The 1612 Quarto Bible

The Holy Bible, Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: Newly Translated out of the originall tongues: & with the former Translations diligently compared and revised, by his Majesties speciall comandement. Appointed to be read in Churches. London: Robert Barker, 1612. (B62/A)

In another copy of the 1612 quarto edition, inscriptions on the blank page before Genesis 1 record the births of the children born to Sir Amias Bampfylde and Lady Elizabeth Bampfylde between 1583 and 1603: Dorothy, Richard, John, William, Anne, Jane, Amias the 2^nd, Edward, Elizabeth, and James. The entries also record the places of birth, as well as the names of their godparents. Below the name of the tenth child is a line stating that “They had 7 children more who died young or unchristened.” Below this it is recorded that Sir Amias Bampfylde died in 1625 and his wife died in 1630. The eldest son, John Bampfylde, married Elizabeth Drake, the niece of the famous admiral Sir Francis Drake. Elizabeth listed the names of her sixteen children at the end of the volume.

Below the Bampfylde entries is the misspelled inscription, “Geoerge Rackham his boo[k].” Two later inscriptions at the bottom record the births of Mary and William Tonford, the children of William and Mary Tonford, in 1750 and 1758, respectively. By then the Bible was 145 years old, but it was still in use, at least as a place to record family history.

_{The Elizabeth Perkins Prothro Bible Collection.}