The Newtown bee., 1899-01-27
AFFAIRS.
Valuable Old Bible


 1861 and 1862 (if the memory of your cor respondent serves her correctly, and liv- ed in the parsonage at Sandy Hook. | She we'll remembers him as he used to ! walk up the aisle of the church singing l and he hardly ever preached 8 sermon l without pausing long enough to sing an appropriate verse or two. He had fam lily of six children and when he first came, the church thought it would be little difficult to support so large family here, but the Eldor said, 'she would risk Edward Oldrin anywhere for he would be supported" He was vsry successful laborer, scores and hundreds having been brought to God through his instrumentality. Mrs Ballard, referred to, is his oldest daughter and lives in Stamford. Tno other daughters live in Mount Verrol. The quOtat as from the Advocate follow: Just north of the Congregational church stands little brown house, one of the few remaining landmarks of old Stamford fifty years ago." Here lives Mrs Billiard, the daughter of the late Rev Ed Oldrin, who was pastor of the M, k. church in 1888. MT OldEin, after his term expired, left Stamford, but returned in 1863, and lived here until his death, in 1874. He was loved by many and known to all as Father Oldrin." 1t was during his pas- torste of 1888 that five of the Hoyt broth CTS, Oliver, William. Harvey, Lyman and l Sylvester, became members of the Meth odist Episcopal church. Mrs Billiard has in her possession the oldest Bible in Stam- ford. The Old Testament was printed in 1897 and the New Testament in 1896. It is in it's original binding and remarkably well preserved. The covers are wood, bound with leather, and the book is of the usual family Bible size. This Bible has always been owned by John or Ed ward Oldrin. Inscribed on yellow leaf ,eG are the words: Edward Oulldron | owns this book, and after his death to his son Edward Oulldron, given by his 9randmother-165l." In 1772 the spelling of the name changed and the book pass ed into the hands of John Oldrin." Be- low this name is the inscription, "Ed- ward Oldrin's book, given by his father ar his death bed, in 1927, July 2S, to be kept in the family" The Bible is old English script, and is quite 8 curiosity Mrs Billiard owns 8 handsome old ladle with silver bowl, in the bottom of which ls set gold sovereign of the reign o1 George II and dated 1743. On the edge of the bowl are letters but so worn as tt be impossible to decipher the sentence, The handle is of twisted whalebone and silver. In Mrs Billiards parlor are ole spindle backed chairs and in one corner little Jennie spinner, one hundred year. old. On shelf is small wooden arti cle, which in shape resembles 8 tiny canoe. It is an old wooden shuttle, wor1 through on the back. With it many { blanket and sheet have been woven Nearby is long knitting needle case 0 tin, such as our great-grandmother useC to carry about with them when the,
 went out for tea of an afternoon. It con tains needles placed there many year ago Dy Mrs Billiards great grandmother Mary Freyenhagen. Mrs Billiard is also
 the owner of little glass dish, whicI was her grandmother's when that goo, lady went to housekeeping nearly 10 years ago. It is very irregular in shap
 and was made in the old time manner o blowing glass.
 A correspondent of the Advocate, als writes as follows in reference to thi
 Bible:
 notice in your issue of the 24th ins a very interesting account of Bible own ed by Mrs Billiard. have seen this Bi
 ble, and beg to direct your attention t, the fact-Hhich think is of more inter est than the age-shat this is copy o
 the so-called "Breeehes Bible," from th
 fact that in Genesis B.: the worc aprons" is rendered 'breeches." Il addition to it's value as an antiquity, i has 8 commercial value, and I at ont time offered F. G. Billiard the sum 0 $4O0 for it, which was refused. I'm last quotation heard on this Bible wa. from 8 party in Birmingham, England who offered 100 pounds for 8 copy il good condition, but were unable to finC 1t except in collections which would not be broken. I mention these facts as ad diGional points of interest, being some. what of an antiquarian on the subiect and seeing that they had escaped you notice. Yours very truly,-[F. A. South l kn1