Yesterday I posted the first transcription of a batch of letters written by a mother to her son, who had left home to work away. Because the letters had only the day and month date, I could only try and determine their order by the contents. However, I have now realised that the letter published yesterday was in fact the second of the ones I have, written in 1860, whereas the one below was written in 1858. Just a bit more background. The family lived in Wymondham which is a village to the east of Melton Mowbray, where George was an Ag. Lab. Parents: George Eaglesfield born Greetham, Rutland 1803; Elizabeth nee Judson, born Greetham Rutland, 1804. Children, all born Wymondham. George, 1828; Mary, 1829; John, 1832; William, 1834; Susannah, 1836; Joseph, 1838; Sarah, 1839, Elizabeth, 1845. John was, at the time of this letter, working as a plate layer on the railway in County Durham. As before I have transcribed it exactly as written, with original spellings, which my computer spellchecker is constantly trying to correct! The letters were also written with no punctuation and no capitalisation at the start of a sentence. This makes reading it amusing when you get to the bit about lizy being ill and read it as "she can't sit up in bed without holding the Doctor." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------ March 22 Wymondham My Dear son John I write to you hoping to find you quite well it leaves me beter than I have been I have such a bad pain in my face an tooth ache I never had it so bad in my life I ham sorry to say poor lizy is very ill she has got a bad cold an it is turned to fever their is a bad illness an fever hear she is very weack she is never been up since last fridy weack she is had nothing but drink an oringers this last weack Mr Douglas is atended her more than a weack she cant sit up rite in bed without holding the Doctor says she is a little beter to day she will take a deal a raisin I think I have nothing but trouble this poor child is such a tie but the lords will must be done I think a great deal about the too poor girls that is departed we had a leter from Gorge he sent for your adress an we sent it him his wife is got another son they call him tomas your father is not going to ponton this year they have got a man in the house stutring Gulcon is dead John we never told you that wen tom peniston left you he went an got a place at Darlinton he only worked 6 weaks an then he fell bad of the fever an then he died he has been dead 10 weaks his mother went an waited on him she staid with him an seen him bired so no more this preasant time your effectnate Mother E Eaglesfield rite soon as you can Adress to William William Eaglesfield Berkley House Bath road Reading Berkshire As before I will now add in corrections and punctuation, and fill in a few details. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- March 22 Wymondham My Dear son John I write to you hoping to find you quite well. it leaves me beter (better) than I have been. I have such a bad pain in my face an tooth ache I never had it so bad in my life. I ham (am) sorry to say poor lizy (Elizabeth, John's youngest sister, aged about 12 here) is very ill. she has got a bad cold an it is turned to fever. their (there) is a bad illness an fever hear (here). she is very weack (weak). she is (has) never been up since last fridy weack (Friday week). she is (has) had nothing but drink an oringers (oranges) this last weack (week). Mr Douglas is atended her more than a weack (week). she cant sit up rite (right) in bed without holding. the Doctor says she is a little beter (better) to day. she will take a deal a raisin (raising). I think I have nothing but trouble. this poor child is such a tie but the lords will must be done. I think a great deal about the too (two) poor girls that is departed. (Sarah died in 1857 and I can't trace Mary, so maybe she had died young also) we had a leter (letter) from Gorge (John's eldest brother George who lived in Derby). he sent for your adress an we sent it him. his wife is (has) got another son. they call him tomas. (Thomas born Sept qtr 1857) your father is not going to ponton this year. they have got a man in the house. (possibly refers to Great Ponton House just over the border in Lincs). stutring Gulcon is dead. (presumably a local man who gained the epithet because he stuttered) John we never told you that wen (when) tom peniston left you he went an got a place at Darlinton (Darlington). (presumably Tom was a friend of John's who left home with him) he only worked 6 weaks (weeks) an then he fell bad of the fever an then he died. he has been dead 10 weaks (weeks). his mother went an waited on him. she staid (stayed) with him an seen him bired (buried). so no more this preasant (present) time. your effectnate (affectionate) Mother E Eaglesfield. rite (write) soon as you can Adress to William (John's younger brother) William Eaglesfield Berkley House Bath road Reading Berkshire I find these letters fascinating. The mother is putting down her thoughts almost as they come into her head without any construction to the letter, and spells some complicated words, but writes others down as she speaks them, with a local accent. _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2112/4780 - Release Date: 02/01/12

Hi, Brian, The fact that she writes at all in 1858 is what I find fascinating--a very intelligent and determined woman--with family and household duties occupying most of her time, and the general lack of extensive education for women at the time. My family's experience (coal miners) was quite different, particularly for the wives and daughters. Illiteracy was the norm well into the 1880s. It might be interesting, along with the letters to have a short discussion of the existing educational system for farm workers' and their families in England at the time the letters were written. Thanks for sharing. --Carolyn Sidebottom, Minnesota, USA -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Brian Binns Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2012 6:23 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [LEI] Victorian Letters (... ...) I find these letters fascinating. The mother is putting down her thoughts almost as they come into her head without any construction to the letter, and spells some complicated words, but writes others down as she speaks them, with a local accent. _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2112/4780 - Release Date: 02/01/12 ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi Carolyn All evidence I have seen and read on the subject suggests literacy was far higher than is often assumed Some information on literacy based on ability to sign marriage registers http://www.bl.uk/collections/early/victorian/pr_intro.html and http://ideas.repec.org/p/umb/econwp/03107.html (downloadable pdf) History of Education in England http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_education_in_England http://richardjohnbr.blogspot.com/2011/01/literacy-revised-version.html Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) > Hi, Brian, > > The fact that she writes at all in 1858 is what I find fascinating--a very > intelligent and determined woman--with family and household duties occupying > most of her time, and the general lack of extensive education for women at > the time. > > My family's experience (coal miners) was quite different, particularly for > the wives and daughters. Illiteracy was the norm well into the 1880s. It > might be interesting, along with the letters to have a short discussion of > the existing educational system for farm workers' and their families in > England at the time the letters were written. Thanks for sharing. > > --Carolyn Sidebottom, Minnesota, USA