Jenny’s attempts to solve mystery of cutting in bible
A pensioner is on the hunt for anyone who may have known Horace Smart from Cranbrook, who died in 1954.
Jenny Fox was born in Cranbrook to her mother Eileen Carey (nee Giles), and was brought up as the child of Eileen and her husband Desmond.
But Mrs Fox, 64, believes that Horace Smart was probably her natural father.
She said: “I never felt quite at home in the family – I looked so different from my four siblings. I have red hair, but none of them do.
“I have a different eye colour and I just didn’t seem to fit in with them.”
As she grew older, her mother told her that after her death there would be a surprise in her bible.
It was a newspaper cutting from 1954 recording the death of Horace Smart, who was mown down by a drink-driver on the Sidcup Road at Foots Cray.
She said: “There was still no note or explanation from my Mum. I was left wondering who this man was and what he could have been to her.” For the past two years, she has been trying to solve the mystery.
Her research led her to discover that Horace was living in Frythe Crescent, Cranbrook, in 1951, when her mother, who was working as a nanny in the town, became pregnant.
Three months later, in March 1951, she married Desmond Carey. Mrs Fox said: “It was still regarded then as shameful for an unmarried girl – my mother would have been 19 – to have a baby. But of course I have no idea of the circumstances.”
Mrs Fox discovered Horace Smart remained a bachelor, with no acknowledged children. He did have two brothers, who have both since died, but the wife of one is still alive, as are the two children of the other.
Mrs Fox, who now lives on the Isle of Sheppey, has met them all. She said: “It was a strange story to broach with them, but they completely accepted it. They said Horace was known to have been a bit of a ladies’ man.
“We shared family albums and there is a strong likeness between me as a child and Horace when he was young.
“He also had red hair and was known to them as Uncle Ginge.
“In addition, the son, David Smart, said I looked just like his grandmother had and he has acknowledged me as his cousin.”
Mrs Fox said she had sometimes found it hard to pursue the research. She said: “It’s been an emotional rollercoaster ride – and I didn’t want to upset my other family.”
She would now like to hear from any older readers who may have known Horace Smart and who might be able to fill in the gaps in her knowledge.
She can be emailed on bumpkin1980@googlemail.com