Dear Mr Cornwell.

I do not make a habit of writing to well-known people, but in your case I had to make an exception.  Principally to say thank you for all the wonderful books you have produced and all the pleasure reading them (several times over) has given me.  I feel a certain connection to your books as an avid family historian.  I (like you) am a descendant of the real Uhtred of Bamborough and of Alfred the Great and his son Edward.  I also descend in the male line from an ancestor who was probably a Norse settler in the Lancashire area in the ninth century as so well portrayed in your Last Kingdom novels.  His descendant a thane called Outi was lord of several manors in the twelfth century, a younger son, Richard, was given one of them called Orrell and was the ancestor of that family.  I can relate to your Agincourt novel as three of my family fought there as Men-at-Arms, (Robert, William and Hugh Orrell) and I can relate to the wonderful Sharpe novels as my five greats uncle, Andrew Orrell was a Lieutenant in the Penninsular War (34th Regiment), he was a friend and neighbour of Lieutenant Robert Knowles who was killed at Roncesvalles and whom I assume was the original of the Lt Robert Knowles who appears in the Sharpe books?    A distant relative John Orrell was a Lieutenant in the Rifles.  Who knows, perhaps an Orrell will appear in your novels one day?

Thanks again for all your work.

Terry Orrell