diff --git a/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/usermodel/Range.java b/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/usermodel/Range.java
index 228f2a1191..1a346fb536 100644
--- a/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/usermodel/Range.java
+++ b/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/usermodel/Range.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 
 package org.apache.poi.hwpf.usermodel;
 
-import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import org.apache.poi.hwpf.HWPFDocument;
@@ -98,7 +97,7 @@ public class Range { // TODO -instantiable superclass
     public static final int TYPE_UNDEFINED = 6;
 
 	/** Needed so inserts and deletes will ripple up through containing Ranges */
-	private final WeakReference<Range> _parent;
+	private final Range _parent;
 
 	/** The starting character offset of this range. */
 	protected final int _start;
@@ -167,7 +166,7 @@ public class Range { // TODO -instantiable superclass
 		_paragraphs = _doc.getParagraphTable().getParagraphs();
 		_characters = _doc.getCharacterTable().getTextRuns();
 		_text = _doc.getText();
-		_parent = new WeakReference<>(null);
+		_parent = null;
 
 		sanityCheckStartEnd();
 	}
@@ -190,7 +189,7 @@ public class Range { // TODO -instantiable superclass
 		_paragraphs = parent._paragraphs;
 		_characters = parent._characters;
 		_text = parent._text;
-		_parent = new WeakReference<>(parent);
+		_parent = parent;
 
 		sanityCheckStartEnd();
 		sanityCheck();
@@ -558,7 +557,7 @@ public class Range { // TODO -instantiable superclass
         }
 
         _text.delete( _start, _end );
-        Range parent = _parent.get();
+        Range parent = _parent;
         if ( parent != null )
         {
             parent.adjustForInsert( -( _end - _start ) );
@@ -776,7 +775,7 @@ public class Range { // TODO -instantiable superclass
 		}
 
 		Range r = paragraph;
-		if (r._parent.get() != this) {
+		if (r._parent != this) {
 			throw new IllegalArgumentException("This paragraph is not a child of this range instance");
 		}
 
@@ -1119,7 +1118,7 @@ public class Range { // TODO -instantiable superclass
 		_end += length;
 
 		reset();
-		Range parent = _parent.get();
+		Range parent = _parent;
 		if (parent != null) {
 			parent.adjustForInsert(length);
 		}
diff --git a/src/scratchpad/testcases/org/apache/poi/hwpf/usermodel/TestBug47563.java b/src/scratchpad/testcases/org/apache/poi/hwpf/usermodel/TestBug47563.java
index fc6466c45c..25c5f18294 100644
--- a/src/scratchpad/testcases/org/apache/poi/hwpf/usermodel/TestBug47563.java
+++ b/src/scratchpad/testcases/org/apache/poi/hwpf/usermodel/TestBug47563.java
@@ -18,10 +18,12 @@ package org.apache.poi.hwpf.usermodel;
 
 import org.apache.poi.hwpf.HWPFDocument;
 import org.apache.poi.hwpf.HWPFTestDataSamples;
+import org.apache.poi.util.HexDump;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.junit.runners.Parameterized;
 
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -29,7 +31,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
 /**
- * Bug 47563 - Exception when working with table 
+ * Bug 47563 - Exception when working with table
  */
 @RunWith(Parameterized.class)
 public class TestBug47563 {
@@ -94,11 +96,12 @@ public class TestBug47563 {
 			}
 
 			String text = range.text();
+			String textBytes = HexDump.toHex(text.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
 			int mustBeAfter = 0;
 			for (int i = 0; i < rows * columns; i++) {
 				int next = text.indexOf(Integer.toString(i), mustBeAfter);
-				assertTrue("Test with " + rows + "/" + columns + ": Should not find " + i +
-								" but found it at " + next + " with " + mustBeAfter + " in " + text + "\n" +
+				assertTrue("Test with " + rows + "/" + columns + ": Should find " + i +
+								" but did not find it (" + next + ") with " + mustBeAfter + " in " + textBytes + "\n" +
 								text.indexOf(Integer.toString(i), mustBeAfter),
 						next != -1);
 				mustBeAfter = next;