I thought I was orphaned as a baby but broke down when I found out the truth, reveals Long Lost Family pensioner

A LONG Lost Family pensioner broke down in tears when he found out the truth about his parents – after thinking he was orphaned as a baby. Last night’s instalment of the ITV show followed the story of 87-year-old Mark Chesterfield. The dad-of-five had spent his whole life thinking that he was a orphan, but 14 […]

A LONG Lost Family pensioner broke down in tears when he found out the truth about his parents – after thinking he was orphaned as a baby.

Last night’s instalment of the ITV show followed the story of 87-year-old Mark Chesterfield.

ITV

A Long Lost Family pensioner was left feeling very emotional after realising that he wasn’t orphaned as a baby[/caption]

ITV

Mark pictured with his cousin Elaine[/caption]

The dad-of-five had spent his whole life thinking that he was a orphan, but 14 years ago found out that he wasn’t.

Back in 2008 Mark was shocked when he realised that his mum Eileen Florence Wilcox had sent him letters while he was living at the Foundling Hospital in Hertfordshire from the age of 11 weeks to 18-years-old.

It was a place where parents took their children if they were unable to look after them.

“She wrote to the Foundling Hospital and enquired about my living,” Mark said as he fought back the tears.

“I was shocked when I saw these. I read them sometimes when I’m feeling low but it assured me that she cares.

“I’d always thought that I’d been thrown to the wolves,” Mark added.

Mark was taken to the hospital in 1934, but left in 1941 to be in the Royal Airforce.

Mark – who is now married to his wife Betty and is dad to five daughters – later found his mother’s birth certificate and was gobsmacked to find out that he had siblings.

He later united with his brother and sister – Jeremy and Yolande – which made him more determined to find out who his dad was.

Mark said: “It’s like having all the information on my family tree in a box, and I can’t shut the lid down because it is not full but it would be full if I could find out who my father was. 

“If I knew who my father was, I would have filled what I was looking for. And If I don’t find out who my father is, I will leave this place incomplete.”

That’s when Mark asked the Long Lost Family team for help.

And amazingly, the show managed to find the final piece to complete Mark’s puzzle.

Presenter Davina McCall revealed that Mark’s dad was a married man called Walter, who had sadly died at 53-years-old.

The host explained that he had welcomed a daughter into the world in 1933 with his wife, just 12 months before Mark.

She pointed out that Walter had probably slept with Elaine in secret, and that his mum Elaine took baby Mark to the hospital because she would have received a lot of backlash looking after him as a single woman.

Davina also revealed that they had found a member of the family from his dad’s side – a cousin called Elaine.

When they pair met for the first time, Mark couldn’t contain his emotion as he finally met someone related to his father.

“I am so thankful that you proved your DNA and have given me the answer to a question I have waited 88 years for,” Mark told Elaine.

• Long Lost Family airs on ITV