Brown & Goddard Family Bible

by Paul N Brown

My Granny Brown (Effie) passed this on to me. The Bible was printed in 1786. It has names and dates written in the back pages and inside the front cover. The earliest references are to surnames, which do not appear to be directly associated with our Brown or Goddard family tree. There are some interesting clues deduced from the names and dates and we might guess how this Bible became the Brown's Family Bible.

Writing in the Bible

Second from last page
(probably written by Susan Cramborn):-

JOHN
Cramborn was Baptised
December the-11-1808
Susan Cramborn
Was Born June th-14-1832
Hannah Cramborn
Wife of John Cramborn
And mother of Susan
Cramborn
Was Born the -11- of August
In the year of our Lord 1800
And died on the -25- of May
-1865- At the age of -64-years
-9-Months And 14 days
John Cramborn
Died December th 21
1872 Aged 64 Years And
23 days

Last page at back:-

Michal Holmes And
Susan Cramborn
Was married on the
29 of July in the
Year of our Lord 1865
Michal Ferris Holmes
Died April th -18-1867
Henry And Susan Wise
Was Married
The-11th of February
1873
Susan Wise
Died the 4 of July
1875

Second Page in from the front

Sacred to the memory
of Susan Wise Wife of
Henry Charles Wise
Who Departed this life
On the 4 of July 1875
At the age of 43 years
And 20 Days

Inside of front cover (top two entries appear to have been fitted in after the Sara and Ann Brown entries):-

George Odey died Dec 7th 1886 Age 36 Years son
George Odey Feb 1890 Age 85 years
Sarah Brown died Feb 19 1898
Ann Brown died March 14 1898
George Brown died April 4th 1898
Walter James Caswell Died May 13th 1898
Joseph Brown died October 19th 1898
Hannah Odey (nie) Brown Age 83
Died April the 11th 1903
Thomas Goddard died November 30th 1913 Age 85
Eliza Razey died March 17th 1914 age 82
Ellen Goddard Died July 16th 1920 Aged 79 years
Walter James Brown Died Nov 19th 1948 Age 76
Clara Mary Brown (Wife) Died Dec 12th 1952 Age 79
Their two sons Died
Charles Cecil Brown 1976 Aged 77yrs
Clifford Walter Brown 1982 Aged 85 yrs

I think Susan Wise (nie Cramborn and Holmes) first wrote inside the back cover about her parents, perhaps after her mother had died in 1865. She next entered her own marriages, the second being to Henry Wise in 1873.

Henry wrote of Susan's death in 1875 and also added the following on the second page from the front - Sacred to the memory of Susan Wise Wife of Henry Charles Wise Who Departed this life On the 4 of July 1875 At the age of 43 years And 20 Days . However it is noticeable how similar Henry's writing is to that on the back pages suggesting that Henry wrote that as well.

It is also odd to see how the writing in 1873 goes right over a deep crease in the page - Susan or Henry must have seen it but apparently did not straighten it out before writing.

Having recently delved into all the backgrounds I now believe dress maker Susan Cramborn first had this Bible as a young girl. Being an only child the Bible passed to husband Henry Wise when she died in 1875. The Cramborns, Holmes and Wises all lived around Enford, Netheravon and Figheldean. However Henry was a Private at Aldershot in 1871 and was living at Honey Street near Woodborough in 1881, 6 years after Susan died. Henry dies in 1888. So maybe this is when the Bible passed to Ellen Brown who was possibly out of the country in 1891 (nurse service). It may be significant that it does not record the death of Keturah in 1886 - Thomas Goddard's wife for 44 years.

If one looks carefully at the 'died's on the front inside page then you would think that only two people were responsible for the text. The first must be Ellen Brown who records her sisters and brother-in-laws deaths. The second hand I know is my own Granny - Effie Mary Brown.