> It has been my experience that family Bibles more often than not were given > to the youngest daughter in the family. Custom?perhaps. Or was it a closer > kinship to the parents? Very difficult to tell. > I've been trying to find a trace of Elder Jacob Miller's Bible. Since Elder Jacob seems to have spoken only German (re: William Smith and Samuel Bolton, both "English Preachers"), his would have been a German Bible. He died in 1816, there just west of the Great Miami River, west of Dayton in Montgomery County OH. A local tradition here at the Four Mile (Union Co Indiana - with possible support in the 1820 Census) says that his wife, Barbara (his second wife was likely Barbara Lybrook - per 1802 marriage record in Franklin Co VA).came to the Four Mile after his death, and brought the Family Bible. Supposedly she came to the Lybrook home, the second daughter, but whose husband, Philip Lybrook, would have been Barbara's younger brother. (She seems to have died in the 1821 Cholera Epidemic - buried there at Baltzer's place - Lybrook Cemetery.) We do not know the name of the first wife of Elder Jacob, the mother of his children. (Although through possible land records in Frederick Co MD, she might be an Elizabeth.) Elder Jacob only had three daughters, all three the eldest children in the family. All three families would certainly have been present at Elder Jacob's death (30 miles from the Four Mile, a long day's fast travel, but there were fairly good routes). Where did his Bible go? The eldest daughter, Mary, lived there at Dayton, so near her father. She married first Samuel Darst, who died in Franklin Co VA, then probably an Andrew Peel. I have no record of a daughter by them, Three of the sons remained in Ohio, Dayton and Miami Co. A German Bible would have come to your attention, Gale! (and to Don Bowman, before you!) The second daughter, Anna, married Philip Lybrook, and came early to the Four Mile, living in Indiana Territory. They lived just south of the present (Upper) Four Mile Church. Their youngest daughter never married, but raised the four children of her sister, Phebe, who had married Martin Kingery (both died in 1835/1840 -of Typhoid) I have nothing on the youngest, daughter Maria, and the other daughter, Susannah, married Henry Miller and moved to Monroe Co Iowa. What might have happened to a Bible? Of course, son Baltzer Lybrook, was an Elder here at Four Mile, and lived just south of his parents (Railsback-Lybrook Cemetery location) - so maybe he got the Bible. But he died in the 1832 Cholera Epidemic - and his wife married her brother-in-law, Elder William Moss (whose wife had also died in the Epidemic), and they moved up to Mexico IN. William Moss and Mary (Eikenberry) (Lybrook) Moss raised Baltzer and Mary's six daughters (probably 8 - but 2 died young) -up there in Miami Co IN. What might have happened to a Bible? The youngest of these daughters was Eve, who first married John Ritter (who died in Franklin Co VA) then Joseph Kingery. They are probably the "Gingrich" with John Miller in Montgomery County about 1798, they settled in Preble County OH, just east of College Corner, at the edge of now Houston Woods State Park, probably our first family on the Four Mile Creek. They had 5 daughters, the youngest, Fanny, married Lewis Mead, and I have not found a trace on them. Of course, if we start considering the sons - we have to include much of Indiana, and to Iowa. That's my researching, and I sure wish I could find his Bible! - so far - after 2 centuries - No Trace! Merle C Rummel