I am not personally related to the Head family (to my knowledge anyway). Apparently at some point in his younger days, my father purchased a Bible from a place in Louisville. Buried inside this Bible are a number of treasures, not the least of which is the birth/death/marriage info for Head in Louisville--including slave names, births, deaths.

I am looking into the proper place to which I might donate the Bible itself (open to suggestions), but in the meantime, I have this information for anyone who might find it useful. It is in the order below in which it appears in the Bible itself.

From a professionally printed "announcement" or invitation stuck in the pages:
"The friends and acquaintances are invited to attend the funeral of Mrs. Eliza Head at the family residence this (Monday) afternoon at 3 o'clock. Interment at Cave HIll Cemetary, Louisville. --Danville KY, Monday Dec. 30 1889."

From the hand-written record in the Bible itself:
column 1, page 677:
Ben (J.?) Head was married to Hariott L. Hobbs on the 1st day of March 1808.
Ben Head was married to Margarett N. Burigman (also possibly Benigman or similar) on 16th September 1824.
Elizabeth A. Head was married to Abijah C. Abernathy on 27 February 1825
Sarah L. Head was married to Harrison Marden on 30 March 1826
Henry L. Gaar was borh 4th day of May 1815
Laban H. Gaar was born 22nd day of July 1842
Harriet G. Gaar was born 19th day of June 1842
Norah Elizabeth Gaar was born May 4, 1844
Eliza Brengman Gaar was born April 29 1830

column 2, page 677
Henry L. Gaar was married to Mrs. Margaret N. Head, late wife of Benjamin Head, deceased on the 5th day of September 1841.
Oliver P. Gaar was married to Margaret A. Head on the 9th day of September 1841.
Samueal B. Head was married to Eliza A. Gaar on the 6th day of January 1852
Laban Henry [Gaar] departed this life on the 12th May 1843 at 8 o'clock P.M.
Norah E. Gaar departed this life July 4, 1844

column 1 page 678, column headed "Whites"
Ben J. Head was born on 19th day January 1782
Hariott L. Head was born on 16th day December 1787
Elizabeth Amelia Head was born on 25th day March 1809
Sarah Laurence Head was born on the 18th day October 1810
Louisa Adeline Head was born on 11th February 1816
Margerett Amelia Head was born on 11th August 1825
Margarett N. Head was born 2nd June 1805
Benjamin H. Marden was born on 11th February 1827
Benjamin Abernethy Head was born on 19th April 1829
Samuel Richard Head was born on 5th February 1831

column 2 page 678 heading "Deaths of Whites":
Benjamin Head departed this Life on the 31st May 1837 in the 56th year of his age at 3 o'clock A.M.
Hariott L. Head departed this Life on 5th February 1824 in 37 year of her age at about 8 o'clock PM
Sarah L. Marden diet on 8 September 1833 in the 23rd year of her age.
Louisa Adaline Head departed htis life on 2nd April 1824 in the 8th year of her age.
[the following in light pencil barely legible]
Thomas Pery Lovay [Lovey?] was born on the 12 February 1865
Benjamin H. Marden died on 10th June 1833 in the 6th year of his age.
[in pencil, possibly beside the entry for Benjamin Abernethy Head to indicate his death] died March 12 1882 7 o' clock 10 minutes in the evening
Samuel Richard Head departed this life Oct. 30 1856

column 1, page 679 heading "Blacks"
Sophia was born day of 1795. [possible later note] Dead.
Rose was born day of 1802.
Ned was born day of 1804
Draper was born day of 1804
Eliza was born 7th day of December 1815
Mary was born 2nd June 1817
Alice was born 4th January 1819
Mariah was born 7th NOvember 1820
James Corriden was born June 1823
Albert was born 1st NOvember 1825
Mary E. was born 2nd. September 1841
white_____
Samuel B. Head was born FEbruary the 19 1857
son of S.R. and E.A. Head

column 2
Mary died in March 1818
Rose died in Nov. 1819
[beside entry for Ned] Sold.
[beside entry for Draper] Dead.
Eliza died in June 1819
[Beside entry for Mary] Dead.
[Beside entry for Alice] Dead.
[Beside entry for Mariah] Dead.
[Beside entry for Mary E.] dead.
[Beside entry for Samuel B. Head (white)] Died August the 23rd 1872 aged 15 years 4 months + 4 days.

