What do people mean when they refer to a "family bible"?

Question

Do they mean a copy of the religious book that has been in their family for generations, or a book that has details about ancestors in it, for example written by another member of the family that has done research.

Silly question perhaps, but I thought I should know for sure!

Answer 1

It is one that has been handed down through the generations, no doubt it has names of who was the last person to have it.  Apparently my grandmother had one - but when she departed it was no where to be found - which was a shame as it would come in handy for when I start doing that side of the Family History.

Answer 2

Family Bibles are Holy Bibles that have special areas in the frontismatter to record births, marriages, and deaths.  These Bibles were wedding gifts, and births, deaths, baptisms, marriages, and other events were recorded.

Answer 3

Both. "Bible" can be just an important book, as in "The Michelin Guide is the bible for people who like to eat well when they travel" or it can mean the religious one. When we genealogists talk about a "Family Bible" we usually mean the religious one, but one with notes about births, deaths, marriages and so forth written in the blank pages in the front and back. It may also have clippings from newspapers and letters from old relatives. One I saw had the violets from some forgotten dance pressed between the pages, back in one of the minor Old Testament Prophets.

Starting in the the 1800's (maybe earlier) many publishers sold large, ornate Bibles with lots of extra pages for recording family facts. Some had what we would call today a family group sheet; the page had labels for husband, wife, marriage date and place, parents' names, then 10 or 12 lines for children's names, birth dates, birth places and so on. They still sell them today.

Many families had just one book, back when printing was expensive and not everyone learned to read. If they did, chances are it would be a Bible. It was almost always the most important book in the house.

The Library of Virginia has been photocopying the genealogy portions of family bibles for years. Their web site has hundreds of pages available on-line.

Answer 4

its just like a record book and keep all important dates like birth death etc.its passed over generations and generations..i think it will be more liable than that of the governments ..

it helps us to know about our elders and our family tree and also about the years before us..its has a big history in it

Answer 5

My other half's mother had one of these. It was a very large bible and in it was recorded several generations of births, marriages, the offspring and of course deaths. The dates go way back to the mid/late 1800's. I believe this has now been handed down to one of the grand children

Answer 6

I have a family Bible.  One of my Aunts taught Sunday School for more than 50 years; she also went to the Holy Lands (which they called Israel and environs before).  It was passed to my Mom, who in turn passed it on to me.  It is now more than 150 years old.

And, yes, it contains "family" information: births, marriages, deaths, etc.

Answer 7

In Christian families it is the place where our "grandmothers" recorded life, death, births.

By "grandmother" I don't mean just the immediate previous person like your father's mother. Some of these bibles cover about 10 generations or so of birth, death, marriages, etc.

This info is all handwritten and is in several different hands so is really hard to read sometimes.

Answer 8

Generally it is a bible that's been handed down in their family for generations.  Usually there was a place to record family births & deaths in it as well.

Answer 9

Both are appropriate, but the second type that you mention is normally the item referenced when speaking of a "family bible".  (In the "old days", there might be only one bible for the entire family, and that would be the "family bible".  This is likely still the case in poorer countries or even here in the U.S. among certain cultures.)

Jim, http://www.jimpettis.com/bibles/

Answer 10

"Family bible" generally refers to a bible that is passed down through generations but that also has weddings, baptisms, marriages, etc. recorded inside.

Answer 11

Genealogists and historians refer to the family bible when they want to look up births, deaths, and marriages, which are usually handwritten in a section (usually placed between the Old and New Testaments).  Today many families definitely  have other bibles, but this is the bible they reference for (hand written) data on family members.

Answer 12

three facts:

1. refers a large information in a book, that provide guide lines, procedures, bussines and personal records (as an agenda), etc.

2. as you mentioned:  important family information, contain reserch, history, cook recipy, etc.

3. most important: the God Book, that we use in our family Bible studies. Some time is a big book, set in a special place, at home.