december 20th 1911 dot to Bessie lightfoot

Carshalton, surrey to east Dulwich, london

42 miles

the message

"Dear B

Jane and I will be home tomorrow Thursday, to tea as usual. Please thank Edith for letter I received this morning

Love to all

Dot

Love from the Buckapie to Chully D & L Ghully also Maria"

the sender

There are no clues to Dot's identity.

the recipient

Bessie Lightfoot (1872-1954) was the eldest of 8 children. Her parents were James Love Lightfoot (1842-1922) and Susannah Alefounder (1845-1899). Interestingly, James was previously married to Susannah's elder sister Elizabeth Alefounder (1843-1870). James and Elizabeth were married in 1866 and James and Susannah married in 1871, the year after Elizabeth's death.

The Lightfoot family were in the catering trade. In 1901 and 1911, James is listed in the census as a luncheon bar and dining room keeper which can be assumed to be a restaurant or café of some kind. Tantalisingly it is not possible to identify the establishment. His parents, James Lightfoot (1813-1853) and Sarah Rouse (1815-1877) were innkeepers. In 1848 it was the City Arms in Ratcliffe, London. in 1849 it was the Rose and Crown in Mile End, London. And from 1850-1856, between James and Sarah they ran the Bear and Wheatsheaf in Lower Thames Street in the City of London. Another interesting fact about the Lightfoots is that several of them, including James Love, were awarded the Freedom of the City of London which was probably significant at the turn of the 20th century than the ceremonial thing it is today.

Bessie and her siblings seem to have been part of the business either through working in the bar or providing domestic support for her parents. She never married.

the places

Carshalton, Surrey

East Dulwich, London

Tunbridge Wells, Kent

what the card says to us

The picture is a photograph taken in Tunbridge Wells in Kent and shows Mount Ephraim and the Common. Mount Ephraim is a stately home. The most interesting thing in the picture is the two men on either side of the road looking back at the camera as if it is a picture of them, which of course it is not.

It is possible that the two parts of the message were written by different people. Look at the formation of the capital D. It is clear that one part was written by Dot, while the other could be by Maria or refers to Maria. Presumably Bessie would know.

There are other people referred to in the card. Edith is probably Bessie's youngest sister Edith Mabel (1890-1962) who appeared to escape catering by training as a teacher, although for all we know she may have become a cookery teacher. Jane is a mystery as is Maria. And then there are the names that look like nicknames, or maybe pets in the writing in the top left of the card which don't really make sense. Particularly curious is "love from the Buckapie" if that is what is says. What is meant by "buckapie"? Is it a place or a catering establishment? If only we knew.