Massachusetts Bible Records

Online Records

 * The Family Bible Index has over 200,000 Family Bible entries.
 * The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) has an index of over 40,000 digitized family Bible records and each day more records are digitized and added to the Index.
 * Index to Early Bible Records provides a free index to over 17,000 online and offline pre-1830 Bible records.

Start with the free Index to Early Bible Records (pre-1830; 17,000 entries).


 * The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and Corbin collections contain Bible records. These are described in Massachusetts Genealogy. The DAR collection of Bible records is partially indexed. See:
 * Kirkham, E. Kay. An Index to Some of the Bibles and Family Records of the United States,Volume II. Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers, 1984. and

Another source for Bible records in Massachusetts is:


 * Lewis, Ella May Swint. Bible Records for Massachusetts Families. Springfield, Massachusetts: Lewis, 1960. and
 * Additional Bible records have been published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register and other genealogical periodicals (see Massachusetts Periodicals).
 * Copies, or abstracts of old family Bibles that are no longer known to exist, may survive in Revolutionary War Pension application files at NARA, Washington, D.C., which are available online at three commercial websites: Ancestry, Fold3, and Heritage Quest Online.

Massachusetts Bible Records
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. Some have been donated to local libraries or societies.

Start with the free Index to Early Bible Records (pre-1830; 17,000 entries).

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and Corbin collections contain Bible records. These are described in Massachusetts Genealogy. The DAR collection of Bible records is partially indexed. See:

Kirkham, E. Kay. An Index to Some of the Bibles and Family Records of the United States,Volume II. Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers, 1984. and

Another source for Bible records in Massachusetts is:

Lewis, Ella May Swint. Bible Records for Massachusetts Families. Springfield, Massachusetts: Lewis, 1960. and

Additional Bible records have been published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register and other genealogical periodicals (see Massachusetts Periodicals).

Copies, or abstracts of old family Bibles that are no longer known to exist, may survive in Revolutionary War Pension application files at NARA, Washington, D.C., which are available online at three commercial websites: Ancestry, Fold3, and Heritage Quest Online.