Sunday, July 28, 2013

Chaundy Family Bible

After writing the last blog entry where I mentioned Family Bibles I remembered that there was a mention of a Chaundy family Bible in the will of my great great uncle, William Henry Chaundy. I think this is the only will in my extended family that specifically mentions a Family Bible. So this morning I have 'wasted' several hours having another look at this area of my research.

William H Chaundy (I've blogged about him several times) died in 1882 and must have had a Family Bible in his possession. In his Will he leaves it to his sister Elizabeth (Round) and asks that Elizabeth's husband (William Round) make a new copy. Then he asks that on Elizabeth's death the Bible be passed on to his daughter Elizabeth (Stewart nee Chaundy).

Extract from the Will of William Henry Chaundy, 1882
The transcription reads: I give to Elizabeth Round his wife my Fathers Bible and Prayer book and also my large Family Bible for and during the term of her natural life and at her death I give the same to my daughter Elizabeth Stewart. I request the said William Round to complete and transfer from the old Family Bible the Register of my Family for the past three Generations.

This morning I've looked at the wills and probate of Elizabeth Round, William Round and Elizabeth Stewart - they are all online in digital format at the Public Record Office of Victoria - and unfortunately the aforesaid Family Bibles are not mentioned. So I don't know whether William Henry Chaundy's wishes were actually carried out. Two of Elizabeth Stewart's children married - her son George Henry Stewart, and her daughter Winifred who married Thomas Noble. And there are Round descendants as well so one of them may have a Bible.

I would be delighted if a descendant of either Elizabeth Round (wife of William, a law clerk) or Elizabeth Stewart (wife of George, a coachmaker) would contact me. I'd love to see the 'register of the [Chaundy] family for the past three generations'. Do the Bible or Bibles still exist, tucked away in someones cupboard?

3 comments:

  1. Good luck with this endeavour.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I do hope you get some response to your blog. How exciting would that be.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm amazed at how detailed these old wills were, specifying who should have the family Bible for instance.

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I love to read your comments. Thankyou for your interest.

Lorraine

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