I have been clearing the house of a recently deceased member of our family in Wallasey. I found there a bible with the inscription: "Presented by Rev Wm Taylor to Mary Maynard for her rapid improvement in reading and writing, Feb16 1834" A later inscription is: "Mary Lewis, Little Sutton, Mar 13 1862" I have no idea why this bible was in the house. We have ancestors in the Little Sutton area but don't know of any with the surname Lewis or Maynard. I have looked in the 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1871 census and can't find anyone that I can be sure is them. Does anyone have any ideas who these Marys might be? David

Hello David Looks as though Jackie may have hit the nail right on the head. The IGI has a marriage in Liverpool St Nicholas on 28 November 1848 between Thomas LEWIS and Mary MAYNARD, and the Little Sutton Post Office manager's wife from the 1861 Census would have been the right age (around 14/15) for a reading & writing prize in 1834? Regards Gordon >I have been clearing the house of a recently deceased member of our family >in Wallasey. I found there a bible with the inscription: >"Presented by Rev Wm Taylor to Mary Maynard for her rapid improvement in >reading and writing, Feb16 1834" >A later inscription is: >"Mary Lewis, Little Sutton, Mar 13 1862" >I have no idea why this bible was in the house. We have ancestors in the >Little Sutton area but don't know of any with the surname Lewis or >Maynard. >I have looked in the 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1871 census and can't find >anyone >that I can be sure is them. >Does anyone have any ideas who these Marys might be? >David