JACK

Jack

photo credit Betty Devenney

My uncle-in-law, Jack Hill was born in 1917 and lived in Camus, Co Tyrone. He had left home at the end of the 1930s bound for England to find work. The local men he travelled over with helped him to get a start, labouring on a building site. After a few years the work began to dry up and Jack returned home. But work was still scarce here. One day, when he was in Strabane he heard they were looking for workers in Scotland. So, in 1942, Jack travelled over on the boat and was lucky enough to secure a job.

He returned home a few times. An old photograph that was taken on one such visit shows Jack, with his young nephew Danny at the front door of his sister’s Aggie’s house. He’s smiling and looks happy. But he was never home for long, knowing there was work in England he was soon on his way back across the Irish Sea again. That visit, in the 1950s was to be the last time that Jack was back home in Ireland for many decades.

Jack travelled all over England going from one building site to another, wherever there was work. He never settled in any one place for long and had no permanent digs. As time passed, letters with news from home became more infrequent, then finally, non-existent. None of the relatives had an address to write to Jack, so all contact was lost.

By this time Jack’s parents had grown old. His father passed away in the 1970s and no one could get in touch with Jack to inform him of his father’s death.

Then as the years passed more old photographs of Jack was discovered by his nieces Rose and Mary, when cleaning out some cupboards for their parents. They had known they had an uncle, but always assumed he had passed away. Questions about his whereabouts were asked but no one could give an answer. Was he still alive? And if he was where would they start to look for him.

By the 1980s thirty-five years had passed since Jack was last home. His mother was in her nineties now and had never given up hope that Jack would return home… His nieces and nephews made up their minds to find out what had become of their uncle. They were going to do their utmost to find him. If he was alive and well, they planned to bring him back to Ireland to see his mother. They knew it was her dearest wish to see her son again.

Every avenue they could think of was pursued in their search, but they all came to dead ends. It seemed Jack had just disappeared – as if he had never existed. Then, his niece Rose had a brainwave. She suggested contacting the Salvation Army as they had a good reputation for finding lost relatives. Maybe Jack had got into dire straits and went to one of their establishments for help, perhaps someone might remember him. It was like clutching at straws, but hope is a powerful emotion, and it was strong in the hearts of everyone anxious to find Jack.

Many months of searching began, disappointment came often, hopes were dashed many times but giving up as never an option. Then, after more than a year there was a breakthrough.

The Salvation Army contacted the family, and told them they believed they had located Jack. During their enquiries around the country, someone mentioned that an elderly man, usually called in for a few pints of Guinness to the local pub in Walthamstow. He had been a regular there for quite a few years and always talked about Ireland. He told the locals it was more than likely his parents would have passed away by now and that he had lost contact with his family. He told them it was his own fault as he hadn’t kept in touch. Now it was too late, so much time had gone by. He had no clue as to the whereabouts of his siblings or if they were still alive and well.

When it was established that this elderly man was indeed Jack, the family were assured by the Salvation Army that if they were to contact him he would be happy to see them. Plans were quickly put in motion to go and meet him.

One of his nieces, Geraldine , was living with her family in Manchester, so it was arranged that she and her husband Frank, would travel to Walthamstow. They had been told where the pub was located and the time that Jack normally dropped in for a pint. They were feeling anxious about how he would react as they were aware he suspected nothing.

That Friday evening, Geraldine and Frank set out to meet him. They entered the pub and glanced around looking for Jack. Geraldine spotted him first. He was sitting on his own in a quiet corner of the bar. She recognised him from the photographs, even though he had aged greatly. With great trepidation she approached him. “Hello,” she said,” are you Jack Hill.”

The man smiled and replied, “I am, young lady, why do you ask?”

“I’m your niece Geraldine, your sister Aggie’s daughter.”

Jack’s voice was trembling as he spoke. “Do you mean Aggie Hill, from Camus who married Brendan Devenney from Tober?”

“Yes, Uncle Jack. The family have been searching for you for a long time.”

A pin could have been heard dropping as a hush fell over the bar. Then the tears began to pour down Jack’s face, his niece overcome with emotion was hugging him and there wasn’t a dry eye in the pub. He told her that words could never describe the emotions or the joy he felt at being reunited with a member of his family again.

Uncle and niece spent hours reminiscing and catching up on all his lost years away from home and family. Jack felt profound sadness and heartache at the passing of his father and loved ones that he would never see again. But there was great joy in knowing his mother and all his siblings were still alive and well. He was delighted to hear that his nieces and nephews were eagerly waiting to meet him and of course get to know him. He told Geraldine that he had such a feeling of peace and comfort in his heart; he hadn’t felt like this in many long, lonely years.

When Geraldine asked him why he had never married, he told her he was always too busy working, that he hadn’t taken the time to settle down.

He went on to say; “as time passed, I just got so set in my ways, and it would have been difficult then to find a woman who would have put up with me.”

The realisation of how lonely he must have been had tears welling up in his niece’s eyes.

Jack had regular visits from his family from that day on. But they knew that he wanted most of all to see his mother. Plans were made for him to return home to spend Christmas with her. She was ninety-seven now and anxious to see her son again. Then word came telling him his mother had taken ill, so the arrangements were brought forward. A flight to Belfast was swiftly organised, but sadly, his mother passed away a few hours before he finally made it home.

Jack returned to England a few weeks after his mother was laid to rest. He wasn’t ready to adjust to life in Ireland and come home to stay.

Ironically, a year later, Jack became unwell himself. This time because of his poor health he felt he wanted to be home, living close to his family. His nephew Danny travelled over to England and brought him home.

Jack was content and happy to be back in Ireland as he was surrounded by family to care for him. Sadly, he passed away peacefully, some months later. He was laid to rest with his parents, in the cemetery in Strabane just a few miles from his old home in Camus. The place that was always dear to his heart.

This story was first published in Shadows In Time  Gateway Writers Lifford 2019

Author Betty Devenney