A Very Old Family Bible

A Very Old Family Bible by Nelle Hornbeck Gaertner

Submitted by: Dale Walter

Gaertner, Nelle Hornbeck. "A Very Old Family Bible". The Magazine of History and Biography, Number 8, 1936. Pp. 63-65. Randolph County Historical Society (Elkins, WV).

Picture yourselves your descendants 200 years from now. If they know anything about you then, it is because you have left behind some record of yourself. You may achieve lasting fame, and then, of course, your name will be carried on by others. This is a remote possibility with most of us, however. Even so-those who become widely known in their own generation recognize the necessity and value of good family records. This sketch of the Isaac Wood family will illustrate, and may prove of value as genealogical material to some of his descendants who still live in West Virginia.

Isaac Wood, two brothers and a sister, were born in England. They settled first in Pennsylvania before coming to Virginia. In Pennsylvania their English records were lost in the destruction of their home by fire. Isaac kept his family record in the family Bible. This Bible passed into the hands of his granddaughter who was born and who lived in Randolph County all her life. On September 6th, 1878, a copy of these records were made for a grandson who had asked for them, and who was then living in Illinois. This old letter has been preserved and copies for descendants are made. This Bible was left in Randolph County, supposedly stored in an attic with other possessions, and may yet be located some day. At present, no one seems to know its whereabouts.

This Wood record may be of interest to the Randolph County Historical Society because it preserves the record of an early Randolph family.

This is an exact copy from the Isaac Wood Bible:

Isaac Wood was born December 26th, 1729.
His wife Rachel Ramah was born March 1st 1774.
James their son was born 1763 July 29th.
Elizabeth was born 1765 November 14th.
Susanna was born 1767 March the 20th.
John was born 1770 May the 27th.
Daniel was born February 22, 1773.
Ann was born October 1st. 1775.
Joel August the 24th. 1778.
William June 1st. 1781.
Isaac June 9th. 1784.
Jacob the youngest August the 1st. 1787.

Isaac was born in England and died April 21st. 1803. Rachel Ramah or Ramey as it soon was spelled in America, was born in France. The Rameys were Huguenots and settled in what is now Warren County near Front Royal. In the hopes that this may be helpful to some who read these old records, I am going to include the marriage records of the children of Isaac:

James, born July 29th. Married Elizabeth Gillespe.
Elizabeth, b. July 14th., 1765 m. Thomas Gillespe.
Susanna m. Leonard Miller.
John m. (1) Elizabeth Harper in Pendleton County.
(2) Mary Hornbeck in Randolph County.
Daniel m. (1) N. Carr. (2) Sarah Ramey.
Ann m. Michael Miller in 1797.
Joel m. Ann Miller 1797.
William m. Mary Conn.
Jacob m. Rachel Ramey.

Isaac Wood lived in Rockingham County before the Revolution. After that he was in Pendleton County, or he may always have lived in that part of Rockingham which became part of Pendleton. Some of his children were on Brushy Run in 1790. Isaac has a short Revolutionary service.

John, born 1770, also kept family records in his Bible. This Bible is the much prized possession of my cousin. From this Bible I have the following:

John Wood was born in Virginia on Sunday, May 27th, 1770.
Elizabeth Harper was born in Pendleton County Virginia on the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac, December 24th, 1774.
John Wood and Elizabeth Harper were married June 4th, 1793.
The children of John Wood and Elizabeth Harper were:
Absolom Wood, born Wednesday May 7th, 1794.
Henry Wood, born Friday November 27th, 1795.
Phoebe Wood born October 27th, 1797.
(John Wood emigrated from Pendleton County to Randolph County, Tygarts Valley April 9th, 1799.)
L. W. Wood born June 26th, 1800.
Enoch Wood born June 20th, 1802.
John Wood born December 10th, 1804.
Zebulon Wood born Jan. 1st, 1807.
Jacob Wood born May 9th, 1809.
Joshua and Caleb were born July 27th, 1811.
Noah Wood was born Dec. 11th, 1814.
David Wood was born July 27th, 1817.
(Elizabeth Harper died December 20th, 1817. John Wood married Mary Hornbeck August 3rd, 1818.)

Children were:
Daniel Wood born Jan. 16th, 1821.
Martha Wood born Friday Feb. 8th, 1822.
Ambrose Wood born Dec. 24th, 1823.
Joel Wood born Jan. 4th, 1826.
Mary Wood was born Monday June 21, 1829.
Elizabeth Wood was born July 17th, 1830.
Martha Wood became the wife of Levi Ward, and the Isaac Wood Bible came into her possession. Perhaps some descendant of Levi and Martha Ward is now living in Randolph County. If so this old Bible may be one of their most prized possessions.

Nelle Hornbeck Gaertner (Mrs. Herman J.)