Smokescreen - Ken Matthews' quest for the truth
SMOKESCREEN
Smokescreen - one man's fight for justice


IVY PINN


Ivy Pinn, the mother of Ken Matthews

Ivy Pinn was born in Margam in 1910, the daughter of Tom Pinn and Annie Pinn, one of five children.


Tom Pinn was a woodman at the estate in Margam, working for the Fletcher family who inherited their fortune from Emily Charlotte Talbot, whose father, Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, was a Liberal MP for Aberavon in Port Talbot.


Ivy is said to have had a 12 year love affair with John Theodore Talbot Fletcher [Jock], the son of Captain and Mrs Andrew Mansel Talbot Fletcher of Saltoun.


Captain AMT Fletcher inherited the estate from his aunt, Emily Charlotte Talbot, the last of the Talbots of Margam, the family after which Port Talbot was named.


Ivy became pregnant and was dismissed from the castle and disowned by her family. She went to stay with Mrs Mainwaring in Groes, until she was admitted to the infirmary at Neath. She was moved to the Pontardawe workhouse, where she stayed alone for nine long lonely months, her baby having been taken from her for adoption.


Devastated, Ivy made a desperate attempt to rebuild her life and was discharged from the workhouse to work as a maid for a doctor in Porthcawl. She made the long journey to Seven Sisters to check on Ken's welfare, and the adoptive mother was amazed when Ivy appeared at her door.


Another story is told of when Ken was taken on a coach trip to Porthcawl and a woman who no one knew was seen to be calling his name at the top of her voice. He was quickly bundled up and disappeared into the crowd with his adoptive mum.


Sadly Ken and Ivy were never to meet again but Ken's half-sisters have given him photos of Ivy, obviously pregnant, and a man we now believe to be Jock Fletcher. They are together at Sker Beach, a well-known beauty spot - Ivy looks about six months pregnant.


The only record of the "adoption" is an entry in the Adopted Children's Register - there is no proof that Ivy ever signed her baby over to anyone. There are no adoption papers - perhaps they have gone the same way as Jock Fletcher's ashes ..... or just maybe they never existed to begin with [see the Adoption pages].


Ivy, in her later years, used to foster children but only ever little boys. She made her home in the Midlands but sadly, just before her death, her home was broken into and some personal effects were taken, a heartbreaking conclusion to a sad and lonely life separate from the man and the son that she loved.


Ivy died in 1986 and was cremated in the Midlands
without ever seeing her son again.


*****



Click here to read Ken's story or select from the table below to
discover more of the background to
one man's fight for justice .......

Support is always welcomed. We have had to close mail access to our smokescreen.org.uk account because person or persons unknown have subscribed that mailing address to literally thousands of mailing lists - new messages can now be sent to guestbook (at) lovechild.plus.com [original Guestbook entries are here]



There are many pages of research and proofs to be added to this website - Ken Matthews and his wife Penny have discovered so many "coincidences" that it makes disturbing reading. These are the main areas of enquiry that will be covered [some are still under construction but we're adding new info regularly] - click on any of the boxes below to reach the relevant area.

Ken's story the "adoption" the 1926 adoption act
John Fletcher the love affair Ivy Pinn
Copped Hall Margam Saltoun
John Fletcher's will the death the cremation
the medical records the death certificate the ashes
the E.C. Talbot trust the family tree the photos
newspaper articles the curious "divorce papers" ........... now on line guestbook


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