This letter has two postal markings, both in red as the letter had been prepaid, the Two Penny Post Receiving Office of Lombard Street,(in use 1802-1829 in red ink) and the double rim oval evening duty transfer stamp dated TP PAID AU12 1824 7 night 7, with the month before the day showing that it was dealt with by the Chief Office.
It is addressed to
Mr Watson
22 Hanway Street
Oxford Street.
There is a filing note on the outside written by the receiver.
Mr John Williams August 14th 1824 Settled the inclosed bill
Nov 16 1824 part of which belongs to Mr Bethell.
So now to the letter which has a note in different ink and different handwriting, which is probably the amount referred to in that filing note. The writer uses the ‘long S’ which looks like a letter ‘f’ where there is a double ‘s’ in a word like Assignment and Business. He also uses the standard abbreviations in his ending salutation.
Incidentally, there was no bill enclosed in the letter.
266.13.4. Robt Cole & (..?) Round
Dear Sir
I beg to inform you that I have got the deed of Afsignment of the reversion of the £134 £5 Pr Pct Anny’s (annuity’s) executed by the necessary parties and I have also apprised the Trustee in whose name it stands of your having become the Purchaser thereof so that it may be transferred to you upon the death of Mrs Ewer.
As you were kind enough to say you would pay me for this Businefs as soon as it was done, I have taken the Liberty of enclosing my Bill. As you so well know how perilously I am circumstanced I can only say, if you could favour me with the amount or part of it on Saturday, you would be obliging me very much.
I remain, Dr Sir
Yr obliged hble Svt
John Williams
1 Swithins Lane
Augt. 12th 1824
I checked online for information on Swithins Lane, wondering if it was still in existence after 200 years, and found that it was named after St Swithin’s church. This was first recorded in the 13th century and was dedicated to Saint Swithin, the 9th-century bishop of Winchester famous for the folklore that if it rains on 15th July (St. Swithin’s day), it will rain for forty days.
The church was rebuilt a couple of times until it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Rebuilt to a design by Sir Christopher Wren, it sat in a prominent location on the corner of St Swithin’s Lane and Cannon Street.
Swithins Lane has an amazingly long and recorded history from the 1300s when it was one of the earliest streets laid out in London. Over the centuries it has suffered through the Great Fire, demolition, re-building, WWII, compulsory purchase, yet is still there. From the information available on the internet, it shows that the architecture has altered immeasurably even since 1824, the date of our letter.
Reference:
The Local Posts of London 1680-1840 by George Brumell.