Heirloom 2: A hand made string bag. Continue reading
Monthly Archives: February 2018
52 Ancestors in 52 weeks: week 8 : Heirloom
My Family Bible
My Heirloom is a very heavy John Brown self- interpreting Family Bible covered in brown Leather and gilt with gold leaf, the edges of the pages are also gilt gold it is bound around the edge in embossed brass with, when it was new it had brass locks that clipped to the top brass edge to keep it closed when not in use, it now has leather locks as the brass ones were lost 
It has very thick paper, paper that today we would not think of using for the pages of any book, it would be almost equivalent to 160 gsm in today’s paper it feels thick but soft, the main flyleaf page is stiff like cardboard, the pages with pictures on them are a much better quality, the print is heavy dark black and the colours of the pages with colour are rather pale by todays standard, with approximately 1200 pages it weighs 6.6 kg, which put simply means it was never intended as a Bible to pop in a pocket, it was never intended to leave the home.
One thing I do know about it, I know exactly, the cost of the Bible is still recorded on the corner of a front page in pencil; it was 5 Guineas that is five pound five shillings. For 1885 when it was purchased and presented this seems like quite a lot of money as the wage for a merchant like Thomas was not very much.
The Browns self-interpreting family Bible was compiled and written before 1775, my copy was printed at James Semple 7 Stirling Road Glasgow. It is now called Dryman, Glasgow and 7 Stirling Road has now had many uses and since the 1800s and it has been added to as shown by the description on Google Maps. 
When this google maps picture was taken 7 Semple Road was for sale it had recently been a restaurant.
There are 2 old signs hanging from the building that have the word Brown on them, this may be a reference to the Bibles that were printed there.
Browns Bible was also printed by many other companies.
These are some I found
Glough & Muir Castle St EC London b
John G Murdoch 41 Castle St Holborn London EC c
Inglis & Jack Edinburg, Birmingham, Newcastle, Leeds & Manchester d
So far no one has been able to date accurately the printing date. This is the same with all copies of the Browns Self Interpreting Bible regardless of where it was printed, none of the printing pages found on line list a date of printing, it is almost as if he instructed the printers not to include a printing date because he thought that it may lead to one copy being more valuable than any other, and he considered every copy of his work to be of equal value. But this of course is only conjecture on my part.
In 1885 a loving husband in Melbourne Australia purchased a beautiful gift for his wife’s 31st birthday it was a Bible with companion edition Pilgrims Progress was purchased by Thomas George Gladstone-Mahany for his wife Catherine and presented to her on her 31st birthday, a 31st birthday 
does not seem very special but perhaps now he could afford it. Thomas made this gift very special because hand written inside the flyleaf is a loving inscription, To his wife Catherine and presented to her on her 31st birthday, a 31st birthday does not seem very special but perhaps now he could afford it. Some of the value would be in the fact that it has many elaborate pages, including the dedication page. The pages with pictures are described as “colour illustrations in oil”, they each have a tissue page to protect the pages from ink transfer.
At the beginning it included extensive pages for recording of a family tree, which Catherine and Thomas used to their full advantage, Jane their eldest daughter continued to fill in the family information, later another hand took over it was Catherine, Janes only surviving child, I am the second oldest child of Catherine and custodian of the family Bible and the information it contains I would have continued to add information but the pages were full.
Something came with the Bible that was added to it after it was given to Catherine Gladstone-Mahany, inside some of the pages were pressed fresh flowers, there are some from the wedding bouquet of Catherine, Jane, & Catherine, there were also some field flowers I picked for my mother when I was young, and one frangipani worn by my mother on our wedding
day. (each had a small slip of paper in the page with it so that anyone who opene
d the pages would know what the significance was.)
Also in the pages was a bookmark used by my great uncle Adam, and some mysterious blue crochet thread that when my mother saw it she told me it was the same as a dress collar her mother Jane made for her as a child.
