A powerful account of efforts to fight poverty a century ago has been written by a Surbiton author after she discovered 600 family letters, many dating back to Edwardian times.
In what began as a “retirement hobby”, Margaret Brown wrote The Priest and the Playwright this year, after carefully piecing together a series of letters held by her great uncle, a Catholic bishop who established a school and a church in Vauxhall in 1903.
She said: “It’s a touching story, and one that I felt ought to be better known and I began by reading through all of my great-uncle’s letters – more than 600 of them.
“I began work on the book in 2002 but was interrupted by two long spells of family illness, and the book finally emerged into print this year. It has been very exciting.”
Margaret Brown’s great uncle, Bishop William Brown, spearheaded various projects to help the poor in south London, with anonymous financial help from Pearl Craigie, a playwright and novelist.
She added: “I think that it’s so important that we cherish our understanding of the past. It helps to give us a sense of identity and community.”
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