HELP NEEDED Radio Appeal - FINN of Grantham

[AngelFish]

Hi. This has been posted on Facebook by BBC Radio Lincolnshire. I've posted it here instead of the Lincolnshire board as I thought more people might like to see this. (Moderator please move to the Lincolnshire board if this is not allowed, thank you.)

"BBC Radio Lincolnshire
Can you solve this mystery?
Courtney Finn, from Grantham has been sent boxes full of Victorian photos and postcards depicting a Finn family from the town... but they aren't his relations.
He's baffled - so are we!"

Source: https://www.facebook.com/bbclincolnshire/?fref=nf

Can anyone help?

[CaroleW]

Courtney Finn, from Grantham has been sent boxes full of Victorian photos and postcards depicting a Finn family from the town... but they aren't his relations.
He's baffled - so are we!"

So who has sent them to him?  Seems quite a substantial parcel to have been sent anonymously.  Any postmark?  England or overseas?

I find it odd that a complete stranger would know his address and just send him an anonymous parcel

[Cell]

I can see that there is some writing on one of the photo's. There's no good having an appeal if they don't give out some of the names  and details that are written on the items ( the photo is too "pixely" to make out any detail).
Yes I thought that strange too - who sent it?  Where did they get the recipient's details from etc.( I'd love a parcel like that turn up on my doorstep out of the blue - all I get are bills! )

Kind Regards

ps
edited to add this quote from the Facebook page(link in Angelfish's post). Some info on the package - The owner/recipient of the package, Courtney Finn has replied 5 hours ago ( which wasn't there yesterday when I looked at the  Facebook page) Quote -  " The Finn's lived in Stamford St Grantham and were living at No 91 in 1911, The family were George (born 1879) and Alice (born 1879) and their children Ena and Cicely. George worked at Hornsbys until he retired. George was a well known sports man and was Secretary of Grantham Bowls Association and left an estate valued at £1,034 when he died in 1948. Alice died in 1955. Their daughter Ena married James Auckland at St Johns Church Spitalgate in 1934. I think they had a son Hugh (born in Grantham in 1939) who was living in Wandsworth in 1965. He married Maureen Barrras in Northumberland in 1971"

[Ruskie]

I think we need the owner of the horde to join rootschat, so we can get everything straight from the horse's mouth.(ask questions direct etc)

Can someone contact her/him and suggest this? We have a pretty good record chasing up this kind of thing.

I'd still like to know the story behind how/why this was sent to them.

[ScouseBoy]

They have been sent to  Courtney Finn, who chairs Grantham Civic Society.

There is a brief report on BBC  teletext  Lincolnshire section now.

[AngelFish]

Thank you all, you've managed to find out more about it than I could.

This morning it is also showing on the BBC News online for Lincolnshire. Copied below:

"A historian is appealing for help to solve the mystery of a 100-year-old collection of postcards and photographs sent to him anonymously.

Courtney Finn, who chairs Grantham Civic Society, said they featured an unrelated family from the town with the same surname.

He said it may be that whoever sent them believed he was related.

The collection includes correspondence sent from Gallipoli and records of family holidays.

'Magical reminder'
Mr Finn said: "We think someone was clearing out their loft, found these photos and very kindly posted them to us in Grantham."

He said the postcards and photographs are dated between 1905-1932, and feature George and Alice Finn, who lived at 91 Stamford Street, Grantham, and are buried locally.

However, he said: "It's a real mystery why someone sent them to us."

"I've even been and knocked on the door in Stamford Street to see if anyone remembers them, but it's all too long ago," he said.

One postcard sent from a friend or relative serving in Gallipoli said: "Took over three weeks to get here and rather hot too."

Another said: "Keep a loaf of bread - meet us at the train station."

Mr Finn said: "They are a magical reminder of all those years ago."

The historian said the parcel was postmarked Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, and cost £6 to send.
He added that someone had gone to a lot of trouble and is urging them to get in touch."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-35804117

[AngelFish]

I wonder if the family didn't want them anymore, so sent them to the museum? It's possible.

It also seems that the appeal is to find the sender, rather than discover who the items originally belonged to or locate any living family. I apologise if this is the case, maybe I was mistaken to post it for Rootschatters.

[groom]

What a very strange thing to do though to send a parcel costing £6, without first writing to see if the person wanted them! Also you'd have thought they would have put their address on them or enclosed a letter. 

[OurReg]

If they need to find the sender, the BBC should run the story in the Bedfordshire local news, rather than Lincolnshire.