The Bible in question is
undoubtedly an important and valuable piece of historical and genealogical source
material, these factors far outweighing its value as a piece of printing. It is
known and recorded by genealogists as the "Fox Bible" and is used in transcript
form as a primary source for dates in Hayden's "Virginia Genealogies". He notes
(p. 60) that transcripts of it have appeared in newspaper form. The relations
of the genealogy recorded in it with the Washington Family may be gathered from
the following notes.
Colonel William Ball married
Hannah Atherold, in England on July 2, 1638.
They had four children, all born in England, Richard, William, Joseph, and Hannah.
Joseph married twice, the second time a widow, Mary Johnson, in 1707-08. The
only child of this marriage was Mary Ball who was the mother of George Washington.
Hannah, the fourth child of
Colonel William Ball and Hannah Atherold, married on July 22, 1670 Captain David
Fox. The Bible in question was quite certainly their property for it contains
the birth date of Captain David Fox and the birth dates of his four children
by Hannah Ball. These children were Hannah, David, William and Samuel. The
first child, Hannah, married Captain Rodham Kenner and the Bible gives dates
for the birth of their children.
William, the second child of Colonel William
Ball and Hannah Atherold, had a son
Joseph who had a son
Spencer who had a daughter Judith. Judith
Ball married John Crawley in 1750 and the Bible must have passed about this
time from the hands of the Kenners to those of the Crawleys, for Judith Ball's
marriage to John Crawley is recorded therein. Upon the death of Judith Ball,
John Crawley married a second time and this marriage as well as the children
resulting therefrom are recorded in the Bible.
The Bible, then, is not at
any point a record of the Washington Family or their ancestors. It does,
however, give many interesting points in the genealogy of those families
descended from George Washington's great uncle
William and great aunt Hannah.
Hayden knew of the Bible
when it was the property of C. W. Purcell. The Bible was given to Mr. Purcell
by Dr, Jno. Mayo who purchased it in Westmoreland County, Va. Mr. Purcell
passed it on to his daughter, Mrs. M. L. McCue.
R. W. Church
Assistant Reference Librarian