I understand that this necklace was originally given by my great grandmother Frances to her friend Mrs Thomas. Frances died in the 1930’s so it must have been before then.
As a child I knew Mrs Thomas as an old lady who lived with her daughter. They were good friends with my family and I spent a lot of time at their house in Cornwall. It was fascinating to hear her stories. She had originated from Philadelphia, USA, married a Cornishman and came to live in the UK just before the First World War. She could remember my grandfather as a young boy which seemed unimaginable to me. She was always “Mrs Thomas” to me. I don’t know what her first name was.
Somewhere over the years the necklace had broken and Mrs Thomas kept the stones. She must have treasured them. In her later years (she died around 1984) she gave them to my mother. My mother gave the stones to me around 2000. She told me they were agate. I felt that these stones should be treasured and not kept in an old tobacco tin and I took the stones to jeweller who told me they were old-style mother-of-pearl and i had them restrung and a new clasp.
I do wear the necklace occasionally. I should wear it more as, when I’m gone, it will mean nothing to anyone else. My daughters don’t remember Mrs Thomas.
