25th November 1914 edie to nancy alice ward

blackburn, lancashire

0 miles

the message

“Dear Nancy

Just to wish you the same old wish many happy returns off the day

with love from

Edie”

the sender

There are no real clues to the identity of Edie. It is possible that it is Nancy Alice Ward’s elder brother Edmund Ward (1887-1917). He was working in a cotton mill in 1901 and behind the bar in a hotel in 1911 by which time he was a widower. The identity of this wife has not been found. In 1912 he married Celia Browne (1888-?)

the recipient

Nancy Alice Ward (1890-1966) was the daughter of William Ward (1866-1933) and Alice Ann Heap (1866-1940). In 1901 William was a Coal Hewer. IN 1911 he was a Property Repairer.

In 1911, Nancy is recorded as having the profession Cotton Trade Handerchief.

In 1915 Nancy married William Henry Hopley (1887-1972). In 1939 William is an Iron Moulder. In 1911 he was a Plaster Moulder in an Iron Works.

the tree

the places

Blackburn, Lancashire

what the card says to us

The card is a birthday card. That is not obvious from the picture. The picture is of a young lady and has a poem which gives a promise to write a letter on the following day.

There are one or two grammatical errors in the message. It says “returns off the day”. It uses “wish” twice in the same sentence. There should be a “you” between the second wish and “many”.

Otherwise there is nothing remarkable about the card.