Wightman Family Newsletter

The Wightman Family Bible
George (the immigrant) Wightman's "Great Bible," which he brought with him from England, has been preserved and protected by the George Wightman line of the family. It is presently in the custody of George Wightman XIII, living in the Boston area. It is possible that the Bible was purchased by Edward, the Martyr. It is reported to have been printed in 1587 by John Wolfe. It was an earlier translation than the King James version. Possibly some of Edward's "heretical" ideas came from a literal reading of the scriptures. Certainly the idea of "Baptism by Immersion" and non-doctrinal aspects of infant baptism were given serious thought by many. Eventually these ideas became basic doctrines of the many Baptist churches.

Below is a page from the "Wightman Family Bible ".

Note:
The Wightman Bible is probably a copy of the "Geneva" translation, which was the most popular version of the English Bible from the time it was first printed in 1560, until several decades afterwards.
The Geneva Bible was the work of religious leaders exiled from England to Geneva, Switzerland, during the 1550's. It was the first English bible to divide the scriptures into numbered verses. It was the most widely read and influential English bible of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Its use was tolerated during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, but King James I considered it to be "seditious" (mostly because of the marginal notes it contained). He authorized a new translation, which was first printed in 1611. Even so, the unauthorized and illegal Geneva Bible outsold the authorized King James version for several more decades.
A copy of the Geneva Bible was the first English bible to be brought to America. It was the version most favored by the Pilgrims and Puritans.