The Bible evidently belonged to Thomas Morris (1782-1833) and was retained by his second wife Nancy Hesser after she was widowed. She carried it to Ohio and it was passed on to her eldest son John Thomas William Morris. As of mid-2025 it is in the possession of his direct descendant Nathan Morris of Durango, Colorado.
The Bible was published by Mathew Carey of 121 Carey Street, Philadelphia, and it is marked as the 1814 revision. That dates the printing sometime after 1814 but before 1825 when Carey retired and the firm’s name changed. It isn’t clear when the first entries were made.
The Bible’s back pages are in very poor condition. There are no pages designed for recording births, deaths, and marriages. But the page and the inside of the back cover, which were blank, contain the following handwritten notations:
Blank page at back of Bible:
Thomas Mason Morris
Son of Thomas Morris [and?]
[Mary? word is unclear]
[blurred] Morris
[blurred]
holy Bibele
Adjacent blank page::
Nancy Hesser
James Heaton Morris was born auguste the 13 1828.
John Thos. William Morris was born May the 26 1831
Sarrah Ann Hannah Morris was born 15 September 1833
Page 677: Marriages
Thomas Morris and Mary Wilett was maried march 5th (blurred)
Thomas Morris and Nancy Hesser were married September 28 1823
John Clymer and Nancy Morrs were married march the 29 1838
Thomas William Morris and Mary Thorla were married October the 18nth A.D. 1852
Page 678: Births
Thomas Morris was born January 29th 1782
Mary Willett was born April 9th 1786
John T. W. Morris was born 26 May 1831
Sarah A. H. Morris was born September [blot] 1833
Andrew Hesser was born January 20th 1800
Lucinda Hesser was born July 5th 1803
Sarah Hesser was born October 26th 1807
Cornelia Ann was born October 20th 1809
Casteria [obscured] was born March 1st 1819
James H. Morris was born August the 13 1828
Rd Thompson Morris was born December 27th 1812
Lucinda Morris was born December 14th 1814
Saphronia Morris was born March 25th 1816
John Francis Morris was born 3d[?] Feby 1817
Keziah A. Morris was born August 27th 1819
Caroline Morris was born April 15th 1822
Thomson Morris was born April 3d 1823
Andrew M. Morris, son of Thomas and Nancy, was born December 26th 1824
John D. Francis, son of Thomas and Nancy, was born 11th of October 1826
Page 679: Births (left column)
Andrew Hesser was born November 9th 1765
Hannah Hesser, wife of Andrew, was born June 15th A. D. 1772
Margaret Hesser, daughter of Andrew Hesser and Hannah his wife, was born October 18th A. D. 1788
Elizabeth Hesser, daughter of the same, was born July 11th 1790
Mary Hesser, daughter of the same, was born September 5th 1792
Nancy Hesser, daughter of the same, was born August 12th A.D. 1794
John Hesser, son of the same, was born July 6th 1796
David Hesser, son of the same, born November 5th 1798
Page 679: Deaths (right column)
Mary Morris departed this life April 3d 1823
Andrew M. Morris departed this life Augst 14th 1827
Thomas T. Morris departed this life Augst 19th 1827
Caroline Morris departed this life Augst 26th 1827
John D. F. Morris departed this life Sept 7th 1827
James H. Morris departed this life March 17 1833
Thomas Morris departed this life March 23 1833 [“father” in margin]
Page 680: Deaths
Sarah Oxley departed this life September 2__ 1832
Jesse Oxley departed this life October the 13 1834
Nancy Clymer departed this life Nov the 22th A. D. 1853
[Second Column is labeled “Deaths” but lists births]
Frances Lillean Morris was born May the 19nth A.D. 1853
Granville Morris son of Thomas W. & Mary Morris was born Dec the 15th A.D. 1854
Carrie Morris born August 31st 1856
McDonald T. Morris born January 19th A.D. 1861
Sarah Ann Thurlow born Dec 6th 1859
Mary Louise Morris born April 2nd 1866
Blank page at front of Bible
Nancy Morris left Loudoun the 27 of march 1837
[land?] in ohio. the 19[?} of aprila(sic)
A Few Images
Click on the thumbnails below to see the larger images of the Bible pages:
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