column 1 page 680 heading "Births Whites"
Harriot Jane Marden was born on 16th May 1829
James Abernethy Marden was born on 25th September 1831
Harrison Marden was born on 27th July 1833
Margaret Amelia Head was born on 9th April 1854 daughter of S.R. and E.A. Head
Eugene Sidney Head was born on 2nd August 1854 [could be 1853] son of M.H. & M. Head [those names are not clear]
Frances Norah Head was born 19th Dec. 1853
Mary Hellen Head was bon on 7th Nov. daughter of S.R.S. and E.A. Head
Mary Elizabeth Head was born on 10 Oct. 1855
Hadley Blackburn Head July 4, 1856

column 2 page 680 heading "deaths"
[beside entry for Harriot Jane Head] Harriot Jane Hite died Oct 7, 1856
James Abernethy Marden died on 11th June 1834
Harrison Marden died on 2nd November 1833 at about 12 o'clock at night.
Mary H. Head died July 17, 1856

Page pasted in:
Births of Blacks
Arch was born July 1830 [light pencil] sold.
Imanda was born February 1836. dead.
William was born April 1838.
Mary Eliza was born July 1844. dead.
Thomas was born December 1841
Saphiah was born February 1845. sold.
Henry was born September 1827
Edmond was bonrn in 1833
Mary Ann was born September 1853
Alfred was born September 1855
Susan S. was born October 1857
Jam [Jane? Iam? Ian?] was born August 1854
Sarah E. was born January 7 1858
John Thomas was born April 16 1860
Thomas Aria [Aru? Anu?] was born Aug 7 1860
Henry was born July 10 1863
[on this page there are also light pencil marks where someone was subtracting as to find age]

Hello,
IF you dont mind.. I would LOVE to have this bible. Wil happily pay for shipping.It is the bible of my ggggrandfathers brother. My line is Benjamin's brother James who lived just south of him in Oldham Co. Please feel free to contact me off list at kmreeves_77@yahoo.com Thanks so much for posting this info.
Kathy

Kathy:

I will keep you in mind should I decide that this is the way to go.

Anne

Anne,

Thank you. If you decide to donate the bible to local libraries/history center, would it be possible to get pictures of the bible and pages with the family info on them? I could just put those in the family bible I have now that was my great grandparents (Joseph Head). Thank you though for posting all the info in the bible. It did help me verify some date and gave me some I was missing.

Kathy

Anne and Kathy, I just read the posts from both of you and I CAN NOT understand this! See if this is right....
Anne, You went to all the trouble to post all this info, which is absolutely GREAT- by the way, and found a direct descendant who would LOVE to have this. And now you say you are going to DONATE it SOME WHERE! It is a common belief and wish amoung genealogists that if they can get their hands on physical objects related to them, they will do anything to get it! Please for Kathy's sake reconsider this and send it to her!
Kathy, You are really nice about this. I know it is great to at least get the info! Anne did give you years worth of research in one post. We ALL thank you for that Anne.
Now, back to my genealogy...Kathy- were any of your ancestors in Georgia?

My direct line went from VA, (Culpeper, Orange, not sure yet which county prior to Orange) over into KY went it was formed. I have seen, but not actually tracked the Heads who went from the earlier generations who went Georgia direction, south, instead of west, KY. I always get lost trying to find which early son went to Georgia or descendents ended up in Scott Co VA.

My line goes: Wm Head w/ Elizabeth to son Alfred (who Ive misplaced in Culpeper area)to his son Hadley w/Mildred (he is the first of my line to go to KY. Got 4,000 ac in Fayette Co when it was formed) to Hadley's son James b. July 1776 in Culpeper VA buried in Oldham Co KY. The family cemetery where James is buried is now on the 3rd tee of the local golf course ! That was a good time golf balls bouncing off the tree tops when I went there.

BTW, I do understand lots of people do donate early bibles to libraries and history centers for everyone to see and benifit from, so I totally understand Anne's position. Im happy when I can get pictures of them so I can show it does exsist and I can use it as document/sourse to my info.

Kathy

Slow down there!

I never said I was NOT going to give it away, I am just trying to wade through the ethical implications here and come to a conclusion about what is best. (I also realize that Kathy might not be the only person who desires the object in question...that there might be someone in the direct line of Benjamin or etc.) And then there is the issue of the slaves...there is little enough record of what happened to these people, most with only one name. In the very least I want this *information* to be out in the public domain. As for the disposition of this Bible, which is priceless to someone's family, I am 100% undecided. If it turns into a free-for-all with descendants arguing here over who is more deserving, it will almost certainly not be "given" to anyone but placed in a situatio where it could be more easily accessed by the most parties. If, on the other hand, no one else comes forward I might be happy enough to give it to Kathy. The truth is I don't know yet, so please do not jump to conclusions about me based on your interpretation of a brief exchange.

Kathy:

I was going to attach a photo yesterday, but I had to charge the batteries. If you can hold on until this afternoon, I will send you a photo of the works, including the little paper sillhouettes I found inside.

Please don't think I have said no yet. :)

Anne

Anne,

I totally understand the situation your in. Genealogy has tought me patience for sure. So please do what you feel is best.. and I will be patiently waiting for pictures.. :-)

Kathy

A few photos (apologies for poor quality).