Donated photographs find a home

The photographs, mainly black and white dating back to the early part of the 20th century were found a few weeks ago amongst other donated items in a black bag by Joyce Wilson, a volunteer at the Cancer Research UK charity shop in Western Road.

Joyce said she new straight away that the photographs, which were in an old brown folder, were "quite special" and shop manager Rod Bailey put out an appeal via the Observer in the hope of tracing an owner as he felt sure they had been donated by mistake, adding:

"I thought they were quite extraordinary. They speak volumes."

Family names of Carbery and Adams, including some dates, when taken were written on the back of the photographs.

The photos included wedding and baby shots and the story to find an owner was put on the Observer website, which is where Jan More came across it a few days later.

Jan who lives in Bognor Regis, had been researching the Carbery family for four years and is testimony to the power of the world wide web.

Jan said she just typed 'Carbery photographs' into a search engine and was amazed when the Observer story flashed up:

"I couldn't believe what I was reading and thought this has to be a connection - whether connected one hundred percent or not."

Jans connection to the family is via her mum Rene who married on the Adams side of the Carbery family. Her extensive research has taken her as far back as July 1869 when Walter Carbery was born in what was then known as Ceylon.

Following a phone call to Rod, Jan travelled to Bexhill to collect the photographs and was overcome with emotion on receiving them. Jan said:

"I am a great believer in fate and I do believe there's a hand of God in here."

She added: "I can't get over it, they are amazing."

No one knows for sure who donated the photographs and Jan said there may well be other relations out there who might be closer in line to the Carbery's than herself adding:

"It would be good for me to see if any more family are out there."

Jan said in case there are other members of the family she will act as custodian to the photographs and will be "delighted" to hand them over if the occasion arises.

Rod and his staff were thrilled that the photographs had found a home and Rod said:

"What a happy ending."