Unusually, this letter from the historically important London-based radical Richard Carlile (1790-1843) is enclosed within an outer folded wrapper, thus using two sheets of paper rather than one. Posted in 1841 when pre-payment of letters was the new norm, superseding the time-consuming system in which postage was paid by the recipient, it could have been franked with a postage stamp. In that case it is more than likely that a dealer or collector would have torn off the stamp and discarded the wrapper (and probably the letter too). Fortunately for me, who wants to know the identity of the recipient, pre-payment was indicated by the uncommon handstamp Enfield Highway 1D PAID. There are collectors of such markings and at some point this wrapper – with the letter still inside and probably unread – was in a dealer’s box. A price of 12- is pencilled bottom right. Dealers think nothing of writing on supposed collectible items often at length and occasionally in ink.
In his twenties, Carlile became
a prolific writer and printer & publisher of radical (Chartist) and
anti-religious materials which British governments in the high period of post-Napoleonic Wars reaction sought to repress,
charging him with blasphemy, libel, seditious libel, and anything else they
could think of. He was first imprisoned in 1817 (four months) and again in 1819
(three years but extended to five for refusal to pay a fine of £1500), after he
had published his eye-witness account of the Peterloo Massacre. He was
imprisoned again in 1831. Exactly two hundred years ago in 1826 he published Every
Woman’s Book which argued for the sexual emancipation of women and the use
of birth control. It might be regarded as a precursor of Our Bodies Ourselves
(1973).
The “Darke” who is mentioned
was Edward Darke, a printer-publisher-bookseller whose name is linked to those
of Alice Mann and James Mann who were based in Leeds and published radical and
Chartist materials, including ones written by Carlile. I provide a Reference at
the end. The addressee of the letter, W. Kemp, is more elusive as is Mrs Castillo,
who is presumably his landlady. As of today, I cannot find any source which leads
to either of them.
Transcription
Addressed to: Mr W
Kemp at Mrs Castillo’s Lambeth
Green Lambeth
Datelined: Enfield
Highway July 13 – 1841
Endorsed with Mss Paid
and Enfield Highway 1D PAID
and two London transit marks in red dated JY 13. Illegible endorsement in a
different hand.
My Dear Sir,
I don’t know if you have
been informed that on the last Sunday in March after one of my lecturing
exertions and return home here at midnight, I had a severe paralytic stroke on
the left side, crippling me both in voice and body. I have made several attempts
to lecture since; but when the cold days of June came I was obliged to give it
up from defect of voice, or stuttering.
I have at present no call
into town this week; but if you can spare a day to come down here, giving me
notice that I may be in the way, I shall be glad to see you. Gwier’s [?] Omnibus
that leaves the Marlborough Head, Bishopsgate Street, at half past ten, in the
morning, changes horses at my gate by 12, and returns at 4. The fare is 1/6 [one
shilling and six pence].
I duly received the
parcel of books for which I thank you. It was the last Sunday I lectured. There
were ten Abstract of Lectures; for which Darke claimed change; but did not say what: nor did
he mention if any of the others had been sold during their stay with him.
I was talking to my
eldest son on Sunday about serving him [ with a writ?] but he is reported in London as a troublesome
customer. I found him pleasant enough to do business with. I am ten miles from
the Marlborough Head.
Very respectfully
yours Richard Carlile
P.S. Thank you for the
account of the Norwich Election. I formed no very high estimate of Dover. [See
the link in my references for an online biography of the very colourful figure
of John Dover, a Norwich Chartist subsequently transported to van Diemen’s
Land]
The omnibus leaves half
an hour earlier on Sunday and he fare is 2/-
References
Wikipedia: Richard
Carlile
https://www.chartistancestors.co.uk/john-dover-1804-1865/
https://secretlibraryleeds.net/2019/09/13/alice-mann-1791-1865/