Caldwell/Culwell Family Bible
Contributed by
Durham Caldwell
© 2002
NOTE: The following entries are in a Bible published in 1828 and probably owned by Little Hardy Caldwell (1835-1912) and his wife Frances (1843 1916). Note the difference in spelling of the surname between entries in the back of the Bible and entries in the front. The handwriting is similar but probably not the same. Entries in both places are in brown ink (or ink that has turned brown with age). It is possible, perhaps even likely, that the entries on the back pages were made after the entries on the front pages. It seems likely that all the entries in the back were made at one time and all the entries in the front at one time (but a different time). The Bible probably was acquired by my great uncle, Charles William Caldwell, on the death of his mother, Frances. I acquired it in 1988 after the death of Uncle Charlie's son Homer.
Hardy Caldwell Senr was born January 27. 1885
Sarah Caldwell his wife was born March 8th. 1787
Elizabeth Caldwell Daughter of Hardy Caldwell & Sarah his wife was born Feby. 27, 1805.
Ede Caldwell was born January 29. 1811
Martha Caldwell was born was born March 9. 1813
David Caldwell was born September 24. 1816
Sarah Caldwell was born January 9. 1818
Hardy Caldwell Junr Was born 17 April 1824.
(NOTE: First four entries above looks more like Coldwell than Caldwell. Beginning with Martha, the entries are clearly Caldwell. Hardy's birth appears to have been entered 1885 with the first 8 crossed over by a 7. Sarah's birthday is given elsewhere as March 9 but is clearly March 8 in this Bible. Hardy and Sarah's second child, William, is omitted from this list but is on the page for Marriages two pages over. He was born Oct. 30, 1807. Whoever made the entries started to write David on the line after the entry for Ede, then crossed it out and substituted Martha. There is a pencilled entry at the end of this list: Charles William Culwell Was Born Aug. the 1 1880, leading me to believe Uncle Charlie got access to the Bible at an early age and added his name)
Hardy Caldwell and Sarah Brown Caldwell was married Nov. 20th. 1803.
Elizabeth Caldwell and William Morris was married (ENTRY NOT COMPLETED)
William Caldwell and Mary Butler was married Jan. 16 1831
(NOTE: In the line on William and Mary's marriage, the date 16 has been entered in pencil. On the page opposite, also in pencil, is the entry, Hardy Caldwell Died Jan. 8th 1912. On the first blank page in the front of the book is a pencilled entry which looks like Emily Jane Culwell was borned December the 18 1897 + died July 15. I suspect the entry was actually 1847, the birth year of Frances Caldwell's sister, Emily J., though Emily's birth is given elsewhere as Dec. 15, 1847. It is possible both pencilled entries were made by Frances.)
Francis E Culwell Was Bornd Jan the 24th A.D. 1843
Hardy Culwell Was Born June the 5th 1835
Robert W Culwell Was Born April the 29th, 1867.
Joseph H Culwell Was Born October the 10th 1868
Allen Bell Culwell Was Born July the 26th 1870
(NOTE: The above entries fill the page. The seepage of ink through the page to the Bible's title page make it clear there was no missing page on which Hardy and Francis's three younger sons were recorded. The writer appears first to have written the top entry as Frances, then darkened the loop in the e and dotted it to clearly make an I. There is a faint pencilled entry, in different handwriting, on the opposite page which appears to read Frances E. Caldwell was born Jan the 24th 1843.)