Returning a family bible to it's rightful owner...

[matt94]

Hello,

I am after some advice on returning a family bible to its rightful owner.

I bought the bible in a charity shop in Basingstoke (Hants) in 2012 as it had an inscription in the front, from mother to daughter, from 1895. She was an only child and had no siblings, and the mother appears to have died when she was young so she grew up with a relation in Yorkshire. I have traced the daughter who was born in 1886 in Liverpool and who went on to marry and have two children, A and B, before dying in Nottingham in 1958.

A was a daughter who married a chap with a common surname and although I have identified two children C and D (from the GRO birth indexes) born in the 1940s, it's difficult to trace them later through the indexes/on electoral rolls due to their common names.

B was a son who went on to marry and have two children, E and F. B was living in Hook, about 5 miles from Basingstoke, when he died in 2010. I have found both of them on electoral registers. E is married and living about 5 miles from Basingstoke, and F is married and living about 10 miles from Basingstoke.

As I bought the bible in a charity shop in Basingstoke I wonder whether it ended up in the charity shop when B died - perhaps in a house clearance/other circumstances? I am wondering what to do and who to contact to offer the Bible. Perhaps I'm reading into it too much and should just contact E or F to see if they're interested. What would you do?

Thanks for reading,
Matt

[Finley 1]

Its people like you xx that make this game worthwhile.

Thank you for not immediately putting it on EBAY or similar.

I am sure with some more information the wonderful world of Rootschatters will help.

xin

[roopat]

As you know their addresses I'd write a good old-fashioned letter to them both telling them the background & asking if they would like it. If you don't get a response then you can dispose of it.
I'd also mention you're interested in FH & that's why you decided to trace the family.


Pat

[JohninSussex]

If you don't get a response then you can dispose of it.
Pat

Not sure I understand this.  Surely someone already made the decision to dispose of it, that's how it got to the charity shop.  And the previous or original owner must have been a family member in the first place, maybe even the same one who's been identified.

[roopat]

If you don't get a response then you can dispose of it.
Pat

Not sure I understand this.  Surely someone already made the decision to dispose of it, that's how it got to the charity shop.  And the previous or original owner must have been a family member in the first place, maybe even the same one who's been identified.

Sorry John I didn't word that very well, I just meant if the remaining family don't want it the OP will have to decide what to do with it. I agree it seems a family member must have put it in the charity shop but we don't know the background. My mother got rid of a lot of her mother-in-law's stuff when I was younger which now I wish she had kept, this might be a similar case

[Jebber]

Just because the Bible was disposed by one possible family member it doesn't mean another wouldn't like to have it.

During a casual search of the web I came across a family Bible in an antiquarian book shop in Wales, how it got  from my family in Hampshire to Wales  I have no idea.  The seller was asking quite a lot for it and the postage was not cheap, although it had not belonged to my direct ancestors,  I would have willingly paid  what ever was asked to have it back in the family.

As it was, I tracked down two of their descendants who were delighted to have the chance to get it back, so they bought it and sent me a copy of all the family information in the Bible.

Hence I would always try and give someone the chance to recover a family possession, they can always say no if they are not interested.

[matt94]

Thanks, all, for your thoughts. I’ve written to her and fingers crossed I’ll get a response if it wasn’t her who discarded the bible in the first place!

If she doesn’t, I’ll try one of the other descendants. Worst comes to worst I’ll hang on to it. It’s a handsome addition to my bookshelf and a nice piece of family history, even if it’s not my own!

Matt 

[Finley 1]

 

good luck

xin

[zetlander]

A friend was on the point of throwing out the Family Bible together with another book awarded to another family member for doing well at school.  I rescued them - traced other members of his family and they were delighted to receive them.
So well done to you and I hope the bible finds a good home.