Embedded Files
The Priestley Family Bible
The Priestley Family Bible
The Priestley Family Bible
This bible is considered by many, to be our most precious family taonga (treasure) as it is the only Priestley family artifact from England, that is left in New Zealand today.
What makes this taonga so special is the fact that it was given as a gift, and as we know, gifts come with many meanings.
We can only speculate, on what meaning(s) this gift came with-
it may have represented a coming of age
it may have been given as a guide to an unknown future
it may have been a symbol of a lasting connection between a parent and a child
it may have meant all the above and more
Whatever the original meaning of the bible, it seems to have served it's purpose well.
It has survived the ravages of time, and has seen the Priestley family through numerous generations, and over time, it has grown to mean so much more.
We are very grateful to Bill Paku for sharing the Priestley family bible and its story with us. It is a story of care and dedication that not too many families are fortunate enough to tell.
He Taonga - He Taonga - He Taonga
Any corrections, additional information or pictures relevant to this page are welcome and can be submitted to myself, or through the website contacts in the sidebar. Accreditation is given, where applicable. Many thanks to all those who have contributed.
Merv Priestley email
A Panui by Bill Paku
(click any of the images below to enlarge)
The Origin of the Bible
The Origin of the Bible
The family bible had it's origin in Buckden, Huntingdonshire, England when my great-grandfather Charles Priestley (b.1826) received it from his father Augustine (b.1783) as a gift in 1851.
At the time, Charles would have been 24 years old and Augustine 67 years .
The first bible inscription on the inner leaf reads:
Charles Priestley
The gift of his father
April 9th 1851
The inscription is somewhat faded so it has been scanned and enlarged for better legibility. It is unsure whose writing this is.
The date could have been 1851 or 1857. It may have looked more like a seven so that is why it may have been overwritten that way.
My conclusion is that Charles received the bible from his father Augustine in 1851 because by 1857, Charles was already living in New Zealand and his father Augustine had already passed away hence the transcription reads 1851.
The Bible with Charles Priestley
The Bible with Charles Priestley
My great grandfather Charles Priestley (b.1826) brought the bible with him from England via Australia to New Zealand and must have had it with him wherever he set up residence.
Once he arrived in Puatai and decided to start a family, the next inscriptions in the bible recorded the dates of all of his and wife Tariapine's family events (Pages 1 & 2). It is unsure who wrote the original inscriptions on these pages.
From the time that Charles received the bible to the time of his death was a period of approximately 37 years.
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
The Bible with William A Priestley
The Bible with William A Priestley
My Grandfather William Augustine Priestley (b.1871) must have received the bible some time after his father Charles death in 1889 and had the bible in his keeping for the rest of his life.
William was just 17 years old when his father Charles died aged 62 years.
Once William married Kate Campbell and started a family, their family dates were the next to be recorded in the bible.
The family births of their first 2 children Wi Kepa and Amelia (Dine) I believe were entered by Kate (Rangi Kahiwa) Campbell their mother at the top of page 3. I say this and not William because I had the full set of grandfather’s diaries for many years, so I was quite familiar with his writing.
The next entry into the bible indicates that Amelia's daughter Joan Robinson (b. 1911) entered her own birth date.
The record of William and Kate Campbell’s marriage (Page 2), the other children (Pages 3 & 4) are in Katharine (Kitty) Priestley’s handwriting (their daughter and my mother).
From the time that William inherited the bible to the time of his death was a period of approximately 48 years.
The Bible with Katharine (Kitty) Priestley
The Bible with Katharine (Kitty) Priestley
My mother Katharine (Kitty) Priestley (b.1910) was the next carer of the bible from the time of her father William's death.
Kitty was 27 years old when her father William died in 1937 aged 66 years.
She had the bible in her keeping for the remainder of her life and a total period of approximately 36 years.
The Bible with Bill Paku (Recently Revised)
The Bible with Bill Paku (Recently Revised)
I was 43 years old when my mother Katharine (Kitty) died in 1974 aged 63 years. When her estate fell into the hands of others, it was my Uncle Charles Priestley, the youngest of her brothers who recovered the bible and brought it to me.
At one time I handed the bible back to Uncle Charles thinking perhaps that one of his children with the family name Priestley should have it. My cousins have since seen fit to put it back in my care for which I am eternally grateful.
The future of the family bible is being carefully considered and I assure you that it is being carefully kept and safeguarded in the meantime.
(The bible has since moved on, however Bill had the bible in his keeping for 44 years).
Bill Paku
March 2015
It was August 2015 when I happened to be in Gisborne attending a hui when I paid a visit to Uncle Bill Paku. During this visit the responsibility to care for our Priestley Family Bible for the next generation was handed to me.
(Uncle Bill's letter of intent is here)
It is an absolute honour to bestowed such a role, and one that I take with equal measures of pride and duty. Since the start of my tenure I have taken it on tour and escorted it to family functions including Papa Charles unveiling. I have now further protected the bible by storing it inside a fire and waterproof case.
In my opinion, the role of kaitiaki is not only to ensure that our family bible is cared for, but also to ensure that the family have access to it. Therefore if there are any family occasions where the bible with be of use or interest to the family, please contact me to make arrangements.
nga mihinui,
Merv Priestley
Sept 2017
The Journey Continues (New)
The Journey Continues (New)
The Bible Facts and Figures
The colophon on the inside cover provides information on the printing and distribution of the bible.
Printing
It was printed at the University Press of Oxford. Article - Oxford University Press.
The roman numerals M.DCCC.XLIX indicate it was printed in 1849.
Brevior 8vo
relates to the size of the paper the bible was printed on
(Latin) Abbreviation of octavo., a page size (5"-6.25" x 7.5"-10").
Cum Privilegio
relates to the copyright of the bible
(Latin) with privilege - used especially in a published book to indicate that the issue is duly licensed or authorised
Distribution
Augustine Priestley (b.1783) may have purchased the bible from one of these booksellers but this is unlikely to ever be confirmed.
Sold by E. Gardner and Son, Oxford Bible Warehouse, Paternoster Row,
and by G.B Whittaker and Co. Ava-Maria Lane, London ;
Also by J. and C. Mozley, Derby
Price
Bibles around that time may have cost about 2 shillings.
The average weekly wage (60 + hour week) ranged from 35s for professionals to 12s for labourers.
Therefore bibles may have cost the equivalent of a half day to a days wage (10+ hour day), a rather significant price.
The Bible Timeline
The Bible Timeline
1849 The bible was manufactured
1851 The bible was bought by Augustine Priestley and gifted to son Charles Priestley
1889 The bible was inherited by son William Priestley
1937 The bible was inherited by daughter Katharine Priestley
1974 The bible was inherited by Bill Paku
2015 The bible is shared online with the Priestley family
2015 The bible was passed on to Merv Priestley
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse