GB 21 SEP 1854 London to Frankfurt DE Stampless FL Crimean War Cholera Content For Sale

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GB to Germany, 1854 Sep 21, London to Frankfurt. Stampless FL, Red Paid handstamps, Thurn & Taxis 22 SEP transit. George Gladstone to Thomas H. Gladstone. Discusses Crimean War Eupatoria landing, London cholera epidemic, and French army Bible distribution.

Print Summary:

• Date Sent: September 21, 1854

• Country of Origin: Great Britain

• Country of Destination: Germany (Frankfurt am Main)

• Town Sent From: London

• Town Sent To: Frankfurt

• Distance: ~395 miles

• Philatelic Details: Red circular London Paid datestamp (LONDON / 21 SEP / 1854), circular orange/red Thurn & Taxis transit postmark (THURN & TAXIS / 22 SEP), manuscript "franco" prepayment routing notation, and faint black circular transit postmark on top margin.

• Names of Sender and Receiver: Sender: George Gladstone / Receiver: Thomas H. Gladstone Esq. (Poste Restante, Frankfurt)

• Sociological, Historical, & Genealogical Significance: Outstanding historical content referencing the landing of 58,000 Allied troops at Eupatoria in the Crimea (September 1854 Crimean War campaign), the 1854 London Cholera epidemic (referencing Board of Health statistics of 1,501 deaths in a week down from 2,050), and evangelical Colporteur distribution of Bibles/Testaments to French soldiers at the Boulogne military camp under the British and Foreign Bible Society.

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London, 21st September 1854.

My dear Tom,

I hope this will find you safe at Frankfurt. Yesterday a letter was received from Mr. Tilt saying that he & Mrs. Tilt had been enjoying themselves in the Salzkammergut; their intention was to have been only a few days there & then have gone to Munich, but hearing that the Cholera was there they delayed a few days, and are now going there on their way to Venice. So much for your guidance in respect to your future movements.

The only letter which I have received from you as yet is from Mr. G. P. Ball, who has just returned from Boulogne, where he has been spending a few days, & amongst other things visited the French Camp. He sends a very interesting account of the work of a Colporteur there, who is labouring hard in the distribution of Bibles & Tracts, under the auspices mainly of the Parisian agent for the British & Foreign Bible Society. Ball joined in the work that he might see thoroughly what was done, and is so satisfied with the importance & success of the work that he solicits your exerting yourself in raising subscriptions for assisting in it, as whatever is done must be done quickly. He states that the French soldiers are very ready to purchase the Testaments when they have the means, but they are so miserably paid that few of them can afford to pay the full price for the Testaments, on the average not more than half...

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...amongst the families known to you.

He further proposes giving you letters of introduction to some of the good people in Boulogne who are interested in the matter, should you like to go & see for yourself, and says that with your knowledge of French you might do much good in a few days.

As you are already on the other side of Boulogne, and might easily take it on your return home, I have gone thus fully into the subject, and if you think it well, and will tell me where to send them, I will get the letters for you & send them forward together with the memorial which he has sent me. It would form a not unsuitable winding up to your Frankfurt business, and I think might perhaps be more agreeable than perambulating about elsewhere without any very definite object. I await your instructions.

With that which seems to me at the present moment on business matters, as the rest of the sheet I will devote to a variety of scraps.

Aunt Warren is still living, much to the astonishment of Taylor & every one else. During the last two days she has scarcely been conscious.

Papa & Mamma remain at Sydenham, & seem to be satisfied with their quarters at the hotel.

John, Mary & the Baby are all alive & kicking up their heels at Liverpool, after having enjoyed themselves pretty considerably at Matlock.

The Board of Health returns show last week show 1501 deaths from Cholera, which is a considerable improvement on the 2050 of the previous week; on going into the details however it appears that the deaths in the Clapham district are two more than they were before, viz 38. I have not heard of any deaths since you left...

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...amongst the families known to you.

There is news today that troops to the number of 58,000 have been landed at Eupatoria in the Crimea, which looks something like business. This in case you do not get a sight of the papers.

The world stands pretty much where it did when you left London, and as far as my recollection serves me, no very wonderful event has occurred.

Some Yankee Captains have occupied the last half hour & have left me no time to fill up the sheet. Carey is flourishing like a green bay tree & would have some pretty messages to send if she knew I was writing you; imagine what these would be & accept the best love of

Your affectionate Brother,

George Gladstone

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Thomas H. Gladstone Esq.

Poste Restante

(Written at left margin:) franco.

• Date Sent: September 21, 1854.

• Sender & Receiver: George Gladstone writing to his brother, Thomas H. Gladstone (later a noted travel writer and author of The Englishman in Kansas, 1857).

• Crimean War Landing at Eupatoria: The letter specifically records the initial Allied invasion of the Crimean Peninsula on September 14–16, 1854, where approximately 58,000 British, French, and Ottoman troops landed at Eupatoria (Yevpatoria) prior to the Battle of the Alma and the Siege of Sevastopol.

• 1854 London Cholera Epidemic: Mentions official Board of Health mortality statistics from the famous 1854 London cholera outbreak (the same outbreak investigated by Dr. John Snow at Broad Street).

• Boulogne Army Camp & Bibles: Refers to the military encampments established at Boulogne-sur-Mer by Napoleon III in 1854 to assemble French troops destined for the Baltic and Crimean fronts, and evangelical colportage efforts by the British and Foreign Bible Society.