Letter to the
Editor
The article 'Reflections'
from Joan Wheeler,
Earley, Reading, Berkshire
The article called 'Reflections' by JFB in the
June issue of the Historian was very poignant. My
father and mother divorced when I was 18 months
old and as I grew up I was told my mother was
dead and my father wouldn't speak about his
family. It was as if he was ashamed of being
divorced. He never married again. When I was 45
we found that my mother was still alive and
living in Australia. She has only just this year
started to tell us, that is my sister and me,
about her family. I am now tracing her family in
the Newcastle, Durham area. My father, William
Joseph MONK, died without telling us anything of
his side of the family. He left us some
photographs which I think are of my grandparents,
his mother, father, sisters and brothers. I'm
finding it difficult to find any connections in
the London area.
I understand how Sarah, mentioned in the
article, feels. I have only a sister and a
brother alive that we know of, no aunts, uncles,
or cousins, but I do have a lovely husband, four
children and seven grandchildren. Many thanks for
your great magazine; it is so helpful especially
for a beginner like me.
