United States Bible Records
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Contents
Online Resources and Websites[edit | edit source]
Databases[edit | edit source]
- DAR Bible Records and Transcriptions at DAR Genealogy Research
- Family Registers and Bible Records (NEHGS) at American Ancestors ($) – index and images
- The Family Bible Index and the Family Bible Preservation Project at Yancey Family Genealogy – index and images
Transcriptions, Indexes, and Images[edit | edit source]
- Bible Records at Ancestor Hunt – index and images
- Bible Records at Digital Public Library of America – Index and images
- Bible Records at International African American Museum Center for Family History - images
- Bible Records Online – transcriptions
- Family Bible Records at Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center - transcriptions
- Family Bible Records at Ancestors at Rest - transcriptions
- Index to Early Bible Records at Learn Web Skills.com - indexed
- U.S., Select Family History and Bible Records Index at Ancestry ($) - index
Digital Books[edit | edit source]
- An Index To Some of the Bibles and Family Records of the United States, Vol. II. 1984. By E. Kay Kirkham. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library – excluding the Southern States – See Volume I.
- Bible Record Collection: a collection of photocopied and extracted records from thirty family Bibles. 2000. By Marcene F. Taylor. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library – images and transcriptions
- Bible Records: from miscellaneous sources (18 Volumes) By Noel C. Stevenson. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
- Bible Records in the Sophie Selden Rogers Collection, volumes 10-12, 44-57. By Sophie Selden Rogers. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library – transcriptions
Why Search for Family Bibles[edit | edit source]
Many families have traditionally recorded births, marriages, and deaths in a family bible, family record book, or book of remembrance. A bible was often given by relatives to a bride as a wedding gift, where she recorded information about her immediate family and close relatives. Relationships were seldom stated but were often implied. Names of parents, children, and their spouses, including maiden names, were frequently given along with dates of birth, marriage, and death. Sometimes the age of a person was given at the time of death. Many families kept bible records from the 1700s (and sometimes earlier) to more recent times, although few have survived. Family bibles that are no longer in the possession of the family may be at a historical or genealogical society. They are sometimes transcribed and published in genealogical periodicals or other databases.
Bible records can be used as a substitute in providing birth, marriage, and date information when vital record information was not recorded.
Finding Bible Record Collections[edit | edit source]
You will find online Bible Record Collections for the United States in the Online Resources section above. Below you will find links to Bible Records topic pages for each state, which contains online resources specific to the state.
Other places to look for Bible Record Collections.
- Family records: Check home sources by reaching out to older members of the family asking if they know of any Family Bibles and who might have it in their possession.
- FamilySearch Catalog: Using the keyword search, type in the surname you are looking for and the word, "Bible."
- Periodical Source Index (PERSI): Many periodicals publish family data from Bible records. Periodical Source Index (PERSI) is an index to many of these periodicals. Learn how to use Periodical Source Index (PERSI).
Bible Record Collections by State[edit | edit source]
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming