Introduction to Candler Family Bibles ~ ©2000 Ed Marsh

Modern folks are not generally aware of the tradition of keeping family bibles. Back before Towns, Counties, and States kept the careful records they do today, the family bible served the function of public record. However, the family bible was more than that.

It was customary (in Bibles I have seen) for a newly married couple to start their own Bible record. Frequently, the parents of the husband would be listed with their dates of birth, marriage, (and later -- death). Lited next were all the siblings of the husband with their dates (and perhaps spouses). After that, the date of the marriage of the husband and wife followed and perhaps the names of her parents (sometimes, not even her last name is given).

The Candler Bible images (links below) come from two such bibles. These bibles chronicle the families of James Lewis "Pete Candler (1832-1917) and William D. Candler (1852-1940). William "Will" D. Candler married Ida Bell Candler (1858-1902). Ida Bell was the daughter of James L. "Pete" Candler. These bibles both came to be in the possession of descendants of "Pete" Candler (I don't know how).

The images that appear in the documents section of this web site are computer scans of xerox copies made by me from the Bibles themselves. The bibles are still in the possession of the Lynchburg Candler family. They are very delicate from age and the possessor encouraged me to make these copies so that others could see them without doing further harm to these antiquities.

The people whose lives are chronicled in these Bible records are descendants (and/or spouses of descendants) of Daniel Candler (c1700-1765) and his wife Hannah -- through their son John Candler (c1730-1802) and his wife Elizabeth Gibson -- through two of their sons

1] James Candler (c1756-1826) and his wife Agnes Johnson (c1755-1817)

2] William Candler (1751-1836) and his (probable) wife Agnes Guthrie.

James and Agnes had seven children. These bibles belonged to their grandson, James Lewis "Pete" Candler; and their great-grandson "Will" D. Candler.

"Pete" Candler was the son of John Candler (1796-1859) and his wife Frances "Fannie" Taylor Clark (1813-1899).

"Will" Candler was the son of Joseph B. Candler (1821-1855) and his wife Elizabeth K. Candler. Joseph was the son of Daniel Candler (1788-1860) and Mildred "Milley" Candler (1791-1846).

The chart below shows the relation of the children of William and Agnes (Guthrie) Candler.