Letters from Mary Frances Hayes Ballard (née Paterson) to her husband George Alexander Ballard. The letters, some of which are incomplete, cover their engagement and early married life, including dealing with the difficulty of long separations and the birth of their first child while he was serving on the China Station. Her letters also provide an insight into her social life as a naval officer's wife while in Malta and her hopes for his career and their future. Includes two letters from their children to their father, a copy of an invitation to their wedding and a list of wedding presents and their donors. Also contains extracts taken by Mary from letters written by her brother-in-law Colin Ballard to his mother while serving in South Africa.