november 21st 1926 lucinda to kathleen mary mawdesley

market drayton, shropshire to golders green, london

133 miles

the message

“This is just to show that I am thinking of you + hoping that you are well in spite of depressing weather. ???????? is I think better. Clarescourt is closed + we shall greatly miss the friends who occupied it so long. Have not been out today. Drayton is much as usual.

Very much love from

Lucinda

21/XI/26”

the sender

There are no clues to Lucinda’s identity. Is she friend or family? Why does she write the date in roman numerals?

the recipient

Kathleen Mary Mawdesly (1903-1987) was the daughter of Leigh Mawdesley (1865-1937) and Laura Mary Meadows (1867-1942). Leigh was in Banking. In the 1891 census is listed as a Banker and visiting the Meadows family. In 1894 he and Laura were married. In 1901 Leigh is listed as a Bank Accountant. He is not present in 1911 unless he is the L Mawdesley who signed up as crew on the ship Oriana in Liverpool but failed to join. Laura could not be found in the 1911 census. She does appear in the 1939 Register living with her daughter Sybil Laura Alice Mawdesley (1901-1989), an Advertising Manager who over time frequently rearanges her forenames.

Kathleen, in the 1911 census, was living with her grandparents Joseph Meadows (1835-1912) and Anne Ellen Smith (1843-1931) in Market Drayton. Joseph was an Estate Agent. Kathleen does not appear in the 1939 Register and she did not marry. She died in 1987 in Majorca, Spain.

the tree

the places

Market Drayton, Shropshire to Golders Green, London

Market Drayon, Shropshire

Golders Green, London

what the card says to us

The picture shows Cascade de Brame-Rousse and does not appear to have any connection to the family or the message.

There is no clue as to why Kathleen in in London. Presumably it is work as she is 23 years old when the card is sent. She has obvious connections to Market Drayton as it is where her grandparents lived. But the connection to Lucinda is not known.

There is a word that is not clear. It could be a person who is better or a place that has better weather.

The month of the date is written in roman numerals, but the rest isn’t. Is that significant?

There is a reference to Clarescourt (that may not be the correct spelling) being closed but no indication as to what it was. Was it a grand house? Was it a school?