An Outlaw Family Bible and a Lesson on Mormonism

Click to Enlarge

I was recently given the opportunity to check out a family Bible that had belonged to my fourth great grandparents, George and Luday Perry Outlaw.

In case you are researching Outlaw Family Genealogy and landed on this page of my blog from a Google search, I hope these names and dates will help you fill in some blanks on your own family tree.

George took the time to record our family genealogy for the future and I'm glad to have the opportunity to continue to preserve it.

Click to Enlarge

l to r: Elizabeth Temperance Outlaw Cobb, Mary Etta Cobb Brantley,
William Day Brantley, Virginia Brantley Lovelace
and Shirley Lovelace Williams

George and his wife, Luday, were the parents of Elizabeth Temperance Outlaw Cobb, who was the mother of Mary Etta Cobb Brantley, who was the mother of William Day Brantley, who was the father of Virginia Brantley Lovelace, who was the mother of Shirley Lovelace Williams, who is my mother.

Click to Enlarge

On one of the first pages of the Bible is written, "Geo W Outlaw's Book."

Click to Enlarge

The illustration on another of the first pages of the Bible is titled, "Moses Found" and, according to the caption was, "Drawn and Engraved by O. H. Throop, Merchants Exchange N. York."

After a little online research, I can share that Orramel Hinckley Throop was born 12 Jun 1798 in Lebanon, CT.

By 1820, he had a business card which you can check out here. His office was "over the Portland Bank on Middle Street" and his occupation was "engraver." From 1823 to 1824, he and his brother, David Throop worked together in Portland, then from 1825 to 1831 he worked in New York.

He must have liked travel and adventure because in 1832, he took his engraving business to New Orleans. That was short-lived and finally, from 1845 to 1850, he worked in Richmond, VA.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum has one of his engravings in their collection but it is not currently on display. One of Throop's engravings is also in the collection of The Metroplitan Museum of Art. You can find the information about "American Hotel, 229 Broadway, Opposite the Park, New York" on their site but there is no image.

Click to Enlarge

The language used on the title page is interesting in that it gives a great deal of information on the history of this particular Bible which was printed in 1828.

"H. & E. Phinney's Stereotype Edition, The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments translated out of the original tounges and with the former translations diligently compared and revised with Canne's marinal notes and references to which are added an index; an alphabetical table of all the names of the old and new testimaents, with their signifcations; tables and scripture weights, measures, and coins, &c.,

Cooperstown, (N. Y.), stereotyped, printed and published by H. & E. Phinney, and sold by them at their book-store, and by booksellers generally in the United States. 1828"

You can find a lot of info available online about the publishers, Henry and Elihu Phinney Jr.

Now for the lesson on Mormonism.

I found it particularly interesting, considering the Grand Old Party's current presidential candidate, and my lack of knowledge of the history of the Mormon faith, that a copy of this very same version of the Bible was used by founder Joseph Smith as reference for his own translation of the Bible.

While my ancestors were using this Bible to record their history in Tennessee, Joseph Smith was in Western New York using his copy to create a book that would launch a religion.

According to The Philadelphia Rare Books and Manuscripts Company:

"He (Smith) claimed to have been especially inspired by God to restore the true original text of the Scriptures, which had been corrupted by copyists, editors, and revisers. Using a copy of this edition, including the Apocrypha, as his basis, he proceeded—without benefit of knowing ancient languages and entirely by revelation—to dictate additions, deletions, and changes to the text, which were written down by elders of the Mormon Church and incorporated into what became known as the Joseph Smith translation. This process of revision or “translation” was begun in 1830 and the bulk of it was completed by the end of 1833. The result is a unique text that differs from the Authorized Version in at least 3,410 verses, as well as substantially differing from all other versions of the Bible. Many of the changes made purport to correct verses that imply that God is the author of evil, while some others are on unique points of Mormon doctrine."

While the Outlaw family did not start a religion, they did record a great deal of genealogy information.

Family members whose births are recorded in the Bible are:

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Page 1 (note: I transcribed the way information was originally written)

George Washington Outlaw the son of Jacob and Winnaford Outlaw his wife was borned on Sept 18 1803

Luday Perry was borned May 6th 1800

Andrew Jackson Outlaw the son of George Outlaw and Luday his wife was born March 22 1825

Harriet Ann Outlaw the daughter of George Outlaw and Luday his wife was borned june 1st 1829

Martha Winnaford Outlaw the daughter of George Outlaw and Luday his wife was borned April 3rd 1832

Ludy and George W. Outlaw left North Carolina with his family for the ? in the year 1831 and settled in Madison County Tenn 1832

Jacob Outlaw the son of George W. Outlaw and Luday his wife was borned Sept 1st 1831

Elizabeth Temperance Outlaw the daughter of George W. Outlaw and Luday his wife was borned November 5th 1836

Sarah Jane Outlaw the daughter of George W. Outlaw and Luday his wife was borned the 4th of February 1839

