I AM 86 and have recently come across a few forgotten letters and photographs which have made me curious to fill in some gaps in my family history. My mother, Nellie Marshall, was born in Blackburn in 1890. Her father, John Marshall, a widower from Scotland, already had five children and came to Blackburn for work, leaving some of the older children behind in Scotland.

Two daughters, Janet and Maud, who came with him, eventually married two brothers who lived in Blackburn. They were Hugh and Chay Cunningham. As a child I used to visit Chay and Maud when they lived in Langham Road. This would be about 1925. Uncle Chay once showed me a photo of the Cunningham family -- there were 12 sons all growing up to manhood. I would love to have a copy of that photograph.

Uncle Hugh and Auntie Jan went out to Africa as missionaries and used to visit my mother and our family when they were over on furlough. I seem to remember that they had the use of a house in Blackburn when they were on leave -- I think it was called 'Kamapanda.' after their place in Africa. Auntie Jan was the first white woman to see the source of the Zambezi.

GERTRUDE LAWES (Mrs), 7 Harts Houses, Wilderswood, Horwich, Bolton BL6 6SB. Tel 01204 693877.