Saved my family bible from the 1600s!

[talesofthesevenseas]

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/

[talesofthesevenseas]

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

[Ipcress]

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 !

[talesofthesevenseas]

Whoops! Yes, Joseph. He was b. 1607, I'll fix the post. That's a trip he is from your neck of the woods!

[Ipcress]

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 ! )

[talesofthesevenseas]

NEAT!! Would you mind taking a photo or two?

[mariok54]

At what point did it metamorphose from Bowles to Bolles, or the other way?

[Ipcress]

NEAT!! Would you mind taking a photo or two?

I will !

[Skinny]

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.

[greenacres]

How great for you Tales! I think Ipcress will be a good detective! Sherwood Forrest how cool!

[mariok54]

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 

[mariok54]

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

[talesofthesevenseas]

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.

[Ipcress]

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.

[talesofthesevenseas]

Cool!