Lord Bishop James Cornwallis' Family Bible, American Revolutionary War 1759 KJV

Overview: Title: The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments Date: 1759 Printer: Thomas Baskett, Printer to the University Place of Publication: Oxford, England Language: English Translation: King James Version (Authorised Version) Binding: Black leather with gilt-decorated spine and red title label Provenance: Cornwallis family, eighteenth century Herbert 1111 (Most likely, as it matches size, signatures, just not the title pages) A Georgian King James Bible printed in Oxford in 1759 by Thomas Baskett, with remarkable eighteenth-century family inscriptions connecting the volume to the Cornwallis family, close relatives of General Charles Cornwallis, the British commander whose surrender at Yorktown, VA, to George Washington 1781 which helped secure American independence. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: Printed in 1759, this Bible dates to the reign of George II, during the Seven Years' War, a conflict that would reshape Britain's position in North America and lay part of the groundwork for the American Revolution. The volume was produced by Thomas Baskett, a prominent eighteenth-century printer of the Authorised Version. It features an elaborate engraved general title page by J. Mynde, together with a separately dated New Testament title page bearing Baskett's Oxford imprint. Of particular historical interest is the Bible's association with the Cornwallis family, one of Britain's notable aristocratic families during the Georgian period. General Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (1738–1805), is best remembered for commanding British forces during the American Revolutionary War. His surrender to George Washington who commanded the American and French forces at Yorktown in October 1781 effectively ended major British offensive operations in the conflict and helped pave the way for American independence. The inscriptions in this Bible appear to connect it not to the general's direct descendants, but to the family of his younger brother, James Cornwallis (1743–1824), later 4th Earl Cornwallis, who pursued an ecclesiastical career and became Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry. This makes the volume an especially interesting surviving object associated with the immediate family of one of the most recognisable British figures of the American Revolution. PROVENANCE AND FAMILY INSCRIPTIONS: The Bible contains handwritten family records on its preliminary leaves, documenting births within the Cornwallis family during the eighteenth century, together with references to godparents and other relatives. The inscriptions were likely written down by Catherine (Cath:) Mann Cornwallis (Wife of the Lord Bishop) Among the identifiable entries are: Elizabeth Cornwallis: Recorded as born on 5 March 1774. James Cornwallis: Recorded as born on 20 September 1778. A further Cornwallis family birth: Recorded in March 1780, apparently naming Horatia Cornwallis, although the reading requires further confirmation. The entry for James Cornwallis is particularly significant. Its date corresponds precisely with the recorded birth of James Mann Cornwallis (1778–1852), later 5th Earl Cornwallis, the son of James Cornwallis, 4th Earl Cornwallis, and Catherine Mann. James Mann Cornwallis was therefore a nephew of General Charles Cornwallis, the British commander who surrendered at Yorktown. Additional references to members of the Cornwallis and Mann families, including apparent mentions of the Dowager Lady Cornwallis and Lady Lucy Mann, further support the identification of these inscriptions with this aristocratic family. The combination of matching birth dates, family names and godparent references provides compelling evidence of a connection to the household of James Cornwallis, the general's younger brother. Although the precise identity of the person who wrote the entries has not been established, the inscriptions are an important feature of the volume and deserve further genealogical study. BINDING AND CONDITION: Bound in black leather with a gilt-decorated spine, raised bands and a red title label. The binding presents attractively, with age-related wear consistent with an eighteenth-century volume. The binding may be later than the original printing. The engraved general title page is present, as is the separately dated New Testament title page. The concluding leaf of Revelation, bearing the word FINIS, is also present. Internally, the leaves exhibit general age toning, occasional foxing, handling marks and some edge wear. The handwritten Cornwallis family inscriptions remain an especially appealing feature. WHY THIS BIBLE IS OF INTEREST: Beyond its significance as a Georgian Oxford printing of the King James Bible, this copy offers a particularly attractive combination of religious, social and political history. Its contemporary family records appear to place it within the immediate family circle of General Charles Cornwallis, one of the central British figures of the American Revolutionary War. The Bible provides a personal connection to the family behind a name that became inseparable from the loss of Britain's thirteen American colonies. An appealing historical Bible for collectors of early English Scripture, Georgian aristocratic provenance and American Revolutionary War history. Dimensions: Weight - 1.3kg Height - 20.8cm Width - 14.3cm Thickness - 7.1cm