may 6th 1908 ruth to ada eleanor osgerby

low bradfield, sheffield, yorkshire to HuLL, yorkshire

73 miles

the message

"Low Bradfield

Sheffield

6.5.08

Thanks for p.c. Would you mind letting me know how much I owe you for tipping the porter on the Saturday I left?

I am going to Penistone this week-end. Deed is coming the foll Saturday.

Love to all from

Ruth"

the sender

There are no clues to Ruth's identity.

the recipient

Ada Eleanor Osgerby (1887-1979) was the daughter of George William Osgerby (1858-1906) and Eleanor Elizabeth Houlton (1857-1923). George's family owned a Dry Soap manufacturing business.

In 1913, Ada married James Conrad Moxley (1882-1968), a clerk in a Shipbuilding company. After serving in WWI as a Lance Corporal, by 1939 James had become a company director in a cardboard box company and also a Special Constable.

the places

Low Bradfield, Sheffield, Yorkshire

Hull, Yorkshire

what the card says to us

The picture is entitled "Level Sands, Low Tide". It is a painting signed by what looks like "Hamilton Maria Arca", but it is not clear and the artist could not be traced. The card is very "arty" and perhaps that tells us something about the social status of Ruth and Ada. Especially when the question of how much the porter was tipped is considered. In 1908, who tipped porters, presumably at the station.

What is in Penistone that Ruth is going to see? Who is Deed?

If only we knew who Ruth was. It may give some answers.