WHEN Barbara Holt moved into a nursing home and went through her belongings, she unearthed a small piece of history which was the first driving licence in Bury.

Now, 97 years after it was issued, the prestigious document has found a home with Bury Museum.

Mrs Jessie Johnson of West Drive, Seedfield contacted the Bury Times, to see if the document would be of interest to anyone, after Mrs Holt, whose uncle it belonged to, asked her to make some enquiries.

Mrs Johnson said: "I didn't know where to start with it, or who it would be of interest to. It's a bit battered but has been put in a frame, so someone obviously thought it was very important. "Its only the fact that Barbara had to give up her home that it came to light.

"Now I'll be able to tell Mrs Holt that that it is going to a good home. She didn't want it to be thrown away if it could be of interest to people."

Bury archivist Kevin Mulley confirmed from records that the twelve month licence, for the year 1904, was the first to be issued by the County Borough of Bury, following the 1903 Motor Act. He suggested that Bury Museum would be interested.

The licence, which costed five shillings and required no driving test, belonged to Mr Harry Moorhouse, of Walmersley Road. Local councils were responsible for issuing driving licences until 1965, when the system was centralised.

Ronan Brindley, assistant curator at the museum said: "This is an interesting piece of history. It will be useful to show children that at one stage there were no cars in Bury, very different from the situation today.

"We would like to get a picture of the first car in Bury and display them together."