I WRITE to ask whether Charfield readers could help discover the provenance of a mystery 200 year old Bible.

In 2011 I was collecting unwanted books to sell on behalf of Friends of St. Mary's Kingswood, to help raise the money needed for the beautiful church refurbishment completed last year. One of the books, donated by someone in Charfield, was a large family bible. On the flyleaf was a handwritten record of the births of Richard and Ann Gale's fourteen children, the first born in 1801, written by one of their sons at Martock in Somerset and with details of his own marriages and children.

An internet search led me to a descendant in America of one of these 14 children, who had been researching the Gale family history. He put me in touch with a distant relative in Somerset, who was also researching her family, and she was thrilled to be able to take possession of the bible and its precious family record. Thanks to this new information other Gales in Canada and elsewhere, all descended from the prolific Richard and Ann, have come forward and a small reunion took place recently in Somerset.

What we would all like to know is, who was the mystery donor? The Gale Bible was one of a number of books from Charfield, collected by someone who had no recollection of the donor. Was he or she a member of the Gale family? If so, there are lots of other Gale descendants of Richard and Ann who would love to make contact.

Patricia Hammond

7 Wotton Road

Kingswood

Gloucestershire

GL12 8RA

01453 845204

patricia@hospitalum.plus.com