october 16th 1906 elizabeth mary Foulkes to winifred annie herrmann aka harman
llwyngwril, merionethshire to watford, hertfordshire
171 miles
the message
Front of card
“Don’t you think she is pretty!”
Back of card
“Garthangharad
LLwyngwril
My dear Freda
This is a P.C. for your collection. I hope you will like it. Minnie sends her love + would like a game of ball with you.
Yours with love
Bessie”
the sender
Elizabeth Mary Foulkes (1884-?) was the daughter of Abraham Foulkes (1845-1900) and Jane Elizabeth Jones (1847-1927). Abraham was a Hotel Keeper in 1891. In 1901 Jane was also a Hotel Keeper at The Garthangharad, Llwyngwril which is referred to in the message. In 1911 she was retired.
Elizabeth married William Robert Jones (1875-?) in 1923. What William’s occupation was, and what became of him and Elizabeth is not clear.
the recipient
Winifred Annie Herrmann (1897-1971) was the daughter of Edward Henry William Herrmann (1863-1927) and Elizabeth Anne Roberts (1863-1948). In the 1891 census Edward is a BAnk Clerk and Musician. In the 1901 census Edward is listed as a Foreign Correpondent. In 1911 he is a Mercantile Bank Clerk. At some point after 1911 and before 1918, the family changed their name to Harman. This is despite the fact that Edward was born in England. His father , Adolph (1833-1906) however was born in Prussia and described in the 1901 as a Manufacturer’s Agent. He was naturalised British.
Winifred was one of three siblings. The others were Conrad Edward (1891-1974) and and Enid Mary (1895-1940). In 1939 all three of the children were living with their mother in Watford. Winifred is listed as a Poultry Farmer. Conrad is a Bank Official and Director of a Waterproof Manufacturer. Enid is a Music Teacher. Winifred and Conrad eventually moved to North Wales, near Llwyngwril. Their mother was originally from North Wales.
the trees
Foulkes
Herrmann aka Harman
the places
Llwyngwril, Merionethshire to Watford, Hertfordshire
Llwyngwril, Merionethshire
Watford, Hertfordshire
what the card says to us
The picture shows the actress and singer Miss Marie Studholme (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Studholme) who lived from 1872 to 1930 and who appeared on lots and lots of postcards. There is reference to a collection of postcards in the message. Was that a collection of Marie Studholme cards, a collection of actress cards, or just a collection of cards? In 1906 Winifred Herrmann would have been 9 years old.
The other significant part of the message refers to Minnie. There does not appear to be a family member called Minnie or similar. Perhaps Minnie was a pet.
The other learning from the sender side of this card is the simple reminder that Jones is a very difficult name to research, particularly in Wales. And here is a case where Elizabeth’s married name is Jones, as is her mother’s maiden name.
On the recipient side there is more of a story. Herrmann is a German name. During WWI it was not a good time to have a German name in the UK. There are stories of businesses with German names being attacked. It is no great surprise that the Herrmann family, or at least some of them, decided to anglicise their surname even though they were born in England. Winifred’s mother was born in North Wales. She must have maintained contact with her home town. Perhaps Jane Elizabeth Foulkes was a childhood friend. The family must have visited around the time that this card was sent. And the fact that the children returned to the area later in life, they must have retained an affinity for the area.