Albert Kent was a small man, born with congenital deformities.
He was born in London in 1896.
Kept inside for most of his childhood,
he developed a great love for books.
As a young man,
he was apprenticed to a bookbinder.
Albert excelled at this work.
Eventually, he progressed to being a book gilder,
adding gold leaf to fine tomes.

Albert did not pass the medical to enlist in the army to fight in WW1.
Instead he joined the home guard.

It was in this store that he met book lover, Violet Brennan.
They married in 1919
and had 6 children:
Baxter b. 1920
Josephine b. 1921
Lucy b. 1923
Edgar b. 1926
Oliver b. 1927
Warren b. 1930.

Violet Brennan was born in 1898 to William and Adalie Brennan.
She loved the Music Hall
but did not want to pursue a career there.
Instead, she developed a passion for another art from - photography.
Violet got a position in a photographic studio.
She took many photos of young men in their service uniforms
before they went off to war.

She met Albert Kent who worked in the same street as her.
They married in 1919
and had 6 children:
Baxter b. 1920
Josephine b. 1921
Lucy b. 1923
Edgar b. 1926
Oliver b. 1927
Warren b. 1930.

Ada Williams was born in 1898 in Cornwall, England.
She was a Quaker, who alongside her mother,
who fought hard for the causes of socialism and feminism.
Ada believed that women needed to take actions themselves,
believe in their own self-worth,
and endeavour to improve their living and working conditions.

Ada volunteered at a military hospital in London during World War 1.
It was there she empowered women to take their rightful position in society.
She met Jules Brennan, a medical student working at the hospital.
They married in 1923.
They had 4 children:
Parker b. 1924
Edward b. 1925
Hannah b. 1926
Sarah b. 1927

As the fictional Brennan family disperses around the globe,
I wonder about communication.

Did Silas and Grace Brennan ever know their young son had died on a prison ship?
Did convict Florence ever write to his parents?
How long would these letters have taken to arrive?
Today, we communicate with face-time and Skype and Snapchat.
There is no isolation and waiting for the postman.
How does that influence our demand for instant gratification,
for up-to-date news, to know NOW?

How was bad news conveyed?
When Kevin Buchanan died on the Somme,
was it an official, emotionless telegram that told a family
that their world was destroyed?
What responsibility do bearers of bad tidings have
to offer support, reveal compassion, companion grief?

When the E-coli epidemic broke out in Western Africa,
the world knew almost immediately and efforts were made to
help the affected and contain the outbreak.
With better communication,
could the effects of the Spanish Influenza which ravaged the population of Tahiti
have been mitigated?

Indigenous populations were very vulnerable to viruses and bacteria carried by colonists.
What moral responsibility do these pioneers have
in accepting their role in communicating infectious diseases and decimating native populations?

New languages were introduced and nearly obliterated native tongues.
How were important treaties, such as the Treaty of Waitangi, signed
and the ideas they contained, communicated?
Was there reciprocity and mutual exchange?
How do we ensure we have made ourselves understood?

How do I feel about bilingual and multi-lingual communities?
Do I embrace diversity?
Do I respect the languages of different ethnic groups?

Parents often have dreams for their children.
How are these communicated?
Should children be expected to fulfil the dreams and aspirations of their parents?
When Maurice Donovan turned his back on academia and joined the circus,
how did his family respond?

Jules Brennan was the eldest child of William Brennan and Adalie Dubois.
He was born in 1895 in London.
He was born into a family of performing artists,
but Jules had a far more intellectual bent.
He won a scholarship to study medicine at university.
After 2 years of study,
Jules was conscripted to fight in the war.
However, he failed because of poor eyesight.
Instead he  work in military hospitals in London
until the end of the war.
Jules then resumed his studies.

He met Ada Williams who was also volunteering at a military hospital.
They married in 1923.
They had 4 children:
Parker b. 1924
Edward b. 1925
Hannah b. 1926
Sarah b. 1927

James Larkin, known as Jim, was born in 1877.
His father and grandfather both served in the Royal Irish Constabulary.
The Royal Irish Constabulary was created with the Drummond Act of 1836.
He was a policeman during very difficult times in County Mayo.
Jim trained at the Depot facility at Phoenix Park, Dublin.
The pay for police was poor.
It ranged from 39 pounds per annum for less than 6 months service,
to 72 pounds per annum for more than 25 years service.

After 7 years service, police could marry.
Jim married Elizabeth Tobin in 1905.
They had 4 children:
Kieran b. 1907
Silas b. 1909
Grace b. 1911
Riordhan b. 1913.

Elizabeth Tobin was born in 1888 to Brigid and Kieran Tobin.
She was their youngest child and only daughter.

Elizabeth married police constable, Jim Larkin in 1905.
She lived with Jim in the police barracks.
Her role was to cook for the men and their families.
All their children were born in the barracks.
They had 4 children:
Kieran b. 1907
Silas b. 1909
Grace b. 1911
Riordhan b. 1913.

Aisling Walsh was born in 1890.
She was the eleventh child of Michael and Helen Walsh.
Aisling was cared for mainly by her older siblings.

Aisling married Dermot Tobin in 1907.
They had 5 children:
Eileen b. 1909
Grainne b. 1911
Niall b. 1912
Pierce b. 1914
Ronan b. 1915.

She supplemented the meagre income Dermot earned on the farm by
performing many casual jobs,
including char, laundry for wealthier neighbours,
and sewing of dresses for special occasions, such as First Holy Communion.

Dermot Tobin was the 5th son of Brigid and Kieran Tobin.
He was born in 1887.
Dermot took on the responsibility of helping his father with the land holding.
He supplemented the farm income with local odd jobs around,
and sales of produce at local markets.

Dermot married local lass, Aisling Walsh, in 1907.
They had 5 children:
Eileen b. 1909
Grainne b. 1911
Niall b. 1912
Pierce b. 1914
Ronan b. 1917

Born in 1885, Patrick Tobin is the 4th son of Brigid and Kieran Tobin.
Patrick enjoyed the pilgrimages he went on with his mother to Knock.
He developed a special desire to go on mission to China.
In 1903, he joined the Columban Fathers.
After ordination, he served in several Asian countries
before joining the Mission to Hanyang District in China.
For 3 decades, the Columban Fathers were caught in the middle of a Civil War
between Guominjun Nationalist Army and the Chinese Communist Party.
Supplies were often stolen.
Mission workers were kidnapped or tortured and murdered.