the Pawn Stars television series. It turns out she has a Facebook page, so I sent her a message and got a very nice personal reply! This was out of her area of expertise, but she referred me to the paleography department of the Nat'l Archives in the UK and I now have an inquiry in there.
https://www.facebook.com/romneyrebecca (https://www.facebook.com/romneyrebecca)
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NICE!!!!!!! Great to see time was taken to reply and even then, send you to someone else! :)
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Another interesting development. There is one inscription that says "D Wetherell His Book" and then something that looks like "Living in S---wack" and below that "Borrow" or "Bolles". I need to get some help deciphering it. 17th century handwriting is tough!
At first I thought this had to be a marriage between the Bolles and Wetherell families of New London and that the bible had been handed down through them. But it turns out there was never any marriage to the Wetherells. The connection is that Daniel Wetherell held a variety of legal positions in New London. In 1678 he held the title of commissioner and he questioned John Stoddard about the attempted murder of his younger brother, who survived being struck with an axe. during questioning Wetherell began to wonder if Stoddard could have been responsible for the Bolles killings in October of the previous year because of the similarities in the crimes. He questioned Stoddard on it and it was then that Stoddard confessed.
I am guessing that the bible was given as a gift of thanks to Daniel Wetherell, but then the bible appears to have been given back to Thomas Bolles, since he inscribed "Tho Bolles His Book 1696". Daniel Wetherell didn't pass away until the 1700s, so it looks like the bible was gifted back to the Bolles family, probably in 1696.
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I'm at Osberton Hall next week, Tales. Also back at the Priory on Tuesday.
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Wonderful! Can you let me know if you can find out the present-day location of Thomas Bolles grave (possibly moved from the original burial location under the north wall) and information about Bolles family artifacts at Osberton? Many thanks Ipcress!!
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I'll let you know anything like that via e-mail.
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Awesome! Thanks very much! If there are any pictures or things that would be of interest to the forum, its fine to post them here too.