A real bible code for your
genealogy research may be gathering dust
in an undisturbed corner of your own home.
Way back before TV, video
games or even radio, the
Bible was the centre-piece of family
life. Often families wrote down important events in them such as
births, marriages and deaths. If you possess one, not only do you have
a valuable resource, but you may have a real bible code in your hands,
which could be just the key to unlock a family mystery or two. And if
you are really lucky you may find a personal recollection like this:
The
grief I felt for my dear husband Samuel was inconsolable. He died as he
had lived - brave and strong.
Mary
Brockford
1847
See how those
few sentences add so much to your knowledge of the people involved. And
if that's not a bible code I don't know what is!
You
have learnt volumes about Mary and Samuel and
their feelings for each other, and obviously they had qualities to be
respected and admired. Unfortunately, civil and parish records will not
be so forthcoming. Nothing but the cold, hard facts there. So consider
yourself fortunate indeed to have one in your possession or know a
relative who does.
A
Bible Code, But Tread Carefully
As bountiful as the
information in the family bible may first appear, there are some
precautions that you must take before treating everything you find in
them as 'gospel'. A family historian is NOT interested in gossip or
hearsay. Accept all that you read and hear with a grain of salt.
Remember the genealogists mantra? Verify!
I am not saying
for a minute that Mary was anything but sincere in her feelings for
Samuel, but the year of 1847 may not be the actual date of her husbands
death. She may have written those words well after the event. Or
perhaps her words were transcribed by someone else from another bible
or diary, and they misread the date. Not an uncommon occurrence back
then, especially with names. Clerks were notorious for their use of
phonetics - Wilkinson could be Wilkensen, Wolkensine or Wilkins!
Here's some
points to consider before assuming the accuracy of your bible code:
1) What is the publication date of the Bible?
An easily overlooked point in your search for the truth. If your 'old'
bible has a publication date of 1955 but has entries dated in the 1800s
you can be sure that the information is NOT firsthand. That's not to
say that it's wrong, but the information certainly needs to be verified.
2) Are all the entries in the Bible made in the
same ink?
More obvious than the publication date and often a dead give away to
likely errors.
3) Do the entries in the Bible appear to be written
in ball-point pen?
Ball points were not commonplace until the 1940s, so be wary. Again,
the information will NOT be firsthand.
4) Are some dates or years entered in a different
hand?
You don't need to be a handwriting expert, although it wouldn't hurt!
We all write differently and it's usually quite noticable, so this
point should be easy for even the untrained eye to pick up. A likely
indication that somebody else wrote those particular details.
5) Are entries made out of chronological sequence?
Check the dates. People will often squeeze an entry into wherever it
will fit.
Please follow all of the
above-mentioned guidelines as well to draw your own conclusions.
6) Is the Bible published in a country other than
that in which the events occurred?
Something else to look out for as this too may be an indication that
the info is secondhand.
A Valuable Resource
Family bibles
can be more valuable than gold because they are often the only direct
link to your ancestors. Though varying widely in the validity of their
information, they may still be the source of valuable clues in your
quest. Don't disregard their importance but at the same time do not
assume too much in your haste to get started. Genealogy is not a race.
Better to be slooow and careful than having a bundle of useless
information. Form good research habits now and soon you'll be wearing
that deer stalker hat with pride!
Remember:There's
really no mystery to solving the bible code. Follow the above
guidelines and even Sherlock himself would be impressed.
