august 30th 1904 unknown to emily sarah george

margate, kent to hyde park, london

78 miles

the message

"Written under difficulties

Return tonight.

Train leaves here 10 to 6

Don't meet me 

Don't know the time it arrives"

the sender

There are no clues to the name or identity of the sender as the card is not signed.

the recipient

Emily Sarah George (1862-1943) was the daughter of William George (1838-1909) and Emily Baigent (1837-1870). William was a Whitesmith which is like a Blacksmith but they use mainly tin rather than iron. Not unusually when a man's wife died young, William remarried, to Susan Ann Andrews Norrish Townsend (1846-1920). Emily had 4 full siblings and 5 half-siblings. Emily was the eldest.

Emily did not marry. In 1891, aged 29, she was a housemaid in Chertsey, Surrey. In 1901, when she was 39 she was living with her grandmother Euphemia George nee Souch (1812-1904) who had her own means. In 1911 she was once again a 1st Housemaid at the address to which the card was sent in 1904 working for a man called Steven Compton who appears to have been a Cattle Driver. In 1939 she is listed as a retired Housemaid, living with her sister Ada Euphemia Drury nee George (1869-1954).

the places

Margate, Kent

Hyde Park, London

what the card says to us

The picture shows the bandstand in Margate, which is where the card was posted. There is a big crowd at the bandstand, and one lone figure walking away. Maybe he didn't like the band.

The message would be sent by text today. Except that today there would be more detail about the train.

The most fascinating part of the message is the disclaimer that it has been written under difficulty. Was the sender on the move? Was it dark? Did they not have a surface to lean on? And who were they? What was their relationship to housemaid Emily?