How do I find living descendants to reunite an illuminated document.

[Gardengirl]

Many years ago when I had an interest in calligraphy as well as family history, I rescued a hand written and illuminated document at a auction for just a few pounds.

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I would like to re-unite it with some direct descendants of Mr Bensen Bear and wondered if anyone has any suggestions about how to go about it. The first that came to mind was an Ancestry search which brought him up in 3 member trees. One has lots of facts about him but also contains 18000 other people (?) and the owner is in Canada. The other two seem much less comprehensive so I doubt if the tree owners would be direct descendants.

Has anyone ever successfully done anything like this? Any suggestions for other ways that I could try to find a close descendant?

[Jill on the A272]

I successfully reunited a bible with a descendant recently after a bit of research and building a tree (it also turned out it was a distant relation of my husband's).

The 1921 census shows he had three daughters Gladys, Irene and Ethel, I have taken his tree forward and found some great grandchildren born in Sussex, I will look again tomorrow to see what else I can find.

[Gardengirl]

Thanks for looking him up, Jill. I also found that he was a Freemason and had the Freedom of the City of London. I’ll do some more searching later, too.

It would be very handy if I could pass it on to someone in Sussex!

[Jill on the A272]

I have found one of Irene Bear's grandchildren has a small tree on Ancestry, they haven't gone as far back as Joseph Bensen Bear and have not been active recently but I have messaged them.

[queenbee]

You can always try looking them up on Facebook or other social media's if the name is uncommon. I've had a little bit of luck that way.

[Jill on the A272]

Gardengirl I have found an address from 2021 for another grandson of Irene Arnott nee Bear (one of J Benson Bear's daughters) in Bognor Regis and will sent you a message.

[Gardengirl]

Oh well done! Thank you very much.

[Gardengirl]

Success! Thanks to Jill’s suggestions, a bit more delving in the BMD records and a few quite distinctive surnames, I have now found some living descendants and made contact via facebook. We will be meeting up in a few weeks time for me to hand the book over to them rather than entrusting it to the post office.

[Lin Fisher]

Well done!! I'm sure they will be delighted with the document, I know I would.

[Jill on the A272]

Gardengirl that's good news, and a good idea to bypass the Post Office.