220-year-old Bible back in Idaho family’s hands

  • By Wire Service
  • Saturday, July 9, 2016 3:34pm
  • Local News

By Garrett Cabeza

Moscow-Pullman Daily News

MOSCOW, Idaho — It is not often you can flip through a book that was printed during George Washington’s presidency.

But Roger Baker has a Bible that belonged to his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather Andrew Baker.

Andrew (1749-1815) was a pastor who lived in North Carolina and Virginia with his wife Elizabeth Avant (or Avent, depending on where you look). Andrew had nine children and fought in the Revolutionary War, Roger told the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

“It’s a wonderful thing to be able to say I know who owned this, and it’s 220 years old,” said Roger, who was born in Kendrick and is now retired and living in Worcester, Massachusetts.

“It’s important that people realize that we have a past, and we have a heritage, and if you go far enough into the future that past tends to get diluted more and more and more,” he said.

Roger has had the Bible, which includes the Old and New Testaments, about a month. Roger said it was printed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1796, and it appears the Psalms of David pages were added in 1797.

The Bible also had papers in it, including a song most likely written about the Civil War and a Sunday reading by Henry Ward Beecher, an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer and speaker in the 1800s.

The Bible has the birthdates of Andrew’s children written on one page inside it. A page with the youngest child’s birth date was lost when the Bible was given to a university for a study, Roger said he was told.

Roger, 67, was tracking down his family history online when he came across a picture of Andrew’s grave and pictures of the opening page of the Bible and names on the back of the Bible.

From his online search, Roger knew the Bible existed, but he did not know who owned it.

Roger drove from Worcester to Jonesville, Virginia, location of the Lee County Historical and Genealogical Society. There, he visited Andrew’s nearby grave at Robert Clark Cemetery and stopped at Thompson Settlement Baptist Church, where Andrew was a pastor more than 200 years ago.

The church clerk, Carolyn Jerrell, told Roger she had an idea of who might have it.

Jerrell put him in touch with a woman who took him to Delores Ramsey, across the state line in Tennessee, he said.

Ramsey, 74, had the old Bible. It turned out that when the Bakers moved west to Ohio probably more than 100 years ago, the Bible stayed with the Ramsey family.

“Somebody in the Baker family gave it to the Ramsey family for safekeeping,” and it was passed down through their family, Roger said.

Ramsey gave Roger the Bible, and he will soon give it to the Lee County historical society, he said.

“It’s always nice to hold something in your hand and say my fifth-great grandfather read from this and people heard it,” Roger said.

Roger said the Bakers eventually homesteaded in Deary in the late 1800s or early 1900s.

Roger said he has driven to California, Oregon, Washington and now Idaho to share the Bible with his family.

Roger said the family will remember the Baker family members who are buried at Elwood Cemetery and revisit old stories.

On his way home, Roger said he will show the Bible to his daughter in Georgia and his son in Alabama, and then drop the Bible off at the Lee County Historical and Genealogical Society, along with a notebook signed by those who have seen the Bible.

Roger said that usually when tracing your ancestry you are likely to find only a name and possibly a date of birth and a date of death on a tombstone.

He actually has physical evidence of what his fifth-great grandfather did, and who he was.

“I look at this (Bible), and I get a sense of this is where my family began,” Roger said.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Alina Langbehn, 6, center, and Vera A., 6, right, sit on a swing together at Drew Nielsen Neighborhood Park after school on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett council votes to renovate Drew Nielsen Park

Construction on the $345,000 upgrade could start as early as this fall.

Northshore School District bus driver Stewart O’Leary pictured next to his buses shattered drivers side windshield on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Put me in, coach’: Bus driver back at work after struck by metal bar

Stewart O’Leary, a Northshore employee, has received national attention for his composure during a frightening bus trip.

Lynnwood councilor Joshua Binda speaks during a Lynnwood City Council meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Does the Lynnwood Council VP live in Lynnwood? It’s hard to say.

Josh Binda’s residency has been called into question following an eviction and FEC filings listing an Everett address. He insists he lives in Lynnwood.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

An American Robin picks a berry from a holly tree on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Calling all birders for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count

The Audubon Society will hold its 28th annual Great Backyard… Continue reading

A view of one of the potential locations of the new Aquasox stadium on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024 in Everett, Washington. The site sits between Hewitt Avenue, Broadway, Pacific Avenue and the railroad. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Initial prep work for AquaSox stadium to start, with $200k price tag

The temporary agreement allows some surveying and design work as the city negotiates contracts with designers and builders.

Aaron Kennedy / The Herald
The Joann Fabric and Crafts store at 7601 Evergreen Way, Everett, is one of three stores in Snohomish County that will close as part of the retailer’s larger plan to shutter more than half of its stores nationwide.
Joann store closure plan includes Everett, Arlington, Lynnwood locations

The retail giant filed a motion in court to close approximately 500 stores in the U.S.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.