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Original poster

Anyone want to help decipher a letter from 1790? Pic attached. Hilariously starts with 'for god sake'

108 replies

OldTrot · 09/02/2023 10:43

And not 'for god sake' in a religious sense!

I have so far ....

Dear Sir

For God sake - ????? In the way you want ?? - so as to ? my ? and ? me knows you have done it - I shall be unwilling to suppose that the ? will be ??

Name?

As I shall be in London I wish you would ? about the money - as I shall ? again found about that?

The time you mentioned ? is now come - ?? I should be glad of it ?

Yours sincerely

B Wood
Tiverton
3 May
1790

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Eranzer · 09/02/2023 11:05

I shall be unwilling to suppose that the matter will be delayed any longer
Martyn Beardon?

FannyGotobed · 09/02/2023 11:05

This is my attempt... I've tried to work out each word but it doesn't make complete sense! It doesn't help that the writer doesn't always lift the pen between words so they run together.

Shuts? family

For gods sake - push the examination? of Mr Kingdom? - in the way you want w w schofield? m - so as to prevent my longer delay and let me know you have done it. - I shall be unwilling to suppose that the mother will be delayed any longer.

Marilyn ? Boudon?

As I shall soon be in London - I wish you would ??? about the money - as I shall ?? again about that Mother - The time you mentioned curl your so new cane - ??? curls satisfy your uncle and Mr Parkes? - I should be glad of it.

Original poster
OldTrot · 09/02/2023 11:05

@BenCoopersSupportWren I think that's in the ball park.

OP posts:
MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 09/02/2023 11:06

Just2MoreSeasons · 09/02/2023 11:04

I love it! Interesting hobby for sure.
Second line up from the bottom - does it start 'justify your Uncle and ? Wishes...

I read that as 'If I can't satisfy your uncle and...he pushes (but could be wishes, I guess, from the sense), I should be glad of it.'

electricmoccasins · 09/02/2023 11:06

As I shall be in London - I wish you would d???? about the money - as I shall be finished ? with that matter - The time you mentioned last year is now come - ??? satisfy your uncle and the parkes? I should be glad of it .

I am &c.

Original poster
OldTrot · 09/02/2023 11:07

@FannyGotobed think you're close but I think 'mother' could be 'matter' but he does take about an uncle further down

OP posts:
WinterFoxes · 09/02/2023 11:07

'so as to prevent any longer delay'

It could be 'park the [ name of a type of carriage?] of Mrs Kingston/Kingdom? in the bay/way that you want so as to prevent any further delay

...

I shall be unwilling to suppose that the master/matter/mother will be delayed any longer

BenCoopersSupportWren · 09/02/2023 11:07

Second part:

”As I shall soon be in London - I wish you would determine about the money - as I shall be again pushed about that matter - the time you mentioned last year is joe come. If I cannot satisfy your uncle and he pushes - I should be glad of it.”

BenCoopersSupportWren · 09/02/2023 11:08

*now come, stupid autocarrot.

Original poster
OldTrot · 09/02/2023 11:08

If I could satisfy your uncle and my wishes - I should be glad of it

Maybe?

OP posts:
WinterFoxes · 09/02/2023 11:09

OldTrot · 09/02/2023 10:58

@Just2MoreSeasons just some pointless hobby I have really! 😀 I buy old bits and pieces for a pound or two and I then decipher them. I wrote out what the letter says, put it with the letter and then file it. Some letters give lots of info so you get to research the person/ area

Nothing ever current. I don't poke about in anything newer than about 1920 and I prefer older

Most of the letters / postcards I can figure out but I've started posting a couple on here that stump me

It's just social history really but I recommend anyone do it as A it's cheap and B it's quite interesting

What a magnificent hobby. I love it. I bet you learn so much social history from these glimpses of how people really behaved.

Original poster
OldTrot · 09/02/2023 11:10

I mean, they had such beautiful writing in those days. Why the bloody hell is it so hard to decipher!

OP posts:
BadNomad · 09/02/2023 11:12

First part I got:

For God's sake - push the examination of Mr ### in the way you want ### in - so as to prevent any longer delay and let me know you have done it - I shall be unwilling to suppose that the matter will be delayed any longer.

electricmoccasins · 09/02/2023 11:12

BenCoopersSupportWren · 09/02/2023 11:07

Second part:

”As I shall soon be in London - I wish you would determine about the money - as I shall be again pushed about that matter - the time you mentioned last year is joe come. If I cannot satisfy your uncle and he pushes - I should be glad of it.”

Oh well done! I think you have it

Original poster
OldTrot · 09/02/2023 11:13

@WinterFoxes I'm not actually sure if I've made the hobby up. Can't have done of course - you honestly can pick up some fantastic letters for a few quid. Some expensive of course but depending on what you fancy learning about, it can be cheap as chips

I do like historical big events too but for me, it's so nice to try and learn about the every day life of people - in this case, we all now know that Mr B Woods was sat in Tiverton, really pissed off, 223 years ago!

OP posts:
Original poster
OldTrot · 09/02/2023 11:14

@BenCoopersSupportWren I also think you've got it re the second part. My only quibble might be 'wishes' for 'pushes' but I just don't know

OP posts:
MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 09/02/2023 11:15

OldTrot · 09/02/2023 11:10

I mean, they had such beautiful writing in those days. Why the bloody hell is it so hard to decipher!

They didn't lift the pen. I have a book with some pictures of the letters of the Lennox sisters and how some people decipher those beats me.

electricmoccasins · 09/02/2023 11:16

@OldTrot i think it is ‘pushes’ as it fits with the earlier phrasing of ‘pushed’. Uncle is being forceful…

Love this

WinterFoxes · 09/02/2023 11:16

OldTrot · 09/02/2023 11:13

@WinterFoxes I'm not actually sure if I've made the hobby up. Can't have done of course - you honestly can pick up some fantastic letters for a few quid. Some expensive of course but depending on what you fancy learning about, it can be cheap as chips

I do like historical big events too but for me, it's so nice to try and learn about the every day life of people - in this case, we all now know that Mr B Woods was sat in Tiverton, really pissed off, 223 years ago!

It's way more fun to discover Pissed Off of Tiverton 1790 than something about a battle or coronation. I love him starting a letter with For God's Sake! I now have to look for an opportunity to do the same.

Original poster
OldTrot · 09/02/2023 11:21

@electricmoccasins that makes sense thats it's pushes

OP posts:
FriNightBlues · 09/02/2023 11:21

I assume that the two paragraphs are about different matters - hence the headings? The first one could be <something> Family and the second Martyn <something>

I’d go for ‘push the examination of Mr <something> in the want…’ in paragraph 1 and ‘I wish you would determine about the money as I shall be again pushed about that by Mother(?)’ in paragraph 2

Could be wrong on both counts though!

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 09/02/2023 11:21

I'd be pissed off if I was in Tiverton and having to schlep up to London. That would be two or three days journey each way.

PickupperPenguin · 09/02/2023 11:22

Nothing helpful to add, just wanted to say that I love this! Somebody nab PissedOffOfTiverton as a username quick! 😊

BadNomad · 09/02/2023 11:22

I wonder if he ever sorted out the money matter or if he just gave up trying to decrypt another letter.

TangledWebOfDeception · 09/02/2023 11:23

Just in case it hasn’t been mentioned yet, it definitely says ‘for gods sake’ in that first line.