Thomas Scott’s five-volume edition of the Holy Bible, printed between 1814 and 1816 by J. Seymour for Dodge & Sayre, is an icon of early 19th-century American evangelical scholarship. Commonly referred to as "Scott’s Bibles," this rare set was a cornerstone of family and ecclesiastical libraries. It is distinguished by its seamless integration of the Authorized King James Version text with Scott's own extensive explanatory notes, "Practical Observations," and an exhaustive system of marginal references.

This specific printing is designated as the Fourth American, from the Second London Edition, Improved and Enlarged. The iconic nature of the set, offers a snapshot of American publishing as the War of 1812 was drawing to a close. The historical significance of this early New York printing lies in its overwraught thoroughness, designed to make deep theological study approachable for the everyday reader while remaining an authoritative standard for the clergy.

The set divides the Bible into five large quarto volumes: the first three covering the Old Testament (Genesis through Malachi) and the final two dedicated to the New Testament. Beyond its text, these volumes are prized today as artifacts of early American publishing, bound in high-quality full calf leather with gold-stamped spines, reflecting the value placed on religious study during the period. Shaw & Shoemaker 30866 | Fourth American Edition | Quarto Format (5 Volumes Complete: 11 × 8.5 inches | 27.94 × 21.59 cm)

Price $1,650 | Purchase Page | See all

SKU: 92381 (E)

About this Particular Bible

This is an exquisite five-volume quarto set of Thomas Scott's monumental commentary, beautifully bound in full calf with very nice gilt tooling. Notably, this historic set features the gilt-stamped name of a previous owner, 'HANNAH HOFF', elegantly preserved across the lower spine compartments.

This is a Fourth American Printing, Printed from the Second London Edition, Improved and Enlarged—a testament to how hungry the early American Republic was for authoritative British theology. Thomas Scott's evangelical commentary was the most widely read biblical guide of its generation, and printing a massive five-volume project of this scale on Pearl Street by master typography printer Jonathan Seymour required immense material investment in a blockaded wartime economy. The beautiful preservation of the owner's name, "HANNAH HOFF", stamped directly in gold across the spine, elevates this set from a simple theological text to a deeply personal piece of early 19th-century history, documenting the exact cross-section where elite craftsmanship met everyday devotion in a growing America.

Volume I: Genesis to 2 Chronicles

Volume II: Ezra to Solomon's Song

Volume III: Isaiah to Malachi

Volume IV: Matthew to Acts

Volume V: Romans to Revelation

The Exterior

The Bibles have undergone a conservation treatment. All boards firmly attached. The original leather has been treated and protected to prevent flaking, ensuring its preservation for many years, potentially extending its lifespan by another 100 years with proper care.

The Interior

These Bibles have their original pastedowns and original fly leaves. Some volumes show minor tears at the inner hinge of the fly-leaf, after-which the pages appear quite nice throughout, with minor foxing, consistent with it's age. It is crucial to understand that these are not new Bibles; they are antiquarian books that should be treated accordingly, in this case, a set of 212 year-old Bibles.

We provide detailed photographs to allow you to assess the book's condition and aesthetic appeal. Many, if not all, of the early books and Bibles we offer will show signs of aging, whether it's foxing on the pages, dog-eared or chipped corners, inscriptions from previous owners, or staining from years of use.

Provenance & Collector Significance:

The New Jersey / Ohio Pioneer Connection

Hannah Hoff (1774–1857)

Her direct relation to the settling of Ohio is defined by the following historical connections:

• The New Jersey Connection: Hannah was of Dutch ancestry, born to Rev. Daniel Hoff, who originated from Somerset County, New Jersey. She married John Dye Jr., who was born in Middlesex County, New Jersey. [1, 2]

• The Migration to Ohio: After temporary settlement in Prince William County, Virginia, Hannah, her husband, and the extended Hoff and Dye families migrated to Ohio via flatbottom boat down the Ohio River in 1805, just after Ohio achieved statehood. [1, 2]

• Establishing Early Townships: The families established prominent early homesteads in Washington County, Ohio, specifically pioneering the communities of Cow Run, Lawrence Township, and Fearing Township. []

• Historical Legacy: Hannah and her husband are buried in the historic Dye Cemetery in Lawrence Township, cementing their status as founding pioneer figures of that region.

