july 4th 1906 unknown to nelly cruttenden nee holman

Holloway, London to st leonards on sea, hastings, sussex

73 miles

the message

"Have arrived safely. Thanks very much for card.

Dr Mrs C

I hope Jacky is quite well.

Weather here is fair but not like dear old Hastings.

I ??? ???

??"

the sender

There are no clues to the identity of the sender. The messages on both the front and back of the card are initialled but cannot be deciphered.

the recipient

Nelly Cruttenden nee Holman (1870-1965) was the daughter of Edwin Isaac Holman (1837-1876) and Mary Ann Gunn (1840-1883). In 1861, Edwin is registered in the census as a Pastry Cook.

Nelly married Alfred Cruttenden in 1894 before which she was working as a Draper's Assistant.

For more details of the Cruttenden family follow this link

the places

Holloway, London

St Leonards, Hastings, Sussex

what the card says to us

The period detail on the picture is fascinating. It shows the promenade at St Leonards On Sea in around 1906. There is a horse drawn carriage on the road. The ladies are wearing long skirts down to the floor. Everyone seems to be wearing a hat.

The key part of the message is on the front of the card. The sender has arrived safely. The reason for the journey is unknown. The message refers to someone called Jacky who is also unidentified but it is perhaps a linguistic fashion of the time to ask if they are "quite well". The sender seems to already be homesick for Hastings.

The sender likes to abbreviate and does not have the clearest of handwriting.