Family Treasures

I feel fortunate to have these items from my family history - they are very precious, and I trust that they will remain in the family, when I pass them down.

The first, and the oldest, probably dating from the late 1870s, is a tin wind-up music box, with a little porcelain handle that belonged to my Great-Grandmother when she was a child....how gorgeous!

The next is a New Testament dating from the beginning of the Great War, given to my Great Uncle by his  sister, my Grandmother, when she was but an adolescent .  Families of the Victorian & Edwardian eras had close but publicly reserved devotion to one another. I am lucky in that I have several of his letters home when he was serving in France.  Sadly he was killed in 1917. This New Testament was returned to the family.

The next is my Great aunt's (another younger sister) study bible. She and most of the family were very pious Methodists, and she studied theology for mission work in her late teens and early twenties. She did a lot for her local church for years, and I remember being taken by her to Sunday School there when I was a small child.

I am also reminded that either this year or last year was the anniversary of the King James Edition of the Bible, and this is one of those.

Here is another precious thing which is still in working order - not sure of the date (too afraid to take it to the jewellers) - a Victorian ladies' fob watch with albert chain, also tiny key for winding..... 

The last for now is my mother's Bible - another King James. The cover was hand made by the woman who made her wedding gown, and is of the same material as her gown with a hand embroidered cross. My mother is remains with us, in an aged care facility, glad that I am nurturing these items to remain in the family.

All very precious items - more later, perhaps from my garden. Need to check in on the merciless devourer of one of my Young magnolias......