The Gallt Family Bible

William Gallt came to America in the fall of 1740.  I believe he was accompanied by his oldest son William on the journey from Kilraghts, in Co. Antrim, Ireland.  The Gallt's were part of a Scotch-Irish presbyterian group led by the Rev. Samuel Dunlop who fled northern Ireland.

Upon arrival in America, it seems the group wintered in Londonderry, New Hampshire. In early 1741 they traveled to Cherry Valley, New York, where they settled.  A total of seven families, including some 30 people, were in the original party from Londonderry.

The Gallt family bible was printed in 1728 and is believed to have originally belonged to the younger William.  It has been handed down through the generations from oldest son to oldest son.

The bible narrowly escaped destruction during the Cherry Valley massacre on Nov. 11, 1778.  Although William was scalped during the massacre and subsequently died, two of his sons survived.  Oldest son John, and his brother Joseph, escaped Cherry Valley during the massacre and brought the bible with them.*

While in my possession, I have carefully taken a series of pictures of the handwritten inscriptions that appear on the pages between the New and Old Testaments in the bible.  Those pictures are included below for those interested in viewing them.  I have also made a careful transciptions of the handwriting and reproduced it on the accompanying pages.

James G. Gallt
February 2000

* Information recently provided to me by Bill Simpson seems to suggest that another of the Gallt sons may have survived the massacre.  In his will dated March 4, 1779, the elder William leaves his entire estate to "my well-beloved naturall son William."  It would be difficult to explain this passage in the will had the younger William not survived the massacre.  Perhaps it was second son William who survived, and not John as has been reported elsewhere  (Jim Gallt, February 12, 2001).

The pictures:

Please contact Jim Gallt with comments or additions to the Gallt Page.

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