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Man discovers mother’s 100-year-old letter to Santa

In 1992, Dublin homeowner John Bryne discovered a charred letter to Santa in his chimney while installing central heating.

"At that time, the fireplaces were made of brick with a shelf on either side," Byrne told the Irish Times. "The letter was found on one of the shelves."

The Christmas list read:

"I want a baby doll and a waterproof with a hood and a pair of gloves and a toffee apple and a gold penny and a silver sixpence and a long toffee."

Bryne stashed the old note away as a Christmas memento.

Last week, he made the child's letter, dated Christmas Eve 1911, public in the Irish Times. More than 100 miles away, Victor Bartlem read the article. He recognized the name on the letter: Hannah "Annie" Howard.

It was Bartlem's mother's letter. She wrote it when she was just 10 years old.

"I simply couldn't believe it. I never knew about this letter. I never even knew it existed," Bartlem said.

"I could not believe it, it was absolutely amazing and it is such a sweet, typical child's letter."