RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: ms_canuck on Saturday 05 September 20 18:07 BST (UK)
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Just wanted to share something that recently happened to me. I was contacted on Ancestry by someone I don't know (nor am I related to) asking if I was related to a particular person, because they had a book which had belonged to this person and wanted it to go to a living relative. Naturally, I was a bit suspicious at first, but checked my tree and I was the 5th cousin, 3x removed and as far as I could tell, there were no others living (at least none which could be identified).
I finally responded and eventually agreed to accept the book. The person was thrilled and said he would 'pop it in the post' right away. The book arrived about 12 days later (UK to Canada).
The original owner received the book on his 29th birthday - 16 January 1875! Considering its age, it is in pristine condition, leather bound, about 3" by 5" and 1" thick, with gilding on the edges of the pages.
Each page has three days on the left with quotes from plays and sonnets, and on the right he has had relatives and friends write their name (and year of birth) beside the relevant day. He has most of his siblings and his wife's family as well. I have started researching and adding what I now know are the exact dates of birth (and occasionally death).
I am so grateful to this man for contacting me and entrusting me with this little book. He never asked for a penny (not even for the 5.30 cost of postage) and I made sure to send him back a picture of the book to let him know it had arrived safely.
I will keep it in a safe place together with my great grandfather's hymn book which my mother left me.
Hope everyone is well,
Cheers,
Ms_C
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Oh wow ... what an AMAZING gift!
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I have a similar book which belonged to my mother, it is simply entitled 'SHAKESPEARE', we found it in her dressing table when clearing the family home. I claimed it to take on my tour of Britain as something to read in the event of inclement weather. Imagine my surprise when I eventually opened it to find not sonnets etc but Birthdays for family and friends with a dedication 'To Winnie/From Dorothy/With love and best wishes for your birthday 1944'
my mother's 18th.
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What a lovely story ;D
Quite makes up for common family history frustrations when people you write to don't reply.
You have had just the opposite - a generous gift from someone quite unexpectedly :D :D :D
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What a lovely gesture and a great piece of social history to own, you must have been really thrilled to receive such a lovely book. Thanks for sharing Mrs. C. How refreshing to hear such act of kindness.
Carol
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How exciting for you and what a kind and thoughtful man Derek is. :)
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Oh what treasures!
Both the book and the sender.
Many people sadly would have disposed of it if it had no immediate interest for them.
Enjoy!
And thanks for sharing.
Viktoria.
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A really good experience. Thank you for sharing it with us all.
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What a lovely thing to do and so helpful for your research. I seem to remember my mother had a similar book ... the quotations were in a pale blue with a fancy border around it...
I was sent a passport that belonged to my grandfather by his second wife's granddaughter as obviously she wasn't related by blood to him and she found my tree on Ancestry when I still had the tree as public. It was interesting to see where he had visited as it dated back many years.
Caroline