The James Brown self-interpreting Bible was a treasure chest indeed, it is now kept in its own heavy black box, which was made to keep it in about 20 years ago.
In 1885 this Bible lived with Catherine and her husband Thomas and their 1st four children Jane, Thomas, Henry and Edwin at 165 Curzon Street Hotham Victoria now called North Melbourne.
It was then passed on to the eldest child Jane who took it to 27 Haines St Hotham later called North Melbourne and they lived in the house shown in the photo 
After Jane it passed on to her daughter Catherine who also lived at 27 Haines St North Melbourne after Jane died.
After my marriage the family Bible was passed on to me, the second oldest and the Pilgrims Progress was passed on to my younger sister, and we in turn will give them to our children or grandchildren to care for.
Because also 20 years ago my mother got upset with me and took the Bible back into her possession my husband purchased for me a replacement family Bible, with pages for the family tree information, unlike the very old one this beautiful gift came in a box, it has very fine paper the coloured pictures included do not have a tissue page in front of each picture, because of the different printing methods used there is no chance of ink transfer. This Bible published by Zondervan in 1988 has a fake burgundy, leather look cover and weighs a fraction of the weight of the Browns Bible, just under 2 kilos. 
The two Bibles sit together on the bottom shelf in my crystal cabinet. Now both to me are equally important and of equal value. I have learnt that the old Family Bible actually has very little monetary value approx.. $36, to anyone except members of my family to which it is priceless.
Referencing
a Google Maps https://www.google.com.au/maps/@56.0660189,- 4.4517858,3a,75y,314.39h,77.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sment22p10e4AAAQvOZB7OA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 7 Semple Road commercial property for sale photo taken Nov 2015
b http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BROWNS-SELF-INTERPRETING-FAMILY-BIBLE-ILLUSTRATED-1860s-PUB-GLOUGH-MUIR-/371695054370 Browns Bible for sale on ebay
c http://www.divine-name.info/bibles/johnbrown3.htm Browns Bible on a discussion site
d http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Antique-Victorian-Illustrated-Holy-Bible-Browns-Self-Interpreting-Family- /262467348728 Browns Bible for sale ebay
e North Melbourne. The fine wide streets of North Melbourne – Haines & Curzon Streets.http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/167605897?q=curzon+and+haines+streets+north+melbourne&c=picture &versionId=182674951
http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/182674951
photograph : gelatin silver ; 7.5 x 9.5 cm (irregular) mounted on card 15.2 x 10.1 cm.
[ca. 1935]
The photographs in the F. Oswald Barnett Collection were taken by Barnett and other unidentified photographers in the 1930s.
Cite as: F. Oswald Barnett Collection, State Library of Victoria.
Refer LTSL 65, H2001.291/149 for a 35 mm slide of this image.
No copyright restrictions apply
This story is part of my Place Image Object project with Diploma of Family History at UTAS .
52 Ancestors in 52 weeks : Valentine: week 7
SAINT VALENTINE’S Day
I don’t think anyone in my family had ever heard of this day.
I do recall that while I was still on our honeymoon my husband Wayne asked me what was going on with the florist decorations and what was Valentine’s Day that they all seemed to be advertising, my answer to him was that the florists and greeting card people in Australia had recently jumped on the idea and promoted it as a way to make extra money in the quite time before Mother’s Day. He asked me if I wanted him to send me flowers for that day, I reminded him of my stance about flowers purchased from florist shops, as I was one of the florists who had to promote extra sales for special occasions, and I didn’t want any money spent on flowers. So my husband has never purchased flowers 💐 for me in the 46 years we have been married.
He has purchased plants but never cut flowers.
We both have an agreement that neither of us want purchased flowers on our coffins when we need one! I had said that if he can find a few kangaroo paw I would love them and we have a number growing in our garden, so we both just need to make sure we don’t go during their non flowering time of the year.
Valentines Day to us is just another imported money making day for newsagents, florists and gift shops. I even saw an advertisement for Aldi who want to sell everyone a bunch of 50 roses, every one wants to get in on the act!
