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"Along Those Lines ..."
by George G. Morgan

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Questioning the Bible -- August 14, 1998

Skepticism is a healthy trait in a genealogist. All too often, we are tempted to accept as fact the information with which we are presented. This is especially true when we are seeking to establish as fact something that previously had been only a hypothesis. It can be the case, too, when we're seeking to corroborate one piece of information. In "Along Those Lines ..." this week, I'd like to discuss how we use family Bibles in our genealogical research -- and when you should sometimes question what you find in them. What You Find in Family Bibles As I was growing up, the family Bible was a central object in the household of my parents and in those of both my grandmothers. The Bible was a source of spiritual inspiration, education, and comfort to members of the family, certainly. However, it was also the place where important family events were recorded. Births, christenings, baptisms, marriages, and deaths were faithfully recorded. It was in my Grandmother Morgan's Bible, in fact, that I first learned that she had been married once before she married my grandfather. In the Family Record section of her Bible, under Deaths, there is an entry in her hand that reads, "Jeter Earnest Murphy died July 9th 1898 of that dreaded disease typhoid fever." This follows an entry under Marriages that reads, "Jeter Earnest Murphy and Minnie Wilson were united in marriage on the second day of Feb. 1898. Rev. J. M. Grier officiating." Through these entries I learned the sad story of my grandmother's marriage, one that lasted only 5 months and one week. I also learned about the prevalence of a tragic disease at that time. Other, happier events are recorded in the Bible -- my grandmother's second marriage to my grandfather, my aunt's birth, my father's birth, my parents' wedding date in 1933, and the births of my brother and myself. In reviewing the entries in this particular Bible, I am confident that all of these dates were entered at the time the events occurred. Under what circumstances would I doubt the accuracy of the entry of these records? Let's discuss some common problems. What's Wrong With These Pictures? There are cases when the accuracy of information found in a family Bible should be questioned. And while one family member may transcribe the information in a Bible for you, he or she may not be as expert in assessing the accuracy of the information as you are. It is important, therefore, that you examine the entries in a Bible yourself whenever possible. Here are some issues to consider. 1) What is the publication date of the Bible? If any date entered in the Bible precedes the publication date, it was obviously added long after the event occurred and the veracity of the information -- names, dates and places -- should be questioned. The information should be corroborated with another source if possible. 2) Are all the entries in the Bible made in the same ink? It's possible that the information in this Bible was transcribed/transferred from another Bible. If so, they were probably done some time after the events that they record. Every piece of information should be questioned and corroborated with another source if possible. 3) Do the entries in the Bible appear to be written in ball-point pen? If so, what are the dates? The first patent for a ball-point-type dispenser (for marking on rough surfaces rather than for writing) was awarded to an American, John H. Loud, on October 30, 1888. Commercial ball-point writing pens first became available in 1895. However, it was not until the mid-1930's that the first reliable ball-point pen was developed by Lazlo Biro, a Hungarian living in Argentina, who received a patent in 1944 for his development. Ball-point pens were used during WWII and became used worldwide by the mid-1940's. Therefore, be skeptical of ball-point pen entries in family Bibles prior to the late 1930's or early 1940's. 4) Are some dates or years entered in a different hand or a different ink? Again, this is a telltale clue to later entry by someone else. 5) Are entries made out of chronological sequence? Here is an obvious clue to the data being entered some time after the event. Another clue is that an entry is squeezed in between others in order to force it into sequence. 6) Are there entries in a Bible published in the U.S. for events that occurred in another country? Or vice versa? Unless you can confirm that the person who made the entry in the Bible was in attendance at the event, maintain a healthy suspicion that the data entered was secondhand, hearsay information. Corroborate the data with other sources. 7) Are you familiar with the handwriting of the person(s) who made each entry? If so, can you confirm that he or she was living at the time of the event? It is possible that a well-meaning successor to the original owner decided to enter information in order to make the family record more complete. In that case, he or she may have had unreliable information or made assumptions based on unreliable or hearsay sources. Check handwriting in family Bibles with other known handwriting samples from the person(s) you believe should have been the one(s) to have entered records at the time of the events. (Yes, you are becoming a handwriting analyst too!) Summary In writing this article, I have taken the time to review each of the family Bibles in my possession, the oldest of which was printed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1797. How I wish my ancestors had each made a note of the date on which they made each entry and signed their name or initials. How much easier the research would have been! However, isn't the thrill really in the hunt and the successful corroboration of evidence? Let me suggest that you, too, take some time to review your family Bibles again from a new perspective. Be skeptical and look for the inconsistencies I've mentioned here. In addition, be on the lookout for others that may become evident. Be thorough in your investigations and the product of your research will be all the better for it. Happy hunting! George Update Regarding SS-5s: In my article dated July 3, 1998, I wrote about contacting the Social Security Administration for copies of the applications made by my parents, my aunt and my grandmother for Social Security Numbers. I told you that, because my aunt and grandmother never collected Social Security, the SSA had never been notified of their deaths. Therefore, when I submitted the L-997 forms to obtain copies of their SS-5 applications, my request was denied. I also told you that a letter arrived advising me that I had thirty days to appeal the ruling. Well, I submitted copies of the death certificates to the SSA. I am pleased to report that the SS-5 forms arrived in the mail last Saturday, just under a month after I mailed a letter to the SSA with the death certificates. Success! Click Here for George Morgan's Archive Copyright 1998 George G. Morgan All Rights reserved "Along Those Lines ..." is a weekly feature of the Genealogy Forum on America Online (Keyword: ROOTS). This column originally appeared in the Genealogy Forum on America Online. You may send E-mail alonglines@aol.com. George Morgan would like to hear from you but, because of the volume of E-mail, is unable to personally respond to each letter individually. He also regrets that he cannot assist you with your personal genealogical research. Copyright 1998, 1999, Ancestry.com Inc. and its subsidiaries. Terms and Conditions | Privacy Statement