McNeil - Ball Family Bible Pages

These copies from the original Ball Family Bible were made in 1970 when I was given permission to briefly see the bible.  Sorry, but back then I did not know I should make a copy of the title page of the bible.  But according to a deposition by Levi T. Ball in his Civil War pension file, the bible was published in 1851 (see bottom of post).   Bible history:  The bible most likely came into the possession of the McNeil family through the Susanah McNeil Ball, wife of Levi Taylor Ball.  The bible then eventually came into the possession of Susanah's sister, the Nancy McNeil Hatfield family.  They added McNeil and Hatfield family information to the bible, in the form of family records written on loose sheets of paper, obituaries, etc.  Lillie Hatfield Smith had the bible in the late 1950's and left the bible with her sister, Minnie Hatfield Wilson, of Cortez, Colorado.  After Minnie died in 1966, the bible was given to her son, Clayton Pat Wilson.  His widow, Anna Wilson of Oregon, is still in possession of the bible.  It has not been cared for and has not been kept in good condition.  The extended  family has not had access to it.  A few years ago, a grandson of Anna Wilson was permitted to make copies.  He said the title page of the bible was missing by then.

Ball, McNeil, Hatfield Family Bible Pages

The following pages appear to have been torn out of another bible and stuck into the Ball-McNeil Bible.

Deposition in the Levi Taylor Ball Civil War Pension File, dated Dec 17, 1912, giving reference to the Ball family bible. 

"My age is 65, having been born January 17, 1847...The bible from which the date of my birth as above given was taken, was my father's family bible, the first one he ever had in his house, and the only one. The record of the date of my birth is in my father's handwriting. He and mother told us that they made the records of our births at the time each child was born. At the time of my father's death the bible passed into the hands of my brother Benjamin Ball. After his death, two or three years ago, his daughter, Laura, husband's name not known, now living at Bedford, Iowa, gave me the bible. I had six brothers and five sisters, all of whom are now dead. Their names and the dates of their births as given by my fathers bible are as follows:

Elizabeth, born July 24, 1821
Manlinday, born April 13, 1823
Calamata, born March 3, 1825
Benjamin L, born January 16, 1828
James H, born February 1, 1830
William E., born October 3, 1831
Daniel W. born December 27, 1833
Mary, born April 10, 1836
David W., born August 6, 1838
Nancy, born March 1, 1841
James H., born February 18, 1843
Phebe, born July 26, 1844
Levi T. W., born January 17, 1847
Both of the children named James Henry died in infancy
When I enlisted I was 16 years of age but my age was put down as 18. I enlisted December 9, 1863, in Co. C 10. Ind. Vol. Cav. and was discharged August 31, 1865 as shown by a copy of my discharge certificate...I am a married man - my wife's maiden name was Susana A. McNeil. We were married August 27, 1876 near Hopkins, Mo., by Rev. Edward Otis. Neither of us had ever been previously married...Since you have called my attention to the fact that father's bible was not printed until 1851, I do not know what to say. My understanding always was that my father made those birth records at the time of birth of each child. The records are in my father's handwriting; I can swear to that..."signed Levi T. W. Ball