Shoebox of love letters reveals Witley Court heiress’s secret relationship

A collection of love letters found in a shoebox during the 1960s offers a glimpse into a relationship that ended in marriage in 1929. The letters were exchanged between Dora Smith, daughter of Witley Court’s last private owner, Sir Herbert Smith, and Noel Murray ‘Fred’ Pearson.

They were discovered in the archives of a local accountancy firm and preserved by an employee, Elizabeth Jones. The correspondence tells the story of a relationship that began when the couple met while Dora was married to her first husband.

Despite the circumstances, Dora and Noel eventually married after her turbulent divorce.According to English Heritage, the letters offer a glimpse into the couple’s warm and playful relationship through affectionate nicknames and private jokes.Love letters between Dora Smith and Noel Pearson discovered in a shoeboxThe letters were found in a shoebox among the archives of a local accountancy firm during the 1960s. The collection had been exchanged by Dora Smith and Noel Murray ‘Fred’ Pearson, whose relationship was connected to Witley Court.