Secret Love Letter Reveals Softer Side of Cambridge Spy Ring's Alleged Fifth Man
An intimate correspondence between John Cairncross, the alleged fifth man in the notorious Cambridge spy ring, and Gloria Barraclough has emerged as one of the most striking exhibits in a new National Archives exhibition. The previously unseen love letters reveal a tender, elegant side to the spy whose intelligence work helped the Soviets win the Battle of Kursk and turn the tide of the Second World War.
Discovery of Hidden Romance
For Tom Brass, the discovery of the love letter written to his mother Gloria Barraclough brought a profound realisation about her life before domesticity. "My mother came from a category of women whose lives were deemed to be of little or no interest," said Brass. "But these love letters – which she tucked away in her copy of Cairncross's autobiography – show that before she was a wife and mother, she was loved by a spy for her vibrancy and intelligence."
The letter was found carefully preserved within Barraclough's personal copy of Cairncross's autobiography, revealing a relationship that began in 1937, one year after Cairncross commenced his espionage activities. Brass believes his mother was unaware of Cairncross's double life during their courtship, though he suspects she would have been intrigued rather than shocked had she known.
Contrasting Personalities Revealed
While Cairncross was historically known for being prickly, resentful, and unsympathetic in his professional dealings, the correspondence to his "Dearest Gloria" presents a markedly different character. In 1944, while working under Kim Philby in MI6's counter-intelligence section, Cairncross wrote: "Writing to you seems to have some magical effect on me. Your letters have a lightness, vivacity and joie de vivre … a fresh voice from an exquisite past."
This intimate glimpse into Cairncross's private emotions stands in stark contrast to his public persona as one of Britain's most significant Cold War spies, whose spycraft contributed substantially to Soviet military successes during the Second World War.
Love Letters Exhibition at National Archives
The discovery forms part of the Love Letters exhibition opening this weekend at the National Archives in Kew, London. This comprehensive exhibition brings together intimate correspondence and documents spanning more than five centuries, demonstrating how private emotions have shaped public history – and sometimes upended it entirely.
The exhibition features:
- Royal confessions and clandestine affairs
- Same-sex love letters from periods when such relationships were illegal
- Wills written in devotion, including Jane Austen's unusually concise 90-word testament
- Documents that altered the course of the monarchy, including Catherine Howard's letter to Thomas Culpeper
- Correspondence between Mary II and William III showing the gentler side of political marriage
Broader Historical Context
The exhibition spans diverse historical periods and social contexts, from Tudor executions to Victorian prison cells, and from queer safe houses under police surveillance to royal deathbeds. Particularly moving are the intimate words exchanged secretly between same-sex couples long before such relationships gained legal recognition – letters that can only be displayed now because they were originally seized as evidence to prosecute the lovers.
Other notable exhibits include Henrietta Maria's correspondence with Charles I, written as civil war tore England apart, which speaks of tender longing, loyalty, and fear for a husband facing execution. The raw, desperate petition written by Alfred Douglas to Queen Victoria on behalf of Oscar Wilde also features, brimming with hope for royal intervention that never materialised.
Collective Expressions of Love
The exhibition also highlights moving examples of collective love, including hundreds of letters written to defend Ira Aldridge, the celebrated black Shakespearean actor, when he faced racism and exclusion. These letters speak of admiration and solidarity, representing an outpouring of support that crossed both class and national boundaries.
For Tom Brass, seeing his mother's story woven into this broader historical narrative has been unexpectedly emotional. "Before domestic life claimed her, my mother was seen, admired and cherished for who she was," he reflected. The exhibition provides a poignant reminder that behind historical figures and events lie complex human emotions and relationships that have shaped the course of history in ways both subtle and profound.
Love Letters runs at the National Archives in Kew, London, from 24 January to 12 April, offering visitors a unique opportunity to explore how personal affections have intersected with public events across five centuries of British history.