Volume I bears the signature of Hannah Hoff (1774–1857). To provide historical context for this pioneering family, her direct relation to the settling of Ohio is documented as follows

Provenance Bibliographic Citations

1. Primary Family Records and Biographical Compilations:

• Butler, J. (Comp.). "John Dye 2 - Ezekiel's Brother." The Dye Family Genealogy Database. Available from John Dye Database at the University of Houston. [1]

• Butler, J. (Comp.). "Andrew Jackson Dye: Correspondence and Records (1904 Letter by Charlotte Dye)." The Dye Family Genealogy Database. Available from Andrew Jackson Dye Records. [1]

2. Regional Historical and County Records:

• History of Washington County, Ohio: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men. (1881). Cleveland, OH: H.Z. Williams & Bro.

• "Daniel Hoff (abt.1745–abt.1802) Profile & Pioneer Records." WikiTree Free Family Tree. Database entry based on Washington County early settler rolls. Available from WikiTree Daniel Hoff Entry. [1]

3. Cemetery and Burial Registries:

• Find a Grave. "John Laurens Dye Jr. (1733–1822) & Hannah Hoff Dye (1774–1857) Memorials." Dye Cemetery, Lawrence Township, Washington County, Ohio. Memorial ID: 18800628. Available from Find a Grave Cemetery Registry. [1, 2]

This beautiful set carries a remarkably clear, multi-layered provenance documenting over two centuries of private preservation. Having an individual’s name professionally stamped in gold across a massive multi-volume quarto set was a costly luxury in the Early American Republic, typically reserved for wealthy families or presented as a significant milestone gift, such as a dowry or marriage piece.

The lower compartments of the leather spines feature the crisp, contemporary gilt-stamped name of the original owner, 'HANNAH HOFF.' While two wealthy families in the New York and New Jersey borderlands shared this name in 1814—including a matriarch of the affluent Morris County iron-mining dynasties—an exquisite, fluent ink signature inside the book definitively anchors the set to Hannah Hoff Dye (1774–1857).The prominent signature at the top of the Author's First Preface is penned in a beautiful English Roundhand/Copperplate script, a highly disciplined style of cursive matching her late-18th-century education. Born into a devout, multi-generational religious family in Somerville, New Jersey, Hannah was the daughter of the Reverend Daniel Hoff (1747–1802). She married John Dye Jr. in 1792, and her family ultimately became prominent early pioneers who settled Washington County, Ohio.

This set is a treasured artifact that traveled with a prominent East Coast Pioneeer family during the migration era.

Intimate Portrait: Behind the crisp gold tooling on the spine is a tangible link to a woman whose life directly spanned the foundational eras of the Early American Republic.

Born in 1774 in Prince William County, Virginia, on the eve of the American Revolution, Hannah Hoff was the daughter of the Reverend Daniel Hoff, a minister with deep roots in Somerville, New Jersey. In 1792, she married John Dye Jr., and in 1805, they joined a historic wave of early westward migration, permanently relocating to settle along Cow Run in Lawrence Township, Washington County, Ohio. When this massive, expensive five-volume theological commentary was printed in New York in 1814, Hannah was a 40-year-old established matriarch on the Ohio frontier, navigating life during the economic hardships of the War of 1812. In an era where books were costly capital investments and paper was scarce, acquiring a deluxe, multi-volume quarto set with her name permanently stamped in gold was a deliberate act of cultural and spiritual preservation. Her beautiful signature inside Volume I on the preface matches the exact style of disciplined English Roundhand cursive taught and practiced by the literate women of her generation. Living until 1857, Hannah survived the death of her husband by over thirty years, witnessing Ohio's transformation from a rugged territory into a populated, industrialized state. This set stands as a verifiable historical document, demonstrating how early frontier families maintained literacy and geneaological connections across generations of migration.

Beyond Hannah Hoff:

Multi-layered ownership; the lower spines feature the original 1814 gilt-stamped name of Hannah Hoff, while the title pages bear the discrete 20th-century blue ink stamp of collector Manuel M. Zlotow, beautifully documenting the book's journey across two centuries of preservation.

Price $1,650 | Purchase Page  | See all SKU: 92381 (E)

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