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Family History Documents and Artefacts => Family Bibles => Topic started by: TheBanana on Monday 01 July 13 21:07 BST (UK)
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I am wondering, what is in a family bible? Is it possible that every family had one especially if it was big like mine and how would I find one? Relating to surname, KEMBLE, HILL, SHEARS, LLEWELLYN....
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No, not every family would have owned a Bible (many people in early 1800s especially would have been illiterate) and not every family Bible contains family details. There's no firm rule as to what could be written inside a Bible- sometimes it's just names and dates of births, marriages and death and other times there are loads of details included.
My great-great-great-grandfather owned a beautiful Bible which was given to me about 20 years ago. His signature appears with lovely flourishes at the start but the printed pages for recording family events are completely blank.
Another old Bible in our house has wonderful information inside such as "Thomas Armstrong departed this life July 3d 1846... I placed his son Thos. with Morgan ___ in July 1849- to lodge and feed him- he is now 4 years and four months old. June 15th 1850. Jane Phibbs
It is my intention with the blessing of my heavenly Father to educate him in the protestant faith, and if spared to apprentice him at a proper age to a trade.- Jane Phibbs- June 15th 1850."
And not all 'Family Bibles' are old- we also have one that my in-laws got as a wedding present.
There can also be 'bits' of paper tucked between the pages like funeral and Mass cards, newspaper clippings, recipes...
The best way to go about searching for a family Bible is to ask your relatives (someone may remember seeing one but not know what happened to it) and then trace various branches of your family for other living people to ask.
Added- sometimes the details recorded in a Bible have been transcribed (I found records dating back to 1600s in a Canadian archive).
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Thanks for the help.
So can I generally make one? What would I start it off with.. I mean, I have SO MUCH genealogical information going back to 1500s...
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The whole point of a Family Bible is that you record events AS THEY HAPPEN- not just a place to put in generations of a family that you've researched. It's a permanent record and not like a computer website or Word document where you can add or change details.
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OK.
As of now, how would I start the family bible? How will it be formatted..
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A Family Bible is simply a bible (usually large!) that has pages headed:
Births & Baptisms
Marriages
Deaths
My own family bible has no special formats - just those pages, lined.
Each page can contain 20-30 entries?
??? I'm not sure what you are expecting?
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Do anyone have any examples I can see?
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To start with you need a Bible that has blank pages (usually either near the start of between Old and New Testaments).
Search with Google Images for "bible family record pages" and you'll see many, many examples.
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Or try here:
http://www.edenworkshops.com/Family_Bible_Pages.html
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A lot of family bibles have been thrown out, my mother did just that, They are still being dumped or sold off now. Some end up in shops or on Ebay; http://www.ebay.com/bhp/family-bible-genealogy
One rather sad end for them is people strip out the family history in them and replace with their own. Sometimes you find them with blank pages, so you could buy one such and use it.
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one of my cousins has her familys bible and it was passed down the generations to her,,,,,, in it was a wealth of family history information with names and dates of birth and death of family members,,,,,,
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OK. Thanks for the links.
I have to point out that I am highly irreligious so I would rather not refer to it as a bible but I like the idea of it.
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I remember seeing a buybull in our house, but we've searched through my parents belongings since they've both passed and can't find it anywhere.
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OK. Thanks for the links.
I have to point out that I am highly irreligious so I would rather not refer to it as a bible but I like the idea of it.
Your religious beliefs don't come into it at all- if it is a Bible then it's a Bible. You started off asking how to find a Family Bible but now seem to be wanting to record your own family history. If you don't want to use a computer programme or Word document to print out details perhaps a blank book where you record information would be what you are looking for (call it something like Family Record) although it would be more difficult to make changes to update.
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I remember seeing a buybull in our house, but we've searched through my parents belongings since they've both passed and can't find it anywhere.
If you mean a Bible- not all (most don't actually) have a section for recording family details.
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You don't have to censor it after all "Bible" is only a word but I just mean that if I work to make one, I would call it "DIARY" haha.
I was just making a statement.. But I will just need to buy a huge book with blank plain pages in it..
But yes. Sadly, I don't think my family ever had one, I suppose it should start now..
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Sorry but 'Bible' isn't just a word- it is a particular religious book. There are books you can buy to record your own family history (printed blank trees, blanks for family groups, etc.) but they tend to be very restrictive and limited, especially if you've more detail on one branch of a family than others. Have a google with 'family tree books' to get some ideas of lay-outs and things you might want to include.
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OK. Thanks for the links.
I have to point out that I am highly irreligious so I would rather not refer to it as a bible but I like the idea of it.
I, too am highly irreligious, but a Bible is still a holy book!
You wouldn't be making a Family Koran now would, you?! ::)
Personally, I don't think paper copies/lists of births, marriages and deaths can ever beat a computer database.
The database is just so easy to update!
Why not start with some (free) genealogy software - most of which can print out reports and lists (and charts) that you can hand out to family?
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I do ALL my research, personal stuff, business etc on the computer. But I would still like to pass down some information in a proper printed way, just incase something happens to the information (hope not).
Moderator has removed paragraph, we are all a little upset of the offensive nature of this post and on a Sunday too :'(
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Why not try a simple note book instead. I am not religious but the Bible is THE Bible
Tazzie
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Yes. I will have to see what I can come up with. Thanks for the help guys.
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You could always use an accountancy book, or a diary or even a laundry list if you don't like the idea of a bible.
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If your concern is to have hard copies of your research, then a family bible is not what you want. Instead you probably want sets of templates like these
http://www.cyndislist.com/free-stuff/printable-charts-and-forms/?page=2
that you can fill in and compile in a folder/file.
You may also want a log book (book with blank sheets) that you'd have as a diary for ongoing research if you want people, or yourself, to look back on things.