From Gabrielle Kennelly in New Zeland, February 7, 2005. Her email address is: chalong@paradise.net.nz

Dear Jonathan,

Thank you so much for replying to my email. That was nice of Chris to forward it to you. You must have done a great deal of hard work on researching the Brind family.

You have told me things about my family I did not know. I remember my grandmother Rosabel Winifred, I was four when she died. I was born the third child of Norah Rosabel in 1934. I did not know my mother was named after her mother. My mother was a gifted, intelligent person with enormous drive. At 14 I began to nurse her. After breaking her hip, she died of cancer of the kidneys in January 1952. I had a sister 10 years younger Caroline. The two older siblings had by this time left home.

I had an aunt Hilda who much to our amusement used to call us bairns. So this must have been a term her mother's family used. I did not know my grandmother's father was Mayor of Shirley. The eldest daughter in my mother's family Stella Brind, (she married a second time to Frank Pitt) they had a farm, called Hyde Farm. I think this farm is still there near Andover. My aunt had one daughter Valerie by her first marriage/liaison? who married Bill Marshall. He died in about 1976. They owned a farm near Romsey. My cousin Valerie was married at Romsey Abbey and Caroline was her bridesmaid.

I do have my Uncle Hugh's obituary. He wrote it himself and left it with my older sister the late Joy Winifred. Joy put it in the I.O.W. County Press on his death. He did not mention in his obituary many interesting experiences when he was a Major in the British Army. He worked closely under General Montgomery. My older sister told me Hugh Brind took the surrender of the German Army in I think a part of Holland on Montgomery's orders. I wish I had paid more attention at the time. I am unsure now of the details. The story went that the German officer who was above my uncle in rank, refused to surrender to my uncle and wanted a more superior officer in the British Army to surrender to. Uncle Hugh told him to surrender and sign or that would be the end of him. He signed quickly. Uncle Hugh was very dashing in his major's uniform with the Sam Brown belt and baton. He was a perfectionist and you could see your face in his shoes. He would straighten the pictures in the lounge at our house when he arrived on a visit. He had a box mustache. He was a ladies man and I think married about four times with many fiancees. His sisters had a nickname for him and he was called Boy. My brother was named after him.

My brother lives in Donegal, Ireland. His second wife Roisin came from there. They live overlooking the river Foyle, which is the Republic of Ireland. He retired from the Ministry of Defence in London. He was their HG Engineer and at one time their Personnel Officer. He hired and fired about 2,500 people.

I knew there were some Brinds in NZ. In the North island I think. I had not heard about William Darby Brind. So interesting. I have never heard of the Girls War. Can you tell me more? The Bay of Islands I have been to. It used to be a place for the sailors R & R and of course in those days was full of bawdy houses. Now it is a beautiful tourist place with much history.

Are you connected to the IOW Brinds? My mother's first cousin Charles Brind was a very good artist and won prizes for his art on the Island. I have a still life in my kitchen he painted. It has faded slightly but still beautiful. He did not marry and ran a grocer shop in the High Street in Ryde.

I don't have a post box at my house. I live on a back section and mail is not brought to the house. When I put a box on one of the neighbours fences it was vandalized and I gave up. I have a post office box. . Do keep in touch. I may be able to fill in some information about my immediate family.

It is really muggy and hot today. I have an electric fan going and all doors open to cause a draft. I have been to meet my ex work colleagues who like me have retired. We meet at Macdonalds for lunch most Mondays. I retired at 65.

Gabrielle