I had a cousin that provided me with the family Bible of my great-great grandparents. This was a huge, but pleasant surprise at the time.
The Bible was a large Bible dating back to the 19th Century.
Tenderly I cradled the Bible, the way I would a newborn baby. The cover and bind are fragile and needs restoration.
However, flipping opening the cover of the Bible and searching through the pages, I discovered one treasure trove of information after another.
- Looking at the year the Bible was published {1880}, I was able to deduce it was most likely a wedding present to my great-great grandparents {who married in 1881}
- Inside was confirmation of their marriage, place and officiant
- Inside were the dates of their marriage, children’s births and deaths. I knew I was looking at the handwriting of one of my great-grandparents. I was even able to determine when the handwriting changed.
- A picture of a great-uncle whom no known pictures existed. We had pictures of all the other children and were able to reasonably deduce this was this uncle
- Notes in the margins
- Various newspaper clippings and obituaries
- A lock of braided hair that belonged to my great-grand mother—I was very excited to find this gold mine. I felt as if I were reaching out and touching my great-grandmother.
So, if you come across a family Bible take the time to treasure this find and slowly page through to discover what you may find.
What have you found in your family Bible?
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