Found!

The FLETCHER/STORER family bible? 

Lots of avenues were taken to find it, people looking, adverts in papers, posters, newsletters, radio,  television props department, teletext and internet. All had no results.

Then on the afternoon of Thursday 9th November a telephone call from my second cousin, a Fletcher, who had called into a second hand shop in Chapel-En-Le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK, saw a bible and on looking inside realized it was the one I had been looking for for months. He bought it and sold it to me. I have since spoken to the occupiers of the shop who informed me that they bought it from my cousin at his house clearance sale. She had taken it to a book sale, from there it had been at her house for 18 months to 2 years, she then took it to the shop and within two days my second cousin bought it, informed me and I collected it that evening. She did say they have a shop in Manchester and usually bibles are sold there to Americans. If it had gone there what would have been the chances of finding it? The odds on this sequence of events happening must be colossal. My feeling is the bible was destined to come to me.

The bible's front and back were torn off due to people opening it but otherwise everything was intact. The bible has now been repaired.

One thing which did come by way of looking for the bible was of a lady who does not keep the bibles, but does store family information within them and is willing to pass it on for a small fee.

The Fletcher Storer family bible 

Condition when found

Written in the inside cover:- 

Mary Fletcher her book 1897.

Mary Fletcher

Dam Dale Farm

Peak Forest

Dec 1897

Its contents

George Storer.    Mary Storer.

John Fletcher & Mary Ann, Dam Dale. Children born

(Why Mary Ann? I don't know, her name was Sarah Ann Ashton.)

George and Mary Storer's children:-

John William Storer        Died        February 24th 1908

in the picture below is a lock of hair found in the bible and thought to be from John William Storer who died at the age of 6yrs. Below the lock of hair is a "British Red Cross Society" certificate giving a commitment for plain needlework and knitting for the troops. The two certificates on the right are "School Children of the Empire" certificates, from, "The Overseas Club" dated 1915 and 1916 certifying Christmas gifts were given to the sailors & soldiers fighting in the war. Although the names are not filled in it is thought the gifts were given by her children.

These articles were found loose in the bible

2016