Ordinary Lives
Search the letters directly or enter through a human experience.
Explore by experience
Letters
Narrow this theme
The widow Burel discusses the possible sale of linen and silverware, her gravely ill mother and the burdens of caring for her, and sends family news and greetings.
Veuve Burel [unidentified] · La Rochelle, Aunis, France
A printed Latin decree forbidding parish priests from exceeding prescribed stole fees, with a handwritten response by the recipient.
Antonius Petrus, Archbishop of Prague, and the Prague Consistory · Prague
French letter from the writer signing `Dupuy de tavoie` at Saumur to Monsieur de la Bardoüillere concerning excessive bailiff fees and summonses imposed on Chemon, the writer's brother-in-law.
Dupuy de Tavoie [identity unverified] · Saumur, Anjou, France
Latin ecclesiastical and court correspondence from Vienna to Mauritius Elbel, Abbot of Osek, dated 24 December 1783. The letter discusses a court billet, an 80,000-florin charitable fund, papal correspondence and measures affecting bishoprics and religious orders.
Unidentified correspondent in Vienna · Vienna, Austria
An Italian commercial letter from Verona to Florence responding to a letter of April 24 and discussing examined goods, accounting figures, an order and expenses.
Guglielmo Salvi · Verona, Italy
Leonardo Cipolla reproaches his wife Giovanna for not answering, describes the cost of living and need for firewood, and tells her how to obtain six hundred lire in Venice for household expenses.
Leonardo Cipolla · Verona, Italy
A German letter from Kuks to Prague concerning surgical instruments, an intended operation and transported belongings.
F. Benignus · Kuks
Diana [Bionzi?] asks Cristoforo Comensini to seek assistance from his patron, explaining that her husband is confined to bed after two strokes and that she has suffered a month of severe arthritic pain.
Diana [Bionzi?] · Bergamo, Italy
Spanish letter dated 13 April 1806 from Martimuñoz, sent via Arebalo to Olmedo, mentioning local deaths, burial, an embargo involving priests, and household goods.
Rosaes ceba · Martín Muñoz de las Posadas, Castile, Spain
Coutain reports the death of his child and his own illness, then updates Madame Hüe de Grandrüe on the favourable administrative opinion in the Couture heirs' case and other legal matters.
Coutain · Lisieux, Calvados, France
Delachain asks the lawyer Fauchier to pursue payment of debts and obligations connected with Reysset and discusses a possible guarantor and interest terms.
Delachain · Grenoble, France
Josephe Millon, serving in the Second Squadron of the Artillery Park Train at Tarbes, reproaches his family for not replying, asks about money and reports that 1,500 designated men expect to leave for Spain near the end of January.
Josephe Millon · Tarbes, France
Flavie Duval disputes the fees and conduct of the avoué Noguès Jeune in an inheritance partition, cites Article 823 of the Code Napoléon, and asks that his bill be reduced to a fair amount.
Flavie Duval · Rennes, Ille-et-Vilaine, France
French personal correspondence from Arras to Saint-Amand, dated 17 May 1811. Veuve Grinois writes to Nicolas Deschamps about their separation, recent illness, recovery, family greetings and the prospect of reunion.
Veuve Grinois, Arras · Arras, France
A French soldier in Mainz writes to the notary Jean Baptiste Erard in Hauteville about money, military service, and personal effects.
Devise, French soldier in Mainz · Mainz, Germany
Chapeaux reports locating two Spanish prisoners in Mâcon, including the recipient's relative, and relays news about money, letters and onward travel to Colmar or Strasbourg.
Chapeaux · Mâcon, France
Mathieu relays news of Chrétien's finances, work, portrait drawing and homesickness, then discusses his own serious fall and relationships within the extended family.
Mathieu · Rochefort
Isabelle de Montolieu writes to her Paris publisher Claude Arthus-Bertrand about the preparation of Le Robinson suisse: the delivery and scheduling of its volumes, a map of the island, subjects and captions for engravings, the full title and a related collection of novellas. She also describes eye trouble, the pressure of writing, and the inadequacy of her payment of ten louis per volume, and asks for the return of an issue of the Mercure étranger containing the first chapter.
Isabelle de Montolieu · Bussigny, Vaud, Switzerland
French correspondence from Macon to Lyon, dated 12 May 1814, concerning rural administration, seasonal work, vineyards, the wine market, local affairs, national-guard service, clothing and mutual acquaintances.
Agath (surname unidentified), Macon · Macon, France
French correspondence from Verdun to Blois, dated 28 June 1814, concerning a missing acknowledgment for 1,200 francs, wine sales and prices, wartime requisitions, the departure of the English, allied troops, travel and work on a brewery.
Dieudonnez, Verdun · Verdun-sur-Meuse, France
Durin urgently asks the royal notary Niusse to secure 30,000 francs from parcel sales at Thouly, Lugny and Brasles so that bills of exchange owed to Perier and Heroux can be met.
Durin · Avallon, France
The surviving final page discusses chairs, receipt of 119 francs, a half-year payment due from Mr Eudon, and whether Dorion would agree to 1,800 francs for a lease.
French-language commercial correspondence from B. Hötte Söhne in Münster to Messrs Gme Gallien fils & Co in Paris, dated 26 October 1819. The letter and its enclosed market price current concern the fur trade, commercial forwarding, market conditions and postal circulation between Münster and Paris.
B. Hötte Söhne, Münster · Münster, Westphalia/Prussia [?]
Veuve Jacques Arnaud asks deputy and ironmaster Constant Paillard-Duclere to intervene with the Minister of War so that her son Benjamin can obtain a military substitute and remain at home. J. Arnaud adds a note on her behalf and asks about duties on foreign iron after a large arrival of English iron.
Veuve Jacques Arnaud, with J. Arnaud writing on her behalf · Nantes, France
Colle reassures his father after political unrest in Paris, describing demonstrations dispersed by dragoons and cuirassiers, deaths, injuries and arrests. He then discusses a painful family and inheritance dispute, advises his father against seeking election as a deputy and asks about receipt of his pension.
Colle · Paris, France