Luday Outlaw the daughter of George W. Outlaw and Luday his wife was borned June 24th 1840

Mary Perry the daughter of Jas. Perry and Lara his wife was borned June 25th 1833

Page 2

Nancy ? Perry, the daughter of Jas. Perry and Lara his wife was born the 9 of ? 1835

Marion Jackson Carter, Son of Henderson H. Carter and Marllia his wife was born 1st day of Nov. 1855

George Outlaw Carter, the son of H. H. Carter and Martha W. his wife was borned 17th of Dec 1856

Elnora Carter (can't read but I know she was born in 1859)

William P. Outlaw son of A. J. Outlaw and Harriet his wife was borned September 27th 1862

Marion Jackson Carter Son of H Carter and Martha his wife ? Jany 10th 1850

Solomon A. Outlaw the son of A. J. Outlaw and Harriett his wife was borned June 5th 1864

George Arthur Outlaw the son of A. J. Outlaw and Harriett his wife was born August 6th 1865

Luday Elizabeth Outlaw the daughter of A. J. Outlaw and Harriet his wife was borned Sept 1 1867

Elenora Carter daughter of HH Carter and Martha his wife was ? life the 30th of October

Family members whose deaths are recorded are:

Click to Enlarge

Winnaford Outlaw departed this life February 12th 1830 aged about 3 years

Jacob Outlaw dide January 21st 1832 aged 75 in Brownsville

Jacob Outlaw the son of George W. and Luday Outlae dide March 6th 1838

Sara Jane Outlaw daughter of George Outlaw and Luday his wife diparted this life the ? 1840

Luday Outlaw the wife of George W. Outlaw departed this life June 24th 1840 aged 40 years 1 months 18 days

Luday Outlaw the daughter of George Outlaw and Luday his wife departed this life 15th of ?

George W. Outlaw departed this life the 11th April 1861 Aged 57 years, 6 months and 23 days

Solomon A. J. Outlaw the son of A. J. Outlaw and his wife departed this life the 24 day of August 1864 Aged 2 months and 19 days

George Arthur Outlaw the son of A. J. Outlaw and Harriett his wife departed this life March 10 1890

Minnie Outlaw the daughter of A. J. Outlaw and Harriett his wife departed this life March 11th 1871

T. A. Cobb the son of E. T. Outlaw died February 2 1920 (William Thomas Cobb was the husband of Elizabeth "Bet" Temperance Outlaw and the son of John Hardy Cobb. Because he was added, I assume the Bible was in the possession of Bet at the time. )

Family members whose marriages are recorded are:

George W. Outlaw was married to Luday Perry the 6th of March 1828

A. J. Outlaw was married to H. A. Williams 29th of December 1859

Martha W. Outlaw the daughter of G. W. Outlaw was married to H. H. Carter the 1st Feb 1855

From the information in George Outlaw's Bible, "Nicholas Cobb Descendants" by Joe Cobb,  and information available online, we know a great deal about him and his family.

George was born 18 Sep 1803 in Bertie Co., NC to Jacob and Winifred Wilson Outlaw. George's paternal grandfather was John Outlaw who was born in 1712 in Norfolk Co., VA and his paternal great grandfather was Ralph Outlaw who was born, also in Norfolk Co., VA, in 1690.

George's paternal second great grandfather was Edward Outlaw who was born around 1650 and immigrated, along with his brother, to Virginia from England around 1665.

George married Luday Perry in Bertie Co., NC on 26 Mar 1823 and they migrated to the Ararat Community in Madison Co., TN around 1831 where they became some of the original settlers of that community.

George's father, Jacob, appears to have died on the way, in Knoxville, TN.

George and Luday's children were Andrew Jackson "Jack" Outlaw, Harriet Outlaw Wynns, Martha Winnaford Outlaw Carter, Elizabeth "Bet" Temperance Outlaw Cobb, Jacob Outlaw, Sarah Jane Outlaw and Luday Outlaw.

The three youngest children died as infants or toddlers.

Luday Perry Outlaw died 24 Jun 1842 at the age of 42 leaving George with a house full of small children. The youngest, my third great grandmother, Bet,  was just six years old at the time. Luday was buried at the Ararat Church Cemetery near Huntersville, TN.

George and his son, Jack, had funded the building of the Ararat Church and George was also instrumental in the building of Zion Baptist Church in Haywood Co.

18 years after the death of his first wife, George married 20-year-old Rowena Linley on 11 Mar 1860 in Haywood Co., TN at the age of 56. He soon left Haywood Co. and moved to Earle, AR.

According to Joe Cobb's book:

"After George Outlaw's second marriage, he moved to Arkansas in the vicinity of Earle. His reason for moving to Arkansas was that he could not tolerate the disagreements which existed between his last (new) wife and his children."

Unfortunately, George died on 11 Apr 1861 shortly after moving to Earl with his new wife. I am not certain where he is buried.

For more blog entries, visit my Blog Home Page or to check out the genealogy research about my specific family lines, go to Haywood County Line Genealogy Page.