Samuel Welch Bibles

Samuel Welch was a Revolutionary War soldier, depending on how you read the Bible records, he lived 1762-1842 or 1772-1842. He is buried on the farm he owned on Scotts Ridge in Jefferson County, along with his wife Jane. His tombstone says he is a native of Pennsylvania and in his 75th year, which places his birth date around 1777. Obviously, the later dates would make it impossible for him to have been a Revolutionary War solider. However, Samuel’s own testimony is that he was 14 in1776, hence born about 1762.

There are two family Bibles. One is a large book, printed in 1811. The other Bible is much smaller, and was reportedly carried with him while he was a solider.

Transcriptions have been previously published which contain serious errors as they are not based on transcriptions made directly from the originals or from photo copies. In the 1930s, a paid genealogist published a book entitled, “Welch and Allied Families.: This volume included a transcription of a letter, dated 1924, from Knox Jamison, Samuel’s great-grandson. As published, this letter says that Samuel married Jane Cunningham, and was supposedly based on Jamison’s double checking the facts with the Bible. This “fact” has been accepted by the DAR and widely published. The book set up a three generation Cunningham ancestry for Jane. But Jane’s name is not Cunningham in either Bible. In the larger Bible, the last name is a very legible Cunning. In the smaller Bible it is a slightly less legible Cumming or Cummins.

The large Bible does appear to list Samuel’s birth date as 1772. However, the date is hard to read. It is smudged and there is a tear over the date, as if someone realized that 1772 was an error and tried to erase, then to write the correct date over it. Since the Bible was printed in 1811, many of the dates were obviously entered years later.

There are slight discrepancies in the dates listed by the two Bibles. For example, Samuel and Jane are married on August 30 by one Bible’s account, August 31, by the other’s. There have also been problems with previous transcriptions as researchers are baffled by the name Maxy Harris Welch. The tendency is to make it Mary or leave it out.

Robert W. Scott, January 13, 2001.

The 1811 Bible

Family Record

Marriages
Samuel Welch and Jane Cunning was Married August 31, 1797
Mary Welch and Robert Jamison was Married April 20th day 1820
Nancy Welch and Alvin Lindly was Married April 25th 1822
Samuel G. Welch and Mary Hillis was married March the 29, 1827
John Scott and Rebecca Welch Was Maried September the 30 1824
Isaac Banta and Jane Welch was married November the 5th 1833
Robert Macherel and Elizabeth Welch was Maried Nov. the 20th 1835
Miller Robison and Louisa Welch was Married April the ?

Births
Samuel Welch was born on November 7, 1772 [or 1762 or other date]
Jane Welch Wife of Samuel Welch was Born January 10, 1779
Mary Welch Daughter of Samuel and Jane Welch was Born July 12, 1798
Nancy Welch Daughter of same was born August 29, 1800
James Gillespie Welch was Born October 12 1802
Rebeccah Welch Daughter of same was born November 15, 1804
Samuel Green Welch was born March 17th 1807
Jane Welch was Born August 19, 1809
Elizabeth Welch was born September 28th 1811
Maxy Harris Welch born November 21, 1813
Sally Welch was born February 20th 1816
Louisa Welch was Born June 25, 1818
Peggy Welch was born October the 31st 1820
James Hillis Welch, son of same, was Born February 13, 1823
Adam McKeand and Margaret Welch Was Married September the 24th 1840

Deaths
James Galaspie Welch son of Saml Welch departed this life March the Twenty second one Thousand eight hundred and Eighteen

Samuel Welch Senior was this day Thirtieth December 1842 about 11 o’clock A.M. by a most sudden & unexpected visitation of Divine Providence called away from the bosom of his family, to live, we trust, in closer union with his God.

This Bible is a smaller volume, which Samuel reportedly carried with him as a soldier.

Samuel Welch and Janey (or Jeaney) Cummins was Married the 30th August 1797
Mary Welch was born July the 12 1798
Nancy Welch was born August 29 1800
James Welch was born October the 31th 1802
Rebeckah Welch was born November 15th 1804
Samuel Green Welch was born March 7th 1807
Jean Welch was born August 19th 1809
Elizabeth Welch was born Feb. 28, 1811
Adam McKeand and Margaret Welch was Married Thursday the 24th day of September 180
Maxy Harris Welch was born Nov. 21, 18131
Sarah Welch was born February 20, 1816
Louisa Welch was born June 25, 1818
Margaret Welch was born October 31, 1820
James Hillis Welch was born February 13, 1823 [? Last number not legible]