august 19th 1920 harold Gray to edwin cyril oakes

london to cardiff, glamorgan

151 miles

the message

"All Friends Conference

London

Aug. 19. 20

Dear Cyril

I was hoping to have had the pleasure of meeting you here. How are you both getting along? We are well at home and at the same address. I met Willie on Bank Holiday, David on Tuesday here. Neither looked well. I may see Jonny in Kendal next week. This picture is of the old barn which Dr Rendel Harris maintains was built out of the timber of the ancient Mayflower. Perhaps you've seen it. By the way I'm staying along with Percy Stanger who wishes to be remembered.

Kindliest Greetings

Harold G"

the sender

The signature looks like Harold G. He is an attendee at the All Friends Conference and therefore presumably a Quaker. The conference is in London which is probably not his home as he says he is staying with someone whose name looks like Percy Stanger. Notes from the meeting are available and there was an attendee called Harold Gray from Warrington and so it is assumed that he was the sender.

the recipient

Edwin Cyril Oakes (1888-1982) was the son of Alfred Lodge Oakes (1844-1908) and Mary Jane Garland (1857-1913). Alfred was a commercial clerk in the iron trade in the Ecclesall Bierlow area of Sheffield in Yorkshire.

Edwin was a Chartered Civil Engineer by trade. In 1919 he married Margaret Eugenie Jago (1893-1978) in Cardiff. In 1911, both Edwin and Margaret were living in Eccleshall which is presumably where they met. Why they married in Cardiff is not clear, but they were still there in 1920. By 1939 they were living in Longridge in Lancashire before moving back to Yorkshire where they were living when they passed away. They had two children.

the places

London

Cardiff, Glamorgan

what the card says to us

The picture is of a barn in Jordans, a village in Buckinghamshire which is a notable centre for Quakerism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordans,_Buckinghamshire). This is part of the context for this card.

It is obvious from the message that both Harold and Edwin aka Cyril are both Quakers and presumably old friends. The conference referred to is a historical event (https://www.friendsjournal.org/2007124) which helps to anchor the card in time.

Other people, presumably also Quakers, are name checked i.e. Willie, David, Jonny (if that is correct) and Percy Stanger. And Dr Rendel Harris (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Rendel_Harris

Harold and Edwin seem to have been out of contact as Harold feels it necessary to remind Edwin that he still lives at the same address which, from the conference notes, is 307 Lovely Lane in Warrington.