“The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments: translated out of the original tongues, and with the former translations diligently compared and revised.
By His Majesty’s Special Command.
Appointed to be read in Churches.
“Edinburgh, Printed by Sir J. H. Blair and J. Bruce, Printers to the King’s Most Excellent Majesty. 1799.”
It carries the following inscriptions:—
“this Bible
is a token of respect to
Wᵐ Chambers
from his Sister Mary
on the 23ᵈ of Septr 1805
and hopes he will esteem it
and By the Grace of it’s Author
find in it a faithfull
Companion a Wise Counseler
a Comfortable and Sure Guide
through every Dispensation
of Life that it may Please
the Almighty to Place
—him in—”
“Wᵐ Chambers his Book / Gibralter Octʳ 24ᵗʰ 1806”
“In case of Death By Accident I trust the Person Whoever this Book may fall in their hands that will send a Line to the Person mentioned in the above hand. Intimating the same Octʳ 24 1806 Wᵐ Chambers”
Then, happily, in another inscription, signed “R. Chambers,” we get the story completed:—
“Wᵐ Chambers of the 42ⁿᵈ
Lost his Life by Accident Feby
20ᵗʰ 1807 at Gibralter this Bible
fell to the care of his Comrade
Andrew Leach and became
his Companion through many
troubles they landed at Lisbon
Sept 2ᵈ 1808 and from their
they Marched to Salamanca
in Spain from which they
retreated under the greatest
hardships to Coruna
where on the 16ᵗʰ of Jany 1809
they were preserved in a most
dreadfull Conflict with the
Enemy and on the 27 landed
Safe in England he sent
this object of his Care and
Consolation to me April 10ᵗʰ
1809
R Chambers”
On a fly-leaf at the end of the Bible are the three following separate inscriptions:—