It isn’t clear who this Bible originally belonged to, but it seems likely that Thomas Morris acquired it about the time he married his third wife Nancy Hesser., as it does not mention any earlier wives or the three earlier children.  It was carried to Ohio by Nancy Hesser and inherited by her eldest, John Thomas William Morris.  Today it is in the possession of his direct descendant Karl Morris of Lubbock, Texas.

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 between 1814 and 1825 when Carey retired and the firm’s name changed. Thus the Bible probably belonged to Thomas Morris himself.

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:

Page 1:

Thomas Mason (?) Morris

Son of Thomas Morris & ____ Hays (?)

[unreadable lines]

holy Bible

Page  2:

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

Images

Click on the thumbnails below to see the larger images of the Bible pages: