Kosminski Letter

[Robert Linford]

Aussie Sally Army :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Salvation_Army_in_Australia

I was struck by the mention of a greengrocer's cart. Food for the hungry. Fruit for the hungry?

[Howard Brown]

Tim:

Why would the thread disappear ? I just said that ( unless mistaken) I don't believe anyone here will mind if they're shown to be wrong.

You've shared with people that are appreciative of the letter. That's cool.

Why not take the high road and point out what these people said that convinces you that its legitimate ?

[Tim Atkinson]

And now this thread will disappear as the experts'ish have egg on their face. Pee My Self Laughing.

[Tim Atkinson]

No thanks Howard. I'd rather stick broken glass up me arse. Thanks anyway.

I have shared with people that are appreciative, not sheeple.

[Howard Brown]

Who remembers "Red Demon"? The Man from Eagleville, like Yours Truly, might just be long enough in the tooth to recall who I'm referring to!
-CG-

Long in what natural teeth I have left, I know of whom you speak, CG.


*******************************************

Tim, if you have information to share, this is the place. At your leisure, of course.

I don't think anyone would be upset if they were proven to be wrong about the letter's content.

[Tim Atkinson]

Far be it for me to gloat but, having sought the opinion of yet another expert, the letter is correct. In his words 'BANG ON'. He went on to give me a brilliant run down of the letter of which, I have confided in people to the conversation I had with the 'expert' today.
Thanks for the ridicule but, you're wrong RJ the expert'ish and others that think they're in the know. Hhahahahahahaha.

[Scott Nelson]

Never mind, on reading it more carefully, it looks like Dott and Walter were with Rachel, Tilly and Mary, who was attacked. Michael and Jenny and the unnamed letter recipient are elsewhere (Australia?)

[Scott Nelson]

I found a death for a Rachel Bell registered in Belfast...

Unless I'm mistaken , shouldn't we be looking in Australia for Dott (Dorothy), Rachel, Michael and Jenny. Mary and Tilly in England...?

[Cogidubnus]

Ah well...it was just a thought...

Cheers!

Dave

[Debra Arif]

I like it! How do we know the "Booth book" wasn't "Life and Labour of the People"? Do they do socialist ball pens?

I just checked and William Booth and 1890 is mentioned in the ebay blurb. That would probably refer to 'In Darkest England,' published 1890.

[Chris G.]

Thanks for that Debs. 'Brother' and 'Sister' certainly were terms used by salvationists at the time, and I'm reliably informed still do in some quarters, when referring to colleagues.

The state of disintegration of the paper in old documents is likely to be much more dependant upon the quality of the paper used than its age of course.

This Kosminski letter has a lot going for it, and so far nothing in its provenance to justify calling it a fraud seems to have been found.

It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

[Emphasis mine]

Provenance of the letter that was listed on ebay was not fully explained. That isn't by any means a solid provenance anyone could stand behind. Far from it.

[Debra Arif]

Rachael Bell

I found a death for a Rachel Bell registered in Belfast in July-Sept qtr of 1889 but when I checked the actual death certificate the date of her death was 27th Aug 1889. Her details were Rachel Hannah Bell aged 24 died 27th Aug 1889 at Malt St Belfast, Antrim from Phthisis. Sister Mary Ann Bell present at the death. This one can be crossed off the list at least.

[Paul Butler]

Thanks for that Debs. 'Brother' and 'Sister' certainly were terms used by salvationists at the time, and I'm reliably informed still do in some quarters, when referring to colleagues.


The state of disintegration of the paper in old documents is likely to be much more dependant upon the quality of the paper used than its age of course.


This Kosminski letter has a lot going for it, and so far nothing in its provenance to justify calling it a fraud seems to have been found.


It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

[Debra Arif]

The language isn't catholic and the salvation army (In which book the letter was found) don't call each other Brothers or sisters. So we believe that it was sent by Quakers.

Hi Jeff, despite my earlier thoughts, after checking several copies of 'War Cry' from the 20's and 30's it seems as though Salvation Army members did address one another as 'brother' and 'sister,' at that stage in time at least.
I noted in another post, the seller was selling a job lot of assorted Salvation Army biros too last year, although I'm with Dave here, I originally thought the seller just said the letter was inside a 'Booth' book published in 1889. I remember mentioning Charles Booth to Sean Crundall at the time the letter appeared on ebay.

On the subject of the disintegration where folded, I remembered I have a photocopy of a letter written by my 4 x Great Grandmother to my 2 x Great Grandmother in 1880. The letter had been kept flat, but folded and had to be taped along the horizontal folds because it was coming apart there. It remained flat though.

[Cogidubnus]

I also noticed that he sold a bulk lot of assorted Salvation army biros over a year ago.

I like it! How do we know the "Booth book" wasn't "Life and Labour of the People"? Do they do socialist ball pens?