~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Margaret McCann Bellew remained in England until 1926. In May of that year she finally joined her husband and her son William who had been in the US already for almost 3 years. How I wish that there was a diary in Margaret's Envelope telling me how she felt during that time and most importantly, all she felt during her journey to the US.
Margaret and John had three children at the time, Hugh Bellew born in 1916, William Bellew, born in 1917 and John Jr (or Jacky) born in 1919. From what I understand she never really spoke of it, or him, and the heartache of her decision must've haunted her for her entire life. Margaret came to the US without one of her sons, the youngest, John was left in England.
I've written at length about John in several previous posts, but the story about him being left in England is truly a sad one. You can read about it here and here. Today I post another item from Margaret's Envelope, the one item that probably reminded her of him - a card from his First Communion which occurred only months before she left the country. You can see the reverse of it in one of the above previous posts.
Not having a diary of her thoughts and the pain that she must've had during this time, my mind is filled with images of a Mother boarding the ship with one of her children, leaving her young son crying on shore with an Aunt. Or her hastily dropping him off at her home so she could make this journey to join her husband in the US. He was only 7 years old when she left England.
Thank you for sharing the details from "Margaret's Envelope" that put the family's separation into relief. This whole story is so riveting and touching.
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