Heartfelt thanks to the wonderful Haruka Karoda who so kindly provided this translation of our letter.

こんにちは。初めまして。

私はセーラ・フォクッスオールという英国に住むイギリス人です。この度は病気の父の為に、彼が２歳の時に亡くした父、私の祖父になるちかかね・まもるの日本にいる親戚、家族の捜索をするにあたってまずはＦＡＣＥ　ＢＯＯＫで「ちかかね」と載っている方々にこうしてメッセージを送ることにしました。

ちかかね・まもる（平仮名で書いている理由はどの漢字を使っての名前だったのか分からないからです）は1936年（昭和１１年）にイギリスで他界しました。リディア・ラタムというイギリス人の妻との間に２児の息子を持ち、1934年（昭和９年）に生まれた次男が私の父になります。

死亡証明書によると、祖父まもるは働いていた貨物船上で受けた怪我の悪化で４０歳で他界したと証されています。このことから生まれはおよそ１８９６年（明治２９年）と見込まれます。

彼が働いていたと思われる貨物船は三井物産の彦山丸。これは１９１７年（大正６年）第1次世界大戦中にポルトガルのセント・ビンセント岬の沖でドイツの潜水艦の攻撃を受けて沈没した船です。

あいにくこれ以上の情報はないのですが、祖父まもるが亡くなった後しばらくはまもるが残した若い家族の為に日本から郵便物が届いていたと聞いています。その事からイギリスに住む祖父まもるの家族の存在を知っていた日本の家族がいたのだろうと想像します。

彼の生まれた地元が何処なのか、どういう漢字を使っての「まもる」なのかも分からないままなのですが、是非とも貴方の家系図を辿っていただけないでしょうか？

Dear anyone called Chikakane

My name is Sarah. I am British and live in England. I am searching for my Japanese family history.  I am writing to you because your name is Chikakane and I am searching for any information or family of Mamoru Chikakane. He was my grandfather.

Mamoru Chikakane died in England in 1936. He had two sons by an English woman called Lydia Latham. My father was the youngest son, born in 1934. He was just 2 years old when his father, Mamoru, died.  The death certificate in England tells us that Mamoru had an accident on a ship and died later from his injuries. He was 40 years old, so is believed to have been born around 1896.

It is possible but not certain that when he was younger, Mamoru worked on a ship called Hikosan Maru. The name is listed at Ellis Island in New York where the ship docked once. The ship was sunk in the East Atlantic in 1917 by a U-boat, all crew survived. The SS Hikosan Maru was built by James Laing, Sunderland in 1892 and owned at the time of her loss by Goko Shokai (Kawachi Kentauro), Tarumi.

We do not know much more. There were stories of parcels or gifts coming from Japan to the young family, so we think there were relations that knew of Mamoru’s children.

We have so little information. We do not know where in Japan Mamoru was born. We have no correct record of his name. We would be most grateful if you could check your family records for Mamoru Chikakane.

My father lived his life with almost no knowledge of his father or Japanese family. He is now very ill and will not live much longer. As his children we would like to bring some of his Japanese family to life for him before he dies.

Thank you for any help you can offer. Please do share this with other Chikakane family.