july 11th 1911 Beatrice to ellen louisa marshall

Walworth, London to upchurch, kent

41 miles

the message

"Dear Ellen

Very many thanks for the PC received this morning. I trust you will have a nice time especially with ah must not say. We had a lovely time at Tunbridge Wells. I went through this place I am sending. Very pretty. We are going to Miss Portman's next Monday. I don't expect shall like it there. Now I must close

love

Beatrice"

the sender

There are no clues as to who Beatrice is.

the recipient

Ellen Louisa Marshall (1885-1945) was the daughter of George Marshall (1853-?) and Emma Packman (1854-?). George was a shepherd . Ellen was born on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent and by the time she was 16, in 1901, she had already entered domestic service. In 1901 she worked for Thomas and Emma Wraight, a grocer/baker in Upchurch, Kent and in 1911 she was working for Charles Pendock and Mary Rachel Banks, a clergyman at St Andrew's Rectory in Deal, Kent. This card however was sent to Ellen's parent's address.

In 1914 Ellen married Belsey Charles Barham (1886-1969), a Rural Postman from Sheerness, Kent. He survived Ellen and in 1947 married Nellie D Dale (1894-1957).

the places

Upchurch, Kent

Walworth, London

Tunbridge Wells, Kent

what the card says to us

The picture is of The Pantiles Promenade in Tunbridge Wells. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pantiles). The picture contains a man who looks as if he is wearing a rucksack and none to pleased to be included. On the front, Beatrice has written "Rather nice don't you THINK". Presumably this refers to the promenade, which she mentions in the message, and not the man.

Ellen is obviously romantically entangled with someone who Beatrice cannot name in print. Maybe it is the postman Belsey Barham or perhaps someone else.

Beatrice is not looking forward to visiting Miss Pritchard, whoever she is.

There is a lot going on here and so many questions.