Back in the day when a postage stamp cost a ha’penny, and you could virtually guarantee that the card you were sending within the UK would reach the intended recipient the following day, our ancestors sent each other millions of postcards. First appearing in the late 1890s, by the early twentieth century, postmen were delivering thousands of cards daily, and this at a time in history when there were generally two, and sometimes three deliveries per day. How times have changed.

The postcards our ancestors sent each other are interesting from many angles. First of course, you have the card itself, perhaps a humorous card, or a religious card; a greetings’ card sent at Christmas or Easter, or a birthday card. Many cards would be sent when our ancestors were on holiday, or when they were planning an impromptu visit. We’ve seen hundreds of cards advising the recipient that the sender would be on a particular train arriving the following day, and to meet them at the station.

Arguably of far more significance however, are the details about the sender and the recipient themselves. For a family historian, what could be better than finding a delicious trail of correspondence, perhaps written over many months or years which document their ancestor’s life and place them precisely at given locations, their handwriting there to see in all its wonderful glory.

The card we’ve used to illustrate this page was originally addressed to Miss Pole, Riverside, Saltlands, Bridgwater, and posted in 1906. It reads, "Dear May, do you not think you are old enough to have a nice young man? I am looking out for a young lady and I think you would just be the girl for me. Hope you will give me the answer next time I see you." It was signed "T P".

Miss May Pole was actually Alice May Pole, and she was aged 24 and still single when the 1911 census was taken. We can probably guess what her answer was to "T P", but she did ultimately marry in 1916, when she became Mrs John Smith. If you were May Smith’s descendant, how thrilled would you be to discover evidence of her hapless suitor?

For more information about the Historic Records Postcards from the Past collection, and to explore licensing options, please contact us.