1856 Pre-Civil War Welsh Family Bible Syracuse Utica NY Richards Jones Records

  
1856 Pre-Civil War Welsh Family Bible. This is a remarkable Pre-Civil War (Antebellum) primary source document, printed by the American Bible Society in 1856, just five years before the outbreak of the Civil War. Beyond its religious significance, this Bible serves as a preserved archive of a Welsh-American family in Central New York. The provenance is established by a beautiful flourished inscription within the front pages: A Present to Miss Sarah Richards [indiscernible] Syracuse, February 1860. The internal Family Record pages document the transition from the Richards to the Jones family name, including. Marriage & Births: Records for Sarah E. 1843, who seems to have married William Jones, and the birth of her son, David H.

Jones, on November 1, 1874, in Utica, NY. Sarah's likely parents, Dorothy and David Richards are mentioned, along with the dates of their deaths. Newspaper Ephemera: Several period clippings are pasted inside, including a detailed English obituary for David Richards Utica Fire Co. 6, Odd Fellow, and C. Railroad employee and a rare Welsh-language obituary ("BU FARW") highlighting the family's deep roots in Utica's 19th-century Welsh immigrant community.

Please review the photos carefully as they are part of the description. This 169-year-old Bible shows "honest wear" consistent with generations of family use and the fragile nature of 19th-century materials. Binding: The original leather binding (likely sheepskin) is heavily worn, with significant rubbing and loss at the corners and spine. The spine is fragile and shows cracking. Interior: The text block remains attached but is delicate.

There is some loosening of the hinges and a few pages may be detached or frayed at the edges. Paper: Authentic age-related toning, foxing, and "thumbing" throughout. There are moisture stains and tea/oil spotting on several pages, particularly near the records, which do not obscure the legibility of the handwriting.

Publisher: American Bible Society, New York. Format: Nonpareil, 12mo (Pocket/Hand Bible). Language: English (contains Welsh-language clippings). Surnames Mentioned: Richards, Jones, Williams, Richards. Locations: Syracuse, NY; Utica, NY; Aurora, IL.

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