Brendan Wynne (1908-1972)

Brendan Wynne, 1908 - 1972

This young man is believed to have been Brendan Wynne, born on 6 April 1908 at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin. He was the second son of my great-grandparents, Patrick Wynne and Teresa Carroll. Brendan grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne in England, where his father worked as a brush-maker. The Wynnes also ran a grocery store in Two Ball Lonnen, Fenham and it was Brendan who took over and expanded this business. Brendan married Dorothy McDonnell in Newcastle in January 1960, sadly, on the same day that his brother, my grandfather, was buried in Dublin.

Everything else currently known about Brendan and his life in Newcastle comes from his musings in a single surviving letter that he wrote to my grandfather.

Here is a transcript of this letter, calculated as having been written during the first half of 1953.

297 Two Ball Lonnen,

Fenham,

N/C on Tyne,

Dear Kev,

Please excuse long delay in answering your welcome letter, but believe me, in this trade, we have to work at top pressure all the time, one thing seems to follow on top of another, without a break & now its feverish preparation for the coronation.

Well Kevin, I was highly delighted to hear your good news that you were much better, for without health you have nothing. Well, it’s up to you not to over-do it for a while & to take it as easy as life allows. Maurice [their elder brother] paid us one of his rare visits recently, his address by the way is "The Cottage" War Dept, Ryhope, Co. Durham". 

I hope Annie and the children are keeping fit & well. Give them my regards. I bet I would see a great change in them for it's about 6 yrs since I saw them & it makes a huge difference in children. 

I have opened another shop in Coatsworth Rd, Gateshead, to try and improve turnover, as I am buying very big now, so at present I am full of it, until I get it going to my satisfaction.

Eileen [sister] generally comes up for a couple of hours daily, but recently the baby has been ill, so haven't seen her for a few days. He, the baby that is, is a proper handful. She dare not take her eyes off him for a second, or he's sure to fall and cut himself. He's a funny kid. When he decides to be good, he’s very good but when he takes the opposite view there is absolutely no doing with him. He screams the place down for no apparent reason. Poor Eileen is absolutely worn out. She doesn't get her proper rest, I'm sure.

Mother is as well as can be expected. She has gone to Benedictions, so I have a bit of peace and quietness to write this letter.

I have been writing for the last 3 hours, books, accounts & orders, so I am beginning to get a bit bleary eyed. Laurence [brother] is getting married this year, sometime in August is the tentative date. As for myself, there is no change, if I get married it will have to be on a Sunday, for that's the only day I have.

Your loving brother,

Brendan

Brendan’s signature on the letter is very similar to his signature on the above photograph. 

The photograph of Brendan was received, with many thanks, from descendants of the Carrolls, still living in Newcastle. Brendan was known to have maintained a relationship with his half-first-cousin, Maurice Carroll. The Carrolls migrated to Newcastle on Tyne, at the same time as, or just before, the Wynnes. This was around the beginning of the twentieth century. Through this blog, I have recently been in contact with Maurice's grandchildren and they have been very generous in sharing some fascinating photographs and stories about the Newcastle Carrolls.

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