Armagh: Quest to find owner of 98-year-old family Bible

The bible containing family records appears to have been gifted to newlyweds in Armagh in 1925

A Church of Ireland lay reader has begun a quest to return a 98-year-old bible to its rightful owner.

Melanie Houston, of Christ Church, Ardkeen, was given the bible by a member of the congregation, whose son had found it in a second-hand bookshop.

The bible appears to have been given to John Galway and Mary Eleanor Mills on their wedding day at St Mark's Church in Armagh on 22 October 1925.

With illustrations by William Hole, the bible is filled with family records.

The family bible illustrated by Scottish Victorian painter William Hole

Ms Houston, who is based in County Down, said that it was very important to the man who gave her the bible that it is returned to the family and he asked her to post about it on social media.

"The first entry is a marriage in 1925, with births registered up to 1935 which would be around my mum's vintage but there are marriages up to 1968 and deaths until 1992," she said.

"I think family bibles were a thing of their time, the writing is like copper plate; it would remind me of the type of writing my grandmother would have had".

The bible appears to show John Galway married three times, with his first wife Mary Eleanor dying in 1948

According to details recorded on the bible, John Galway was married three times, with his first wife Mary Eleanor dying in 1948, his second Annie in 1957 and his third Hester in 1992, outliving John by 22 years. ,

As well as different parishes in Northern Ireland, there are also marriages noted in Dartmouth, Chorley and Broadstairs in England.

Ms Houston said that the bible had been really well looked after.

"I am not too sure whether the family has not realised what they have given away or perhaps the family has come to the end of its line and someone else clearing the house did not want to throw out a bible", she said.

"However, there is family which was married in England so there is bound to be extended family still living today but with surnames changed."

The current rector at St Mark's, the Reverend Canon Malcolm Kingston, said that the gifting of a bible to newlyweds is common practice in the Church of Ireland.

"We would still give a bible to every couple getting married in the church, although they would not have the family tree and record which seems to be something from the past," he said.

"I cannot be certain whether this particular bible was given to the couple by the church or as a wedding gift by a guest."

The rector said that its owners had made an effort to record milestones.

"It is nice way for those of the Christian faith to express thanksgiving to God for their loved ones," he said.

The Rev Kingston said the church would be searching through its genealogy records to help find the family.

"They very well may be elsewhere, but this is a very special item which should be kept and possessed," he said.

"It should go back to those who have the strongest emotional connection to it."​