What an opportune topic for Sepia Saturday 187! Regular readers will know I’ve only recently returned from interstate where I’ve been helping my mother to move. In the process we’ve unearthed a number of liturgical memorabilia.
The first find, which I hadn’t seen before, was a New Testament given to my grandmother when she left Scotland as a young adult. I don’t know who the donor was, but I’m guessing it may well have been the local minister. It also makes me wonder if her sisters were given similar New Testaments. What I omitted to say when first posting, is that inside this New Testament were some family funeral notices and a brief note. Makes up a little for all the BDM clippings that “went west” when she died. 
Most recently we also found my own early prayer books, the little white hard-covered one I was given on my First Communion and the missal which was a gift from my parents on my Confirmation. It’s donkey’s ages since I’ve laid eyes on these two prayer books so it was a real treat to revisit them.
As well as these I’ve found various certificates of one sort or another of my grandfather’s which I’ve scanned and filed. Do they have any intrinsic value? Not at all, but I’ll be putting all these items away in the memory box in the hope that one day my grandchildren will exclaim in pleasure to see them.
Family history across the seas 
I’m sure your grandchildren will like looking at the ancient (to them) pictures. Is the New Testament full sized or is it very small? I was given one when I was about 9 that was very small.
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When you’re young anything older than 20 or so is ancient Kristin 🙂 The New Testament is about the size of a small paperback but not tiny like yours.
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Welcome back to the world of blogging! How lovely to come across these documents, so important to your family.
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Thanks Sue! I’m still trying to get back into the swing of reading as well….missing Google Reader I must say though I have a couple of other options.
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We’ll look forward to some more of your new-found memorabilia in coming weeks / months!
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Thanks Jackie -I reckon that will come to pass 😉
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I find the inscriptions most fascinating – the mere fact that they are in the hand of a living, breathing ancestors makes them worth keeping.
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I totally agree Gluepot! It’s nothing to do with their financial value but that each item has been given to a member of the family. I also found some school prize books with inscriptions -more anon.
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These are just lovely Pauleen. It’s funny how we keepers of family memorabilia live with the hope that out grandchildren will ‘exclaim in pleasure’ when they see them. Mine wouldn’t at the moment, but then they’re only five years old and prefer the iPad (which is why I’ve made some of mine into an e-book.)
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I agree Little Nell, we do live in hope 🙂 I’ve done my posts in an ebook and have it mind to make a collection of the family memorabilia and its significance.
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The value of items like these can never be measured in dollars and cents.
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Absolutely Silver Fox! It’s about the memories, and that our ancestors, known or long past, have touched them.
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I have a bible inscribed to my grandma when she was a child. After her passing it became priceless to me even though the cover is falling off.
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Too true CB, it’s the memory value of it that counts and I’m sure you’ll treasure it always.
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I had this aside to comment, but it got missed along the way… I hope you don’t mind, but I have to admit being very jealous of this find… there, I said it… What a wonderful treasure to own. I do hope your family understand your passion and keep these treasures in the family, for they are priceless…
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I’m not offended Chris..the green eyed monster grabs me when I see some of other people’s finds. I’m hoping with time they will.
Pauleen Cass, Darwin, Australia
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