When I was about ten years old I had a small wooden chest. One day I noticed that from a certain angle one of it's panels appeared to be just barely sticking out. I gently pushed the panel and it fell off, revealing a secret compartment. The compartment housed one tiny drawer with no handles. I carefully eased the drawer open with a paperclip. There were two pieces of paper inside, 1)a filing receipt for a birth certificate; and 2)an advertisment for savings bonds. These items are detailed below.

Where did these items come from? Why were they hidden in a secret compartment? How did the chest make its long journey to New York without the compartment being found? Who was the boy named named in the birth certificate?

These questions and others have been on my mind for many years. I feel that I have a responsibility to share this interesting event with the world. It is my hope that publishing this information will encourage others to likewise share any insight they might have. Below are the original documents and related information that I've gathered in my research, such as the certified copy that I received in May 2005. Please contact me with any comments.

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BIRTHS AND DEATHS REGISTRATION ACT, 1874.
CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRY OF BIRTH.
I, the undersigned, Do hereby certify that the birth
of Randolph William Churchill born on the
14th day of November One thousand nine hundred and fifteen
has been duly registered by me at Entry No. 380 of my Register Book No. 23
WITNESS my hand, this 16th day of December 1915
W.L. Churchill
District CAMBERWELL       Sub-District CAMBERWELL SOUTH

NOTICE.
This certificate when duly filled up by the Registrar is to be given (on demand) to the Informant at
the time of Registering the Birth, on payment of a fee not exceeding Three-pence. (See Births and Deaths
Registration Act, 1874, Section 30.)

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CONTENT
BETTER PROSPECTS IN YOUTH AND


SAVINGS BOOKMARKER

THE
REWARD OF
SAVING IS NOT
ONLY MONEY
BUT
PEACE OF MIND

PUT A
LITTLE AWAY
EVERY WEEK
IN

Savings Certificates
Purchase Price 16'-
Value after 10yrs 24'-
At this rate of Growth
in 10 Years

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CERTIFIED COPY OF AN ENTRY OF BIRTH GIVEN AT THE GENERAL REGISTER OFFICE
Application Number COL710380
REGISTRATION DISTRICT Camberwell
1915 BIRTH in the Sub-district of Camberwell South in the County of London

Columns:-	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
No.	When and where born	Name, if any	Sex	Name and surname of father	Name, surname and maiden surname of mother	Occupation of father	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar	Name entered after registration
380	Fourteenth November 1915. 49 Maxted Road	Randolph William	Boy	Randolph Spencer Churchill	Rebecca Churchill formerly Harris	Shipwright R.N. HMS Aquarius	E. Morgan present at the Birth. 47 Unity Street, Sheerness.	Sixteenth December 1915	W. L. Churchill	-

CERTIFIED to be a true copy of an entry in the certified copy of a Registrar of Births in the District above mentioned.
Given at the GENERAL REGISTER OFFICE, under the Seal of the said Office, the 4th day of May 2005

BXCB 041113