On 2/10/2011 8:01 PM, nelhatch wrote:
> HATCHER website: http://hatcherfamilyassn.com
> HALL DNA project: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~nhatcher/hall/HDNAtest.htm
> When confronted by a difficult problem, you can solve it more easily by reducing it to the question,  "How would the Lone Ranger have handled this?" - Unknown
>
> Greetings, All........
>
> I have a very ugly bible record composed of 4 pages that can be seen here.......
> http://hatcherfamilyassn.com/getperson.php?personID=I41975&tree=WmTheIm  Click the pages for a larger view.
>
> There's no question a number of people made entries and not always grouped neatly together. My problem is that earlier researchers have attempted to identify the writer of each entry in order to connect them into the family tree. My suspicion is that there have been some errors in this process and that a few people have been wrongly attached to the wrong family.
>
> Sooooo! I'm wondering if it would be helpful to have a professional handwriting analyst study those pages to sort out who wrote what. And it would seem I would need someone who is skilled in analyzing old style handwriting.
>
> Has anyone ever done this or have knowledge of reputable analysts? If so, can you recommend a good analyst and provide a rough estimate of cost per hour?
>
> Thanks for any guidance!
>
> Nel Hatcher
>
>
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at
> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html
>
Nel,

I'm not sure what a expert could tell you.   You might get some clues of 
timing from the changes in the writing styles    There appear to be a 
minimum of three different people who recorded information and possibly more

You appear to have a Bible that was originally owned by someone who 
received it as an adult and put in  information relating to their Father 
and from the birth dates what appear to be his siblings-

   The left column on page 1 was not written at the time of each birth.  
It looks to be the same hand at the same time, probably when they 
received the Bible.  Plus you have the notation of the three infants who 
died.

  Then you have additions that may have been recorded by someone at the 
time of the birth.   These seem to be where they are for reasons of 
available space.

  It then appears that another person recorded another family (with 
birth dates in the 1830s)  in the right column were copied from another 
source into the Bible -same hand same time - including a copying error 
which they corrected.

second birth page is not as clear as to whether the births were recorded 
at the time of birth or later if the Bible changed hands.

Marriage page -

Again the original owner started with their father-  Although the 
weddings may be recorded as they  occurred rather than being recorded at 
one time.


If I was in your place.  I would first connect all of the information 
you have on each person whose birth is recorded.  Do you have deaths and 
marriages for everyone whose birth is there?    Do you know what 
happened to the people you don't have full information for.   Did they 
move or did the owner of the Bible leave the area?

Then I would try to verify information using wills, deeds and census-

  you may be able to verify the family in the right hand column on Birth 
page one with the 1850 census.

The third and final thing to think about is did the original researchers 
have any additional motive in the assumed lineages.   For example has 
someone used the Bible for proof of parentage on an application for SAR 
or DAR?  It may be to their advantage to be descended from x who is an 
established ancestor so they read the Bible that way even though it is 
not clear or could be looked at a different way.


Good Luck with your search,

Marilyn Jackson

To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html