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Correspondence from Betty May to David Garnett*
248 High St Rochester Kent
Jan. 14th 1963
Dear David,
I buried Billy [her husband] last Tuesday. It is the very first burial I have been to in my life & to tell you the truth I did not like it at all. & then I had to wait quite three hours because they could not find a minister but at last they did & he was one of the very young people who went through the whole of the burial service, "very sincere" I suppose. & it was so cold. Billy particularly asked never to give flowers & I did it, of course. Of course I was the only mourner. Not only did I walk there I walked back, & then it really was quite a quarter of a mile to the very grave.
There is a burial grant being given for him so the undertaker informed me.
I went to see the bank manager of his bank & he told me there was £32—in the bank. He also has Billy's will which was made in 1935, apparently everything was held in trust. I am the [illegible] of the will but as I said before there is nothing there.
I went to the National assistance board the day after & someone is coming to see me on Tuesday morning.
You see David, I hope you don't mind me writing & telling you all this. I have no one else to tell.
I am not feeling very happy. I am getting a great deal of sleep which I so badly need.
My dear love David
Betty May
* David Garnett (1892–1981) was an author and wrote eleven novels as well as his autobiography; he edited the letters of T.E. Lawrence and the novels of Thomas Love Peacock. He and Francis Birrell started a bookshop; he helped found the Nonesuch Press and the publishing firm of Rupert Hart-Davis.
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