The return of Mary Jones’ Bible to Bala
The Mary Jones Bible returned to Bala, Wales, on 18 March and was on show to the public until 20 March. The Bible left Bala 215 years ago in Mary’s possession. In 1800, when she was only 15 years old, Mary walked over twenty miles barefoot from Llanfihangel y Pennant to Bala to buy herself a Welsh Bible from Rev Thomas Charles. The story of her walk inspired Rev Charles to found the British and Foreign Bible Society (now Bible Society) in 1804.
Bibles were scarce and expensive, and as Mary was from a poor family she had to save for six years to afford one. When Mary met Rev Charles, her determination to have her own Bible in Welsh profoundly impacted on him, and he wanted to help other people who – like Mary – longed for bibles in their mother tongue, but faced barriers in getting them.
Dr Onesimus Ngundu with Mary Jones’ Bible at a Bala primary school
Mary’s original Bible is kept in the Bible Society Archives at Cambridge University Library. Its guardian who took the Bible back to Bala after over 200 years is the Bible Society Librarian, Dr Onesimus Ngundu. On Friday 18 March he, along with local members of the Bible Society, visited six schools with the Bible.
From 3pm the Bible was taken to Barclays Bank in Bala, which stands on the site of Thomas Charles’ house where Mary Jones received her Bible. On Saturday 19 March over 1,000 people came between 10:00am and 4:00pm to view the Bible at the Mary Jones World visitor centre, recently opened by the Bible Society in Llancycil, Bala. Mary’s story is behind the translation of the Bible into over 2000 languages from all around the world.
Dr Onesimus Ngundu with Mary Jones’ Bible and members of the Bible Society, Bala
What an amazing 🤩 love for the Word of God portrayed by an young girl like Mary Jones and followed up by ministers like Thomas Charles and Wilberforce and their team. Do not despise the small beginnings is the moral of Mary Jones life and passion to get her own bible in her mother tongue, Welsh bible and today bible translations are made in thousands upon thousand native languages, praise God 🙌
Legacy of Mary Jones and rector Rev. Charles are remembered by children in New Zealand.
The moral of the story is passion for the Word of God, patience and hard work. Children are taught today the importance of these valuable attributes.
More than 2000 translations of the Bible is the result of the tears and bravery of Mary Joes, her family, her Sunday School bible teacher, Rev Charles and others 200 years ago.
Blessed are the meek (Mary Jones, Rev Charles and others) for they shall inherit the earth today, their stories.
It’s good to know about the history maker like Mary Jones in detail. May I know what is the cost she paid for the Bible, what was her daily wage at that time.
Thanks for this. We are not sure; sometimes Bibles carry their price on the title page but not in this case. Ten thousand copies of this edition were printed at Oxford, and it’s likely they cost no more than a few shillings each. And I don’t think it’s recorded what money she was earning. (Liam Sims, Rare Books Specialist)