Twins' birth mum quest leads them to Bonar Bridge
A SEARCH by twin sisters for information about their birth mother has led them to a Sutherland community where she is believed to have lived for more than 20 years.
Francesca Jarvis and Vanessa Kendall were abandoned three weeks after their birth in Epsom in 1964.
Their unmarried mother Kathleen Maher, then aged 34, left them in a carrycot, with feeding bottles and spare clothes, in the front pew of the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Sutton.
It later emerged that Kathleen had no home nor job and felt unable to care for the twins adequately.
The sisters have recently been trying to find out more about Kathleen’s life and are being helped in their quest by Francesca’s son, Matthew Jarvis, who lives in Brighton.
The family were succesful in finding out that she was one of four sisters born in Ireland.
Kathleen is believed to have moved to England with her family at some point in the early 1950s.
Mr Jarvis said: “I have been in contact with one of Kathleen’s nieces who knew Kathleen when she was pregnant with my mother and aunt.
“She was able to show us a photo of Kathleen and to tell us a bit about the person she was.”
It was discovered that two years after the twins were born, Kathleen married a man called Ronald Webster and the couple moved to Sutherland shortly after their wedding.
It is thought they initially lived in Helmsdale but at some point moved to a house in Swordale Crescent, Bonar Bridge.
Kathleen, who lost contact with her Irish family, died in Bonar Bridge in 1991, aged just 61 years. Her husband continued to live in the village until his death in 2020. The couple had no children.
“I know Kathleen passed away in Bonar Bridge and I have been in contact with some people who knew Ronald in recent years,” said Mr Jarvis. “We would like to speak to someone who knew Kathleen. We would like to understand a little bit about what her life was like. We have only seen one picture of her and we would love to see more, if anyone has any.”
He added: “It’s a very sad story but thankfully they were adopted together and are very close. I feel for their mother and it’s such a shame we never got to meet her.
Anyone who knew Kathleen is asked to contact Matthew by email: matt7799@hotmail.com
