History buff JOAN PALEY works in one of York's most historic houses. In this, the last of our writing competition winning entries to be published, she explains her affinity for one particular exhibit

FRANK Green lived in Treasurer's House for 33 years, filling it with beautiful furniture and portraits. In 1930, he gave it all to the National Trust and moved to Somerset. His generosity then enriched not only the city of York, but also the lives of those today who work in or visit this magnificent house.

Over the past ten years as a volunteer room steward, I have come to regard the people in the paintings around the house as friends, none more so than Mrs Halliwell, my favourite. As I move about the elegant dining room and talk to visitors, she watches me, her painted eyes following me. They have warmth and a slightly quizzical expression, as though she would like to answer my unspoken questions.

I wish I knew her Christian name. She is the daughter of L Gardener, widow of James Halliwell, daughter-in-law of Simeon Halliwell, mother of James, Eliza, Maria, Ann and Frances.

Her bonnet is ruched with richly gleaming loops of grey ribbon and it is so delicately painted I feel I could lift it off the ringlet-like curls on her brow. These, I suspect, are artificial. A faint smile lifts her rather sunken mouth - perhaps she has lost her natural teeth, for she is elderly.

Her lace shawl is caught up with a square black brooch, a mourning ornament, I feel sure for James, perhaps made of Whitby's famous jet? It glistens. Did it reflect her tears when he died?

This calm and dignified old face was painted 40 years after the nearby portrait of her stiff and solemn husband astride a horse of equally stiff proportions. There they linger, gazing out of their gilt frames, next to one another in the perpetuity of death.

I wish she could tell me more about her children. Their only son, James, died unmarried, the proud family name dying with him. Eliza, their first-born, married a Mr Roby, who in time having spent all his own money, spent most of Eliza's inheritance, so that little was left for the three sons of that union. Did Mrs Halliwell weep for her unhappy daughter?

Maria wed a vicar, the Rev Henry Latham and they went to live in a quiet rural area of Cheshire. Of their three children - two daughters and a son - the latter, Henry, died of what was described as a broken heart, after his wife left him. Was Mrs Halliwell there to offer comfort to her beloved grandson?

Sad Henry's sister Diana never married, while his other sister, like her mother before her, married a man of the cloth.

Ann married a Mr Eckford, who was in the Indian Civil Service and they lived in India for more than 20 years. All their children died in infancy, perhaps from childhood infections so easily treated today. Mrs Halliwell must have felt such grief for those little grandchildren she almost certainly never saw.

Frances met and married a handsome army colonel, Thomas Evans; their story is the saddest of all. Two tiny sons died at a very early age and two daughters were buried at the cape of Good Hope; nameless children who withered in the heat of Africa. Only one son lived, Henry; he, like his father, fought in India.

Thomas, loving husband and father, was killed in battle. Henry the son was wounded and left for dead, and the fragile thread of survival spun him into insanity. Poor Frances to lose all she loved. I like to think that Mrs Halliwell would be a great comfort to her grieving daughter.

And today, Thomas, forever young, also hangs in a gilt frame in the dining room of Treasurer's House, opposite his mother-in-law. Did Mrs Halliwell like him? Did they get on for the short time they spent together? I hope so, for they can't ever escape each other.

Visitors are always interested in the lives of these long dead ancestors of Frank Green. They linger, gazing curiously at the portraits and asking questions. I like to think that when they leave they will take with them some of the memories and mysteries of Mrs Halliwell and her children and her children's children and will remember the painted people of Treasurer's House.

Joan Paley lives in Alwyne Drive, York

We mis-transcribed the name of the author of our second writers competition entry to be published. The author of the article about a vision for York, published in January, was in fact Simon Newton of Gilling. Sincere apologies for the error

Updated: 10:23 Monday, March 03, 2003