Letter from Mabel Dwyer, Weston-super-Mare to her sister in law Molly Dwyer, Duncaus, British Columbia. She writes that she wished they lived nearer so that she could help her with the new baby. She mentions the Malachi and Rawson families. She also mentions that Rupert [Bethune] her nephew was delighted with the stamps which Molly had sent to him. She writes about the impending birth of the baby ‘I hope it will be a boy they are so much nicer than girls...’

Mabel Dwyer lying on the grass in a garden possibly in Penarth, 1913.

Letter from Mary Bethune, [35 Plymouth Road, Penarth, South Glamorgan] to her brother William Dwyer, British Columbia. She writes of her daughter’s (Dorothy Anne Frances Bethune)impending marriage to ‘Hugh Reginald Holdsworth, a cousin of the late Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson.’ Mary writes that they hope to be married in [Autumn] as her sons Charles shall be home on leave from India and Rupert will be home on his Summer leave from Dartmouth (Britannia Royal Naval College). She understands that William has his own store now and sees it as a vast difference to England ‘the times are very bad now it is impossible to live in England.’ She worries for their sister Fenella ‘she is so worn out from nursing her husband.’

Letter from Mabel Dwyer, Blackheath, London to her sister-in-law Molly Dwyer, Duncaus, British Columbia. She write of Wau [William] being away from Molly at such a time and how she wishes she were nearer to help. She writes of Primrose having a baby, how glad she is to know that Wau will take her to Ennis someday she mentions meeting a Peter O’Connor whose mother was born in Ennis. Mabel describes The Franco-British Exhibition which she visited with her mother ‘it is lovely at night-all lighted with electric light’ and the ‘Ideal Home another very interesting exhibition’

William and his wife Molly Dwyer, British Columbia, 1915.

Letter from Primrose Llyod (nee Rawson) to her aunt Molly Dwyer, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. She wonders if the baby has arrived and if it is a boy or girl, ’it would be very nice to have a boy now that you have three girls’. She describes her newest arrival, a daughter, Marianne Priestly named after the child’s great great grandmother Miss Llyod, and also writes of her sister Dorothy and brothers Selwyn and Fred Rawson (attending Harrow)and Charlie Bethune is attending Woolwich.

Letter written from Selwyn Rawson, The Haugh End, Sowerby Bridge, England to his brother-in-law William Dwyer, British Columbia stating that it was ‘a year or two since I wrote, or heard from you’. In the letter he describes the effects the War has had upon their lives. ‘We have been rationed for practically everything…food for pigs and cattle, has almost been unobtainable, and I have reduced my stock down to almost nothing…’ He writes of the outcome of the war ‘Personally I never lost a minute’s sleep from anxiety as to the result: I knew we should come out top dog…and I am now looking forward to the damned Kaiser being extradited and brought over here and hanged: I wish they would let me have the job.’ He describes the difficulties of his work as a Military Representative in the area dealing with tribunals and advisory committees while also dealing with ‘about 5000 claims for exemption’ where he had to ‘lay the case for the Military and collar him if possible…and I did not get any good will from it I can tell you’. He writes of his son, ‘Fred, as you know, went out at the very commencement and was invalided home in about 6 weeks, with dysentery and shell shock, and finally discharged the army, but is now pretty well again, though not absolutely all right.’ He writes of his son Selwyn junior who had just joined the Navy and was serving on board the Princess Royal which escorted the German ships into the Firth of Forth following their surrender.

Anne Stather Dwyer's Celtic headstone. Anne 'Mingie' Dwyer died on the 14th November, 1927.

Letter from Anne Stather Mingie Dwyer, Blackheath, London to her son William Dwyer, British Columbia. She writes of Dorothy Bethune’s impending engagement to the son of a ‘large manufacturer in Yorkshire’ [Hugh Reginald Holdsworth]. She writes of Gerald’s death and how he had left everything to Selewyn’s children and ‘left poor Mabel nothing though she was his first love’.

Letter from Annie Rawson, Yorkshire to her sister-in-law Molly Dwyer, Vancouver Island, British Columbia wishing her and the family a happy Christmas. She mentions sending presents to the children and a dress to Molly and ‘are rather poor this Christmas’ having married a second daughter. She writes of her mother and Mabel and how their ‘flat is most comfortable’ and have been staying with Dorothy Nugent (nee Rawson) who has ‘a very nice house and gardens in Purley’. She writes of the Lloyds and Nugents and Dorothy and Rupert Bethune are to come to visit and how Dorothy Bethune has become engaged to a Mr. Holdsworth.