[Bible in English.] HOLY BIBLE. Oxford: Clarendon Press by Dawson, Bensley, and Cooke, 1799. 

Octavo (App. 5.25 x 2.75 in). 

The most important American Methodist artifact to reach the market in over forty years. 

Rev. Richard Whatcoat (1736-1806) was one of three ministers chosen by John Wesley to travel from England to America in 1784, and his ministry would carry him across the 13 fledgling states. At the Christmas Conference of 1784, Whatcoat played an important role in the organization of the new American denomination. As one of the fathers of American Methodism, he accompanied Francis Asbury on long missionary journeys throughout the newly established United States. 

Whatcoat never married, and he passed away at the home of Gov. Richard Bassett of Dover, Delaware. While Whatcoat did not sign the text, the front free endpaper bears the faded early ink inscription by E. Bassett, "Presented to Ann ---(?) by her beloved Aunt E. Bassett." The title-page is signed "A. C. Bayard," who was the daughter of Gov. Richard Bassett (Ann married James Asheton Bayard.)

Richard Bassett was a senator from Delaware, Governor of Delaware, one of the signors of the Constitution, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and a U.S. Circuit Court Judge appointed by John Adams. He was also a devout Methodist. 

The binding is quite early, and given the Whatcoat-Bassett relationship, this Bible was likely given to the Bassetts by Whatcoat as a final parting gift around the time of his death. Further, it is probable that the Bassets had the Bible finely bound and lettered as it is "not to be given away." The Bassetts would certainly have been able to afford a fine binding. 

Whatcoat was elected the third Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church at the annual conference held in Baltimore, Maryland in May of 1800. The Bible was apparently presently to him at the time of his election. 

During the last few years of his ministry Whatcoat continued to travel and preach even though he was often unwell, by then he was in his late sixties. In July 1805 he wrote "Notwithstanding my infirm state of body, through the blessing of God. I have been able to travel three thousand four hundred and sixteen miles the last twelve month.....I have great reason to bless God, who has preserved me these many years as an itinerant preacher, during which he have delivered me from many afflictions of body and mind."

At the time of his death in 1806, he had been in itinerant ministry for 37 years, 22 of them in the United States. He never returned to England.

A truly extraordinary Bible with an extraordinary provenance, nicely bound, and now housed in a custom drop-spine case (Herbert 1439). 

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