This may just be the opening lines as I will be consciously looking for a true Valentine family story to put in here.
But perhaps our story should be here as we are already someones ancestors!
52 Ancestors in 52 weeks: A favourite Name; Week 6
A FAVOURITE NAME
Yes I have a favourite name: Zenobia, it sounds so grand, yet sweet and pretty.
I first heard this name when my mother told me a story about her mother. Jane Marion Gladstone-Mahany. Jane Marion as I have always called her was my grandmother. This story took place before 1913 because Jane married in 1913.
This was the story, Jane Marion was single and decided with some other single women friends to go to America. I searched for her entry and found she entered via Canada, I found her listed at a border crossing, as Jane Mahany.
I could not find how she left America nor by which route nor who she travelled with, but she travelled to England.
My mother told me that Jane Marion needed funds to return home so took a job as a nanny and returned to Australia with a young girl named Zenobia, what a lovely exotic name, I imagine her with long blonde flowing curls, in frilly dresses, with blue ribbons in her hair.
I was searching for Jane Marion returning from England to Australia, there was nothing for her under the name of Gladstone-Mahany, so I started to search for the name Mahany over a number of years there were very many with surnames spelt in many ways, then I commenced searching for Zenobia it was then I found Jane Marion listed as J Mahany she was the listing above Zenobia Dunn, age 10 proving I had found Jane Marion’s return to Australia and in fact Melbourne on the ship Miltiades in 1907.
The only reason I was able to confidently say this listing is my Jane Marion, was only because of the girl with the lovely and unusual name of ZENOBIA.
52 Ancestors in 52 weeks: Census: week 5
Well it is nearly week 7 and this is the subject for week 5!
I have no inspiration for anything about a census, so I came to a consensus of opinion with my self that I would continue on and not give up on the 52 weeks idea just because I could not find anything worth while about one of the subjects.
So for this week I share with you a poem written a few years ago for what was then a new Family Research site. (then on MSN now on Aimoo)
Un-Closeted Skeletons
In your closet are all sorts of things like coats and scarves, and hats
Some have shoes, and bags, and some store sheets and stuff like that
But one thing cannot be denied that many hide with shame
Their long lost rellies in there, the ones who er ….. um……… came,
Also those who passed away in circumstances strange
And there are those who stay Unknown, so never can be named.
Including ones who wore white coats that buttoned at the back,
So come on now be brave with me and let that closest shake
Let out the skeletons within and let them wander round
And get some exercise, at last, they’re for your family bound
But never be ashamed of those who’ve gone on before
For when you let just one out, you will find many more.
Give that closet now a shake and let them out to walk,
Then dress them in their Sunday best, then we will sit and talk
Of all our grand relations, and how big our tree has grown
And share with all the stories of our skeletons from home.
For some people shake their family tree and find branches of rellies
With royals and Earls and princes and government exchequers
But folk like me give it a shake and only nuts come falling,
And rellies who to say the least are somewhat quite appalling!
They’re some we’d really like to hide and shove back in the closet
With other family skeletons like Uncle Rex who wasn’t!
Well wasn’t really Uncle Rex, was he was really Max’s dad!
He jumped ship in Australia because it turned out he was bad
He was not really popular except with the police
He was wanted in three continents and he just needed some peace,
So he joined the long, long list of those the family keep hidden
But someone with a family tree now really wants revealing
All those family skeletons and take them for an airing.
Now all my friends they ask such things as who were Rex’s parents
And was he Max’s Uncle or was he actually his dad
And what year did he marry Jane, if he ever really did
But this for sure born 1904, we sure know now he’s dead.
So if you would like to know some more about Great Uncle Rex,
Post on a site, but don’t be surprised when the answer you get back
Is one that says I’m sorry, but Jane’s husband, he was Bill
But Max’s dad was Peter Jones who jumped off ship as well!
Heather Denholm
June 27th, 2007