July 29th 1910 John Brown to Nancy Brown

notting hill, london to kettering, Northamptonshire

79 miles

The Message

"Dear Bill
I arrived safe. All well. The pig is still in the sty soon be fit to kill.
Love to all
Dad"

The Sender

Dad is John Charles Brown (1871-1940). In 1893 he married Minnie Sarah Hart (1868-1937). In the 1911 census John's occupation is Leather Traveller.

The Recipient

Bill is Nancy Minnie Sarah Brown (1905-1967). Who knows why she is referred to as Bill, but she is only five years old. Nancy is the youngest of six children. She never marries.
 

The Places

Kettering, Northants

Notting Hill, London

What the card says to us

The picture on the card is curious. What does "Resting in the Sunshine" refer to? The card is from the "Dainty Novels" series. Is that something that was popular in 1910 and is there a cultural reference here that everyone would have understood?

The message is also intriguing. John has arrived in Notting Hill where there is a pig in a sty. The family is in Kettering. A message about a pig that is to be slaughtered might be upsetting for a five year old girl unless this is some sort of family joke. We will never know.