#26-2020. Family Bible
What is in the middle of a Family Bible?
Many people have heard of a “Family Bible”, but many have never seen one or knew they exist.
“Family Bibles” were an important part of our ancestors life. It is where they recorded the births, deaths & marriages of a family. A "Family Bible" was a cherished possession in a family and passed down through the generations. They are a treasure for a genealogist!
John M. Shaffner was my great grandfather. John M. Shaffner married Elizabeth Deborah Fletcher on 16 September 1880. Their first son, Willard Fletcher Shaffner, was born on 10 July 1881. I would presume that is when they began recording their family information. A Family Bible could have been given as a gift.
The Shaffner Family Bible held by my father, Don Shaffner
In the middle of the “Family Bible”, are pages to record births, deaths and marriages in the family. Many times these births were home births and or the vital records were not kept by a city/county/state office.
John M. Shaffner wrote the information on his first marriage. His wife died in 1899 and he remarried. He wrote about that too.
Often there are other gems of information in the middle of the Bible pertaining to family history.
The Shaffner Family Bible had loose pages of information about family. The handwriting indicates an older style of cursive. These are in archival protection so hard to photograph. Most of the information is about my 3rd great grandmother, Margaret Maria Fetter Shaffner's family! Interesting there is not much information on her husband, my 3rd great grandfather, Gabriel Shaffner. The information is birth dates, complete with time of both. There are also marriage recorded with dates! Since it was before civil registrations, these are the best records available for a genealogist.
Does your family have a "Family Bible"?
Keep looking and asking; you might be surprised what you find in the "middle"!
You have a wonderful treasure and are so lucky.
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