UK boy stunned to discover old book he was given as a gift once belonged to someone with the same name and the same age almost 100 years earlier

Source: Agencies | July 20, 2015, Monday |  ONLINE EDITION

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The Danbys have been trying to find out whether the families are related but have so far found no links. But a photograph of the book's original owner (left) bears an uncanny resemblance to the William of today (right)

IN an amazing twist of fate, a schoolboy opened a book and found it used to belong to a 13-year-old of the same name and age almost 100 years earlier, Daily Mail reported.

William Danby was given the adventure story as a gift after a friend of his mother's spotted the name inscribed in the book while browsing in a charity shop. Both boys were 13 when they received it and each has a middle name beginning with J - the original Danby being William James in 1919 and the teenager of today William Joseph, the report said.

The book, The Young Franc-Tireurs, by GA Henty, caught the eye of volunteer Alex Garden, a friend of Ms Danby, at the Catherine's Hospice bookshop in Ashton-on-Ribble, Lancashire.The inscription inside read 'To William J Danby from his father, Xmas 1919' and Ms Garden decided it would make the perfect gift, Daily Mail reported.

Source: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/odd/UK-boy-stunned-to-discover-old-book-he-was-given-as-a-gift-once-belonged-to-someone-with-the-same-name-and-the-same-age-almost-100-years-earlier/shdaily.shtml