Carlisle and Kewley Bibles
By Darrin Lythgoe
Background
This page contains photos of two Bibles, the smaller one brought from England by John G. Carlisle, the other brought from the Isle of Man by John's future wife, Margaret Kewley. John came west to Utah driving a freight wagon for William Godbe in 1855. The Kewley family arrived with the ill-fated Martin Handcart Company in 1856. All photographs were provided by David Carlisle, a great grandson. The actual bibles are owned by Howard Carlisle, and will eventually be donated to Utah State University library in Logan, Utah as part of a collection of Carlisle and Kewley memorabilia.
Click on each photo to see a larger version in a separate window.
For high-resolution copies, please send an e-mail request
to darrin@lythgoes.net.
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<< Outside front covers |
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<< Inside front covers |
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<< Carlisle bible, inside front cover. Inscription reads, "This book was gave to John Carlile by his sister Becky for a keepsake as he was leven [leaving] his native land to sale [sail] to Amerak [America]. Mary Ann Casety his sister and his sis. Searer [Sarah] Storer and his Besey Wakefield his sisters Merier [Maria] and Searer [Sarah] Carlile." Mary Ann Casety [Cassaday? Cassidy?] and Besey Wakefield are the daughters of Mary Shannon and her first husband, and so are John Carlisle's half sisters. |
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<< Carlisle bible, opposite inside front cover. Inscription reads, "A gift to Annie E. K. C. [Annie Elizabeth Kewley Carlisle] from her father [month unreadable] 24th 1872." Faint pencil inscription at the top seems to indicate that the book was later given to Annie's brother John E. Carlisle. |
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<< Carlisle bible, opposite title page. Clipping reads, "KEWLEY KEWLEY March 10, at the New Jerusalem Church, Bedford-street North, by the Rev. C. G. McPherson, B.A., Mr. William Henry Kewley, of this town, to Elizabeth, second daughter of Mr. James Kewley, late of Peel, Isle of Man." Elizabeth Kewley was Margaret's sister. The year and location of this marriage is unclear. |
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<< Kewley bible, inside front cover. Inscription reads, "Jno. E. Carlisle, Logan, Cache Co., Utah". John E. Carlisle was the son of John and Margaret Carlisle. |
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<< Kewley bible, opposite inside front cover. Inscription reads, "Presented to Margaret Kewley from C.E. Clucas as a parting gift, May 12th 1856." C. E. Clucas was probably Catherine Ellen Kewley Clucas, a sister of William Henry Kewley and half cousin of Margaret Kewley. The Martin Company boarded the ship at Liverpool on May 24th. |
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<< Kewley bible, sample of inside pages. Note the water damage in the lower corners which probably occured during the events of the Martin Handcart Company. Most other pages are less damaged. |
John Carlisle and Margaret Kewley apparently bought another family bible after they got married. We have these very old photocopies of two pages of that bible. The bible is now in the possession of Ben Carlisle (Salt Lake City, Utah).
Marriages![]() |
Births, First Page![]() |
Births, Second Page![]() |










