A new family member

In 1925 a young unmarried woman gave birth, in Melbourne, to a baby girl (named Patricia). In those days it was a terrible thing to give birth out of wedlock, so her brother (R) (a policeman) and her sister (E) helped organise the baby's adoption. No one else in the family knew about it and the young mother and the brother went to their graves with the secret.

The baby's aunt , the sister of the mother (E) kept the secret for years and when she was an old lady told her sister (R). E then passed away, and R kept the secret, until she was nearing her death and told her daughter (J).

Meanwhile, baby Patricia was adopted and grew up. She married (changed her name to Pnina on her marriage to a Jewish man) and had a little boy (Mark). Patrica divorced and moved to the other side of the country, taking her son with her.

In 1958 P was murdered by a serial killer (Eric Cooke) Mark was 8 years old, and after her death, was taken back to Melbourne, put into a children's home and eventually grew up in Israel being looked after by his uncle.

He never knew his mother's family, and despite his best efforts, could never find them.

Back in Perth, a journalist started to investigate the case of two young men who had been jailed for murder of two young women. It was believed that these boys had killed the girls, but in fact they had been murdered by the same man who killed Prena. Eric Cooke was the last man hung in Western Australia, and went to the gallows admitting to those murders.

The journalist is Estelle Blackman and she eventually wrote two books about her investigations which resulted in the names of the two young men being cleared. The was some publicity about that case, and her books. Estelle often does presentations about her books.

At one of those talks last year a lady called Rose heard the story, and also heard the story of Mark, whose mother was the only ones of Cook's victims to leave a child. Estelle and Mark had made contact and had met in Perth a couple of years ago.

Rose determined that she would use her skills in family history to help Mark find his mother's family. She ascertained that the birth certificate he had for his mother was wrong and managed to get the correct one from the registar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Victoria.

Rose thought she had worked out Pnina (Patricia's) birth surname (which is an unusual name)and started ringing people in the phone book. Of course, no one had ever heard of a baby girl born in the 1920's until.....she rang my father's cousin who said "No, I don't know anyone but J (remember J, the only one who knew of the babys' birth) will know if anyone does." Rose rang J (who, of course, has a different surname) and hit the jackpot.

Yes, she knew of the baby, and Mark found his family.

So, where do I fit in?

The baby is my father's cousin, the policeman who helped organise the adoption is my grandfather, and Mark is my third cousin.

Mark still lives in Israel, but plans are being made for family members to get together.

So, a happy ending after a tragic story and a series of amazing twists and turns.

And this photo is my grandfather, Roy Thomas, who helped his little sister when she was faced with the unthinkable.

Added 25th Sep 2011 Click here for the Happy Ending