This Bible is in the Perth Museum archives.
This is a leather-bound large-format Bible; the cover being deeply tooled leather 12-1/2″ x 10-1/2″. The book is 5 inches thick and very heavy. Some of the front pages are coming loose, and although the pages are gold-edged, the paper is of low quality and is starting to get brown and brittle. The front pages and family record pages are very ornately printed and engraved in multi colours.
The births and deaths are written on pages provided between the Old and New Testaments. On the spine is embossed: “THE PARALLEL BIBLE”.
Partial transcript of the title page is:
THE PEERLESS EDITION OF THE HOLY BIBLE etc. .. .. TORONTO AND LONDON J.S. ROBERTSON & BROS. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- // First page which is two pages previous to title page PRESENTED TO Margaret Jane Spalding BY her husband James Spalding Sept 6th 1888 // Second page which is next right-hand page THIS CERTIFIES that James Spalding Jr. of Perth and Margaret Jane Wilson of North Elmsley Were Joined together By me in the BONDS OF HOLY MATRIMONY at Perth on the 6th day of September in the year of our Lord 1876 In the Presence of John Wilson Signed Wm Bain D.D. James Spalding Minister of St. Andrews Church, Perth [note -- all signatures are in the same hand. Also the date had been printed in the Bible "188 ", leaving the last digit blank, so the "7" in 1876 was written over the "8" ] // Third Page MARRIAGES [page blank] // Fourth Page BIRTHS Albert Edward Spalding Jan 3 / 1878 Arthur James Spalding Aug 23 / 1879 Wilfred William Spalding Sep 9 / 1881 Winnifred Alberta Spalding Dec 16 / 1882 Arthena Ellen Spalding Aug 20 / 1884 Rubena Jane Spalding Apl 1 / 1886 Elena Anna Spalding July 25 / 1887 Arthena Jean Spalding July 25 / 1888 Rubena Olive Spalding Jan 14 / 1891 Hazel May Spalding Oct 20 / 1892 Albert Ernest Spalding July 2 / 1896 [entries up to 1888 seem to have been written at the same time. Later entries are all in the same hand but with differing inks, etc.] // Fifth Page DEATHS Albert Edward Spalding Dec 11 / 1882 Wilfred William Spalding Nov 16 / 1882 Arthur James Spalding June 28 / 1884 Arthena Ellen Spalding Feb 18 / 1886 Rubena Jane Spalding July 30 / 1886 Elena Anna Spalding Aug 12 / 1887 Hazel May Spalding Aug 10 / 1893 Albert Ernest Spalding July 23 / 1897 Rubena Olive Spalding May 25 / 1905 Margaret Jane Spalding Sept 17 / 1917 James Spalding July 14 / 1935 Winnifred Alberta Dec 23 / 1949 [comments on birth entries apply to death entries]