Wylam resident receives letter posted from Somerset in 1995

John Rainbow, 60, was shocked to see one of the two letters delivered to his Wylam home on Friday, January 13 had a 25p Royal Mail first class postage stamp dating back to 1995. 

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John, who is retired, has lived in his home with his wife since 2015 and has no connection to any of the previous residents who lived there before.

The intended recipient, Mrs Valerie Jarvis-Read, lived in his home around 12 to 15 years ago and died in 2006.

Posted on August 3, 1995 by Patrick Daniel of Bridgwater, Somerset, the letter discussed family dating back hundreds of years and how Patrick's children, Hugh, William, George and Richard have grown.

Patrick died in 1998.

Valerie has now been traced back by Patrick's children to be a distant relative of the Daniel family hundreds of years prior.

Since the story first went online on the Hexham Courant, it has been featured on BBC Radio Newcastle, BBC Radio Somerset and national BBC News.

John said: "I've been interviewed twice by Radio Newcastle, and once by Radio Somerset.

"Even ITV asked me to go on camera but I declined that, I didn't want to go on camera."

He added he has been in touch with Patrick's son, Richard, who works for BBC East.

The new letter from Valerie's daughter Diana and the original letter from Patrick in 1995 (Image: John Rainbow/Canva)

"Recently I had another letter and that was from Valerie's daughter Diana, and she lives in Great Dunmore in Essex. She just said how wonderful it is that Patrick's letter arrived."

Valerie's sons emigrated overseas.

Diana explained Valerie's husband, John, had been a Royal Engineer in World War II for most of his career and supervised the building of the MEA House, the only office accommodation block in Newcastle for the exclusive use of charities and social enterprises. 

Valerie was his navigator when he rallied his Aston Martin in the late 1920's and 1930's.

John has sent the original letter from Patrick back to Diana and said the story 'had gone full circle'.

Richard, a senior broadcast reporter, said the letter Patrick wrote to Valerie was about his family and four sons.

In the letter to Valerie, Patrick says: "I am guessing you are descended from a brother or sister of Revd. Henry Arthur Daniel, or perhaps even a generation before that - am I right?" 

He said they had the Daniel family bible dating back to 1730.  

The recipient of the letter, Valerie Jarvis-Read, as a young woman (Image: Richard Daniel)

Richard said: "We thought it was likely Valerie was a distant relative of one of my father's relatives. It transpires Valerie had written to my father trying to find out more about her ancestry.

"My great-great grandfather was called Henry Arthur Daniel and he had a sister, and it turns out Valerie was descended from his sister."

Richard said another of their distant relatives interested in family history sent them a picture of Valerie as a young woman.

"In a way what I find more fascinating is that this letter vanished for 27 years and what on earth happened to it, because somebody must've found it the other week and put it back in the post, which seems bizarre," he added.