Jacob Grim - Grim Family Bible

The first problem we face with the Jacob Grim / Grimm family concerns the spelling of the surname.  Spelling in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries was very fluid and phonetic in nature.  If we start with the "Grim Family Bible", a document written by Jacob himself, then Grim is the correct spelling.

Around 1982 at a Grim / Greenwell Family Reunion, I had the opportunity to view and transcribe the "Grim Family Bible" then in the possession of Daniel Grim's grandson, Percy Williams.

“The Holy Bible
Containing the Old And New Testaments; Translated Out of The Original Tongues; And With The Former Translations Diligently Compared And Revised.
New York: American Bible Society 1866”


“Jacob son of daniel and margaret Grim born july 6th 1808”

“Jane dartghter of wm and anna binley born june 11th 1810”

“Daniel son of jane and jacob Grim born May 6th 1833”

“James son of jane and jacob Grim born Oct 16th 1835”

“Wm son of jane and jacob Grim born March 7th 1839”

“Sarah dartghter of jane and jacob Grim born jan 29th 1841”

“Julia dartghter of jane and jacob Grim born Aug 10th 1843”

“Jerushia dartghter of jane and jacob Grim born March 22 1846”

“Ivy dartghter of jane and jacob Grim born Sep 11th 1848”

"Joh son of jane and jacob Grim born May 25th 1851

"Sop dart of jane and jacob born Sep 13th 1855”


“Sarah Grim Petego died Feb 9th 1871 aged 30 years 5 days”

“James Grim died July 11th 1872 aged 36 years 8 months 25 days”

“Jane Grim died July
age 67 years 30 1877”

“Jacob Grim died Aug 15th 1877 age 69 years”

“Sophronia Grim Fuller died feb 16th 1885 age 29 years
5 month 3 days”


“Daniel Grim Died May 13, 1904 at 6 min. before 2 P.M.
aged 71 years 7 days”

In assessing the validity of the information in the Bible, it is important to keep in mind that all the births from 1808 through 1855 are written down years (even decades) after the fact, as the Bible is copyrighted 1866.  On the other hand, it appears that Jacob and Jane presented the information, and as parents, they ought to have been 'expert witnesses' to the events listed.

The Bible gives us a good start on the Jacob Grim / Jane Binley Family Tree.
Three generations are enumerated in some fashion.  In future posts I'll attempt to flesh out this information using newspaper articles, vital records, census records, land records, and probate records.