Thirteen Quail's Nests

Jake Jacobs came to England from Trinidad as part of the American forces stationed near Lancashire during World War II. He met Mary while serving there. After the war, when Jake returned to Trinidad, he and Mary corresponded. A few years later he moved back to England to get better work.  “He asked me to marry him when I was only 19,” says Mary. “My father threw me out, and I left with only one small suitcase.” Her father’s objection wasn’t her age; it was that Mary is white and Jake is black. It was a sentiment shared by nearly everyone they met. No one wanted to hire Jake, and no one would rent them a flat. But they persevered, and last year they celebrated their 70^th wedding anniversary. “I feel so fortunate to have met and married Mary,” Jake says. “Nowadays I tell young black people they have no idea what it used to be like.”