RALEIGH— Family Bibles share rich life histories — recording births, marriages and death information. The newest digital collection, North Carolina Family Records Online, created by the State Library of North Carolina and the State Archives, transcribes and digitizes nearly 220 family Bible Records and the six-volume Marriage and Death Notices from Raleigh Register and North Carolina State Gazetteer: 1799-1893. The transcriptions can be viewed at http://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/dimp/digital/ncfamilyrecords/.
Many of the records are quite beautiful. Some contain 18th- and 19th-century children’s doodles and drawings. Others are embellished with photographs, hand-drawn family trees and even newspaper obituaries.
Some of the family Bible Records contain documentation about the birth of slaves. Others detail the births, marriages and deaths of governors, legislators, and other political and military leaders who helped shape this country. Because Bible Records were most often created and maintained by literate, white Protestant families, the current scope of the collection reflects only a small aspect of the North Carolina’s diverse heritage.
The State Library and the State Archives want Bible Records to reflect a broader scope. Of specific interest are copies of bible records where at least one date occurs before 1913. Anyone interested in donating copies of their Bible Records to the North Carolina State Archives should contact Druscie Simpson at Druscie.simpson@ncdcr.gov.
The State Library is a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. The State Archives is part of the Archives and Records Section of the Office of Archives and History and the Department of Cultural Resources. Podcasts are available 24/7 with information about the Department of Cultural Resources, at www.ncculture.com.