A family bible is a Christian book of scripture owned by an individual or a family. By the late eighteenth century, Protestant family bibles included additional blank family register pages used to fill in multi-generation family information in the United States of America. At this time, it was also a tradition for some to gift family bibles to individuals and newlywed couples. In the United States of America, the information documented by the family in the family bible was used as "proof" for birth, marriage, and death in an era before national vital record registration. These records were used for such things as proving marriage for a military pension. Family bibles may have also been used for evidence for lineage society applications.
While this was a tradition for some, it was not a tradition for all. Learning more about the religion of your ancestors and what bibles they had available during a period can help to confirm the possibility a family bible was used.
Information found in family bibles
Depending on the time period and the bible, information documented may include vital record events such as birth, marriage, and death.
Genealogically relevant information found in family bibles can include:
- Owner's Name
- Family Names (including women's maiden names)
- Spouse's Names
- Children's Names
- Grandchildren's Names
- Birth Dates and Places
- Marriage Dates and Places
- Death Dates and Places
- Burial Places
In addition, the bible's owner may have included other information and annotations to the bible according to their beliefs. The bible version might help to identify the ancestor's religion or membership group. For example, a member of the Masons may have a bible printed for the Masons that includes information pertinent to members.
Issues using family bibles for genealogy
Family bibles are a vital record alternative in the absence of official birth, marriage, and death recordings. However, unlike a government-issued vital record, information in a family bible is prone to errors. Issues when using family bibles as genealogical sources include:
- Absence of the book owner's name.
- Absence of the informant's name (the person who documented the events). This can be the owner, a family member of the owner, or subsequent owners.
- Absence of information about when the information was recorded. (For example, at the time of the event or years later).
- Absence of information about the person's relation to the event (for example, primary or secondary informant).
- Missing pages. (For example, this can be due to wear or pages torn out when used for proof for a military pension.)
- Missing Copyright or Publishing Date. (These dates allow one to analyze whether the bible predates family history events recorded on its pages).
A family bible should be carefully analyzed like any genealogical source. Study the bible for clues about when the events were recorded (all simultaneously or at different times). This might be ascertained by using different inks and the appearance of different handwriting. As you analyze the bible, ask:
- What is known about this bible?
- When was this bible published versus the dates listed for the vital record events?
- Who was this bible's owner, and who wrote in the bible? (In other words, who is the informant for the events. Is it the bible owner or someone else?)
- If the informant is known, what was their relationship to the events? Were they present for the events?
- Does it look like the entries were written at different times or all at the same time?
- Does it look like different people wrote in the bible?
- Are the events in chronological order?
- What is the provenance of the bible?
If you use the information found in a family bible for your genealogy, remember to create a source citation and include where the bible is presently housed. This can help other researchers find the bible.
Where to find family bibles
Family bibles may be a home source found in a descendant's home. However, it's not uncommon for a family bible to end up discarded, sold, or donated to a repository. Make sure to seek out other repositories for an ancestral bible. Just because your family did not inherit the bible, does not mean it doesn’t exist.
After you have asked family members about possible family bibles in their possession, consult Cyndi's List for links to websites with family bible collections.
Some repositories collect and archive family bibles. Two examples are the Daughters of the American Revolution and the New England Historic Genealogical Society. A surname search can be done to find relevant Bibles.
Online digital collections should also be searched for possible family bibles. For example, a search on the Digital Public Library of America for the keywords "family bible" reveals nearly 5,000 results. A search on the keyword "bible" results in over 59,000 hits. These results are from participating libraries, archives, and museums throughout the United States. Other digital collections, including digitized book websites Google Books and Internet Archive should also be consulted.
Genealogy websites like MyHeritage may also have indexed, transcribed, or digitized family bible records. These can be located in the website's book collection or by conducting a catalog search for either the keyword "bible" or the surname of interest.
Finally, consult local historical and genealogical societies and archives for possible collections.
See also
Explore more about family bibles
- MyHeritage – Family Heirlooms (JustaJoy.com)
- Bible Rescue
- Ole Master Record All Us in the Good Book — Using the Slave Owner's Bible Records, webinar by Char McCargo Bah at Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- Resources for Genealogical Research You May Never Have Thought Of, article by Daniella Levy on the MyHeritage Knowledge Base