1568 Geneva Bible Printed by John Crespin. In English. With Apocrypha. Includes Whole Book of Psalms in Meter.
Handwritten note in 17th c. script records the death of "Captain George Watkinson" in 1670 at “Scoton Hall” The inscription reads "Captin Geroge Watkinson"... (likely written in a different hand to the rest of the script)"Diead at Scoton...ye twenttioth day of September and was buiread ye 23rd day in the year of our lord god anno Domia 1670”
Watkinson was a member of the early Quaker movement and compatriot of Quaker Founder,George Fox. It appears that Watkinson has signed his name to this Bible, and later, his death is recorded under his signature by another hand.
The hand written note on the same page under the recording of Watkinson's death reads " Isabella Watkinson Married Robert Proctor of Thorngill Beck Malham Moor". The pages following these aforementioned notes contain numerous possession notes and recordings of important life events for predominately the Proctor family. We can assume from this that Isabella brought the Bible into her marriage and it remained within her husband's side of the family.
George Watkinson was a Captain in Cromwell's army but was later dismissed for his Quaker beliefs. There are numerous accounts of at least one visit, in 1666, to Scotton Hall, and also Watkinson's brother's home nearby, by Quaker founder George Fox.
Considering the strong ties this Bible has to Watkinson and his family we can assume this Bible was likely housed at Scotton Hall. With that in mind it is not a huge leap of faith to imagine,in the company of Watkinson on Fox's visit, this Bible being studied , or even being utilized by George Fox himself, the founder of the Quaker religious movement. However, this Bible, even if never used by Fox, has good potential to have been in his presence and, considering Watkinson's strong Quaker beliefs, was an early part of the Quaker movement in its own way . Upon his death Watkinson willed a portion of Scotton Hall grounds for a Quaker cemetery.
An interesting, yet more speculative aside concerns the history of Scotton Old Hall itself. A previous mid 16th century owner of Scotton Old Hall married a woman, who had a son from a previous marriage. That son married Edith Fawkes the mother of the infamous Gunpowder Plot's own-- Guy Fawkes. It is accepted that Guy Fawkes spent time at Scotton Hall with his mother, father, and grandparents.
With this in mind we return to the Bible at hand. It is often true that when a large estate of this nature was sold, as Scotton Hall was to George Watkinson, the contents of the estate were also included themselves. This seems to be somewhat implied in the language of the indenture signed by Watkinson upon purchasing the manor, it reads "for ;^i,ooo to said parties paid by the said George Watkinson They do grant sell etc. All that the Mannor of Scotton . . . And the Capital Messuage or Mannor House belongings with all the buildings etc. etc." With this speculation extrapolated to its end we can imagine that this Bible was also sold to Watkinson with the estate, therefore quite possibly having been at Scotton hall in Fawkes' time. In turn a teen Guy Fawkes, who became a soldier for Catholicism, might have listened from or handled this Bible himself long before Watkinson's birth.
Missing Old Testament Title Page. Losses to top corner of, and a few loose leaves, in Genesis. Most corners, particularly top, throughout are relatively ragged. Binding generally loose.