Lost In Time: A Honeymoon Letter Discovered After 70 Years

What began as a curious garden find has now blossomed into a touching piece of local family history.

When gardener Adam Elshaw discovered a pristine letter dated 21st January 1955 under an acer tree in a Wolverhampton Garden, he had no idea it would connect him – and us – to a love story nearly 70 years old.

The letter, typed on paper from Ashleigh Court in Torquay, was addressed to JR Gwilt Esquire of Stafford Road, Fordhouses. It outlined hotel rates for a stay, including meals, and appeared to respond to a booking enquiry. How it ended up buried beneath a tree, untouched by time, was a mystery.

Or at least it was, thanks to the team at Anglia Research and the work of one of our genealogists, the mystery has now been solved.

After reading this article in passing on a train journey, our Head of Probate Richard Tinkler knew this was exactly the kind of thing we could help with. He passed the story to our Regional Head, Eileen Lavelle, who set to solving it.

The letter was written to John Raymond Gwilt, born in 1933, and it turns out it was part of the arrangements for his honeymoon with Barbara Mary Lawley. The couple married on 4th April 1955 and the timing of the letter lines up perfectly with their plans.

Their son, David John Gwilt, confirmed the details after being sent a photo of the letter by his sister, Jane via WhatsApp. He responded:

“I am absolutely sure my father was arranging accommodation for my parents’ honeymoon – the dates match up. I know that their honeymoon was in the Torbay area.”

David and his sister Jane were delighted to learn the letter had been discovered, as well as surprised at how quickly the story had travelled.

The address on the letter 501 Stafford Road, Wolverhampton. It matched that of John Raymond Gwilt’s parents, Major Harry Gwilt and Lily Gwilt (née Dalton), who were recorded as living there in 1939. It was the address of the flat above the family butchers shop established by Harry & Lily, John continued the family business for decades (photo below).

How the letter ended up under a tree in Tettenhall remains a mystery. It may have been tucked away in an attic and slipped from a moving box or van as the property changed hands. The house has changed ownership three times since David Gwilt’s parents lived there.

What is clear now is that it was never just a random scrap of old paper – it was a preserved memory from the early days of a marriage that would last a lifetime.

“Our parents and grandparents were very kind people, and it’s wonderful that their memory can be honoured in this way.”

We’re grateful to the Gwilt family for allowing us to share their story and to Adam for recognising the letter’s significance. It’s not every day you uncover a honeymoon booking from the 1950s in someone’s flower bed.

By Chloe Pipe