These letters graciously have been shared with the Victorian Web by Eunice and Ron Shanahan; they have been taken from their website. The letters give an insight into the daily lives and concerns of 'ordinary' people without whom history would not exist. The letters are a wonderful example of how much history may be gleaned from such sources.
The
postal marking shows
FREE in a crown within a dated circle which was applied in London. Because the letter was allowed to be sent free of postage, the rules of the time had to be observed - the town, the date and year had to be written at the top of the letter, written by the person claiming the free frank, who had to sign at the bottom left of the address panel. This particular FREE mark was only in use for about 7 months from 3rd January 1800.
Last modified 7 December 2004