september 8th, 9th and 10th 1912 nan to annie elizabeth mayhew
dyffryn, Gwynedd to harrow-on-the-hill, middlesex to bredfield,suffolk to bridlington, yorkshire
231 miles plus 113 miles plus 235 miles
the message
"Dear A
I hope you are quite well. I'll send a letter tomorrow. I shall be back soon I think.
With love
Nan"
the sender
There are no clues to Nan's identity. Was it a name, a nickname, or a job title? It is possible that it was Alice Maud Jones who worked as a nurse in the same household as Annie Mayhew.
the recipient
Annie Elizabeth Mayhew (1872-?) was the daughter of John Mayhew (1841-1879) and Jane Ashwell (1843-1906). John was a farmer.
Annie was the fourth of six children. At the time this card was sent she was working as a Parlour Maid for a stock broker named Frank Hubert White. The card was sent to his house. Obviously she was not there the card was forwarded to Bredfield, Suffolk where Annie's brother Harry Mayhew (1870-1943), a groom and gardener, lived. Obviously she was not there either and the card was forwarded to Bridlington, Yorkshire where another brother, John William Mayhew (1865-1958), a coachman, lived.
When the card was sent Annie was 40 years old. It has not been possible to establish whether she married. It has not been possible to identify a death record for her. She does not appear to be present in the 1939 Register.
the tree
the places
Dyffryn, Gwynedd including Tal-y-bont
Harrow-On-The-Hill, Middlesex
Bredfield, Suffolk
Bridlington, Yorkshire
what the card says to us
The picture is an unremarkable picture of Tal-y-Bont which is presumable where Nan, the sender, was staying.
The remarkable thing about the card is that it has been re-posted twice. And for no additional cost because there is a single 1/2d stamp.
The message is awkward when you consider the re-posting. It is simply to say that Nan is returning, presumably to Harrow-On-The-Hill, soon. And tomorrow there will be a letter. But Annie is not going to be there to receive it. This card took 3 days to catch up with her.