The Forman Family Bible

On Friday 14 September 2018, I received a strange email via Ancestry.com's Message Center from a Vicky Marquis. She wrote that she watched the shopgoodwill.com auction sites for old family Bibles in the hope of reconnecting them with their family members. (First of all, isn't that an amazing endeavor!?!) She said there was an 1819 Holy Bible with a long list of lineage that looked as though it might belong to my family through Isaac Forman.

We have an Isaac Forman in this time period, who we were pretty sure was the father of Samuel L. Forman since they were buried in the same plot. But nothing concrete connected them.

I went to look at the photos of this auction, with absolutely no expectations… So imagine my shock and surprise to see Isaac Forman's name as the father of Samuel LONGSTREET Forman, and other family members whose names I recognized. PLUS a huge list of names I had never known before!

At the top, Mary's 2 sons from her first marriage. Samuel Longstreet Forman son of Isaac and Mary Forman was born November 22 1805. (Siblings: Julian, Jane Emilia, Harriet and William )

I put in a large bid and waited anxiously, but I just knew that Bible was coming home, and it did! I'm sure it's hard to tell from the photo but it's 11"x 9" by 4" thick. It is covered in an animal skin – there is a loose note tucked inside that says the animal skin was from an animal [looks like a deer] killed by Isaac Forman (1767-1849) – so it's old! The Bible has an interesting smell – kind of like wood smoke and old paper.

Mary & Isaac's birthdates, followed by the names and birthdates of Isaac's children with
1st wife, Emilia or Emily (Eliza, Mariah, Susan Woodrow, Thomas)

The children of  Isaac's parents Thomas and Elizabeth Forman (Mary, Thomas, Rebecca
Elizabeth, Isaac, Sarah, William)

Deaths of: Peter Wm. Grayham (Mary's son from her first marriage), Isaac, Samuel L, Julian,
Jane Emilia Rogers, Susan - no information there, Harriet Forman Arrison

I had high hopes that there would be more pages of names besides the ones shown in the auction photos. Turns out there were 2 additional pages. The first is for marriages and shows Isaac's marriage to his second wife, Mary. (23 January 1805) No other records on this page.

Deaths of both of Isaac's wives. The only records on this page.

What we know now that we didn't know before the Bible:

• Isaac Forman is the father of Samuel L. Forman
• The "L" in Samuel's name stands for Longstreet.
• Isaac's wife Mary (1774-1841) is the mother of Samuel and 4 other children. (She's also buried in the plot so we had assumed this connection…)
• Isaac had a first wife – Emilia, and 4 children with her.
• Mary had a first husband – William Grayham [Graham], and had 2 boys with him.
• So this was a yours, mine, and ours family – 11 children in total!
• We now also know that Isaac's parents are Thomas Forman and Elizabeth (don't know her maiden name unfortunately.) And his 6 siblings' names and dates of birth. 
• Also some other marriage and death dates. 

With this information I have been able to ascertain that Isaac's wife, Mary, was the daughter of Samuel Longstreet, and I've found the names of all of Mary's 5 siblings. This was all in a will (snippet below)  that established Mary as the wife of Isaac Forman.

I have also found a record for their marriage. (They were married 23 Jan 1805 in Middlesex, New Jersey.)

I've heard of these kinds of 'miracle' stories but never expected to experience one myself. I am so happy to have the Bible back in the family. I have it stored in an archival box wrapped in archival tissue. I shared it at the last family Christmas party/brunch. I'm anxious for family members to see it since it actually belongs to us all.

Just so you understand where this Forman line extends:
Edgar C. Forman (1896-1981)<<Wm C Forman(1859-1934)<<Wm Lake Forman(1829-1919)<<Samuel L Forman(1805-1844)<<Isaac Forman (1867-1849)<<Thomas Forman (1735-????)