Long-lost family reunites after postcard arrives 121 years later
A postcard sent in 1903 has helped reunite a family in Wales 121 years later...
South Africans have become accustomed to lengthy delays at the post office, but we doubt anyone expects their delivery to reach its destination over 100 years later.
A postcard sent in 1903 has reunited a family in Swansea, Wales. The postcard arrived at the correct address on Cradock Street, but it was delivered 121 years late.
The Swansea Building Society, which occupies the building, received a mysterious postcard in August. It was addressed to Miss Lydia Davies.
The postcard read: "Dear L. I could not, it was not possible to get the pair of these. I am so sorry, but I hope you are enjoying yourself at home. I have got now about 10/- [shillings] as pocket money not including the train fare so I am doing alright. Remember me to Miss Gilbert and John. With love to all from Ewart."
The building society reached out to the public on social media to help it find Lydia's family.
"It turned up completely out of the blue on Friday. The postman came to the door as normal with lots of letters regarding mortgages and savings and stuff for our team to process. As one of the managers was going through it, a postcard dropped onto the table, not in an envelope, not with a note, just as it was," Swansea Building Society's marketing manager, Henry Darby, told Wales Online.
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They tracked down Lydia and Ewart's descendants, who had never met each other before. They reunited last week.
It turns out that Ewart was Lydia's younger brother. He was 13 when he sent the postcard from Fishguard, where he was spending the holidays with his grandfather.
"Ewart’s grandson, Nick Davies, 65, was joined by Lydia’s great-nieces, Helen Roberts and Margaret Spooner, and Lydia’s great-granddaughter, Faith Reynolds. They all travelled from different parts of the UK to meet and connect with relatives they had never known about until the discovery of the postcard," the Swansea Building Society said.
It's unclear why Lydia didn't receive the postcard when it was initially sent. But it found its way back into the system and fate helped bring her family back together.
Who would have thought that a random postcard sent 121 years ago would result in such a heartwarming reunion?!
Read the full story on the Swansea Building Society's website.
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Main image credit: Swansea Building Society, Henry Darby