Fulwell Sue Ryder shop finds WW1 love letter family

David Bambrough is a keen family historian and said he was "quite emotional" at the discovery

The family of a World War One soldier killed in battle say they are delighted at the discovery of love letters written by their ancestor.

A charity shop had issued an appeal to trace relatives of George Fortune who wrote the letters to his wife Mary, which were found in a donated box.

The appeal reached David Bambrough, from Sunderland, whose great grandfather was Mary's brother.

The letters will be returned to the family in due course.

Mr Bambrough said George and Mary had one daughter, Marjorie, who was only a few months old when her father was killed aged 27.

She died childless in 2003 and her possessions were given away before her family could get to them, he said.

The letters were sent by George Fortune to his wife Mary in West Hartlepool

The cache of letters, which included one from King George V confirming that George had been killed in action, were found in a sewing box given to the Sue Ryder shop in Fulwell, Sunderland.

Mr Bambrough, who is a keen family historian, said: "I'm very pleased the letters were found and am really looking forward to getting them back into the family.

"It's quite emotional, it's something tangible that links you to the people you know about."

Mary Fortune remarried after her husband George's death but had no more children

Mary, who also lost two brothers in World War One, remarried but had no other children, Mr Bambrough said.

George was from West Hartlepool and was serving as a private in the Durham Light Infantry when he was killed.

The cache included a letter informing the Fortune family that George was killed in action