Bibles in the Rare Book Room

The Holy Bible - from the Hot Press of John Thompson 

The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments: Together with the Apocrypha.  Philadelphia: John Thompson, 1798. "Printed for John Thompson & Abraham Small, from the hot-press of John Thompson."

In November 1798, John Thompson of Philadelphia, printed the first King James Bible from a "hot press" in America.  The process helped to sear the ink clearly into the paper.  It was the largest Bible printed in America up to that time, a large pulpit, or lectern Bible.  It was printed by subscription, where purchasers paid part of the price in advance, sometimes at a reduced price.  In addition, subscribers' names would also be printed as a list of subscribers to the publication.  Subscribers to this edition included Alexander Hamilton, John Jay (Governor of New York,) Cornelius Roosevelt, Andrew Jackson, and Thomas Jefferson.  The text is printed in double columns, verse form with verse number, but without pagination.

Our copy, although printed to be used as a pulpit Bible, was apparently used as a family Bible.  There are numerous entries for births, marriages and deaths of family members, both at the end of Malachi (Old Testament) and at the end of Maccabees (Apocrypha.).  An unusual notation is that for the birthday of what appears to be an indentured servant.  The entry reads:

" Margaret Baccus whom I bought of Richard Lockwood was thirteen years old February 13th 1850 and to serve untill twenty one."