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Verity Newman was the great-grandaughter of Joan Redfern, a nurse that the Doctor had met in the year 1913. (DW: Human Nature / Human Nature) One day when she was searching out her attic, she found the diary, the journal which had been written by the Doctor, when he was in the form of John Smith. She is credited as the author of "A Journal of Impossible Things", which is based on the writings of John Smith and Joan Redfern.
During 2010 the Doctor went to a book signing of hers. She asked him who to sign it to, and he replied "the Doctor". She then realised it was the same man as in her book. She told the Doctor her great grandmother died happily when he asked. (DW: The End of Time)
- It is not clear why the Doctor choose to visit Verity Newman and ask about her great-grandmother. This gives rise to a number of posibilities about the full nature of John Smith's relationship with Joan. An unlikely, but possible explanation would be that Verity's grandparent was a child fathered by John Smith. Given that the Doctor was human at the time, any offspring would also be Human, and not Time Lord.
Behind the Scenes
- Verity Newman gets her name from Verity Lambert and Sydney Newman who were the first producers of Doctor Who. These name were used again in DW: Human Nature / The Family of Blood, the names Verity and Sydney as the parents for the Human John Smith
- As pointed out in Doctor Who Confidential, John Smith truly loved Joan, and the Doctor seemed to care about Joan and her well being following the events with the Family of Blood.
