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 postage charge, in this case a '2', has been crossed out and substituted by an '8', signifying eightpence. This helps to pin the date down as from 1711 to 1765 the rate from Edinburgh to London was 6 pence, but the Act of 1784 increased the cost by 2d for distances over 150 miles, and Denny is 427 miles from London. So the letter would have to have been written between 1784 -86.
Last modified 3 January 2005