Record Number: 34364
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'I gave her the telegram. She, poor lady, like a good many people in those days could not read or write, she opened the envelope, looked at the message, then with fear in her eyes she said 'Read it to me' then before i could speak she said 'Is he - Is he' and i was speechless, i nodded my head...I left them together to mourn the loss of a son, a Sussex Soldier who had given his life for King and Country'
Century:1900-1945
Date:Between 1904 and 1905
Country:England
Timen/a
Place:city: Bexhill
county: Sussex
(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Child (0-17)
Gender:Male
Date of Birth:1890
Socio-Economic Group:n/a
Occupation:Telegram Deliverer
Religion:Unknown
Country of Origin:England
Country of Experience:England
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:[telegram]
Genre:Telegram message
Form of Text:Publication Details
n/a
Provenanceunknown
Source Information:
Record ID:34364
Source - Manuscript:Other
Information:
Elliott, Walter J.E. ‘Untitled’, Burnett Archive of Working Class Autobiographies, University of Brunel Library, Special Collection, 1:227, available at: http//bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/9520 Walter J.E Elliott in John Burnett, David Vincent and David Mayall (eds) The Autobiography of the Working Class: An Annotated, Critical Bibliography 1790-1945, 3 vols. (Brighton: Harvester, 1984, 1987, 1989): 1:227
Additional Information:
Quotes found on page 17 of Walter John Eugene Elliott's 'Untitled' memoirs.
Citation:
Elliott, Walter J.E. ‘Untitled’, Burnett Archive of Working Class Autobiographies, University of Brunel Library, Special Collection, 1:227, available at: http//bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/9520 Walter J.E Elliott in John Burnett, David Vincent and David Mayall (eds) The Autobiography of the Working Class: An Annotated, Critical Bibliography 1790-1945, 3 vols. (Brighton: Harvester, 1984, 1987, 1989): 1:227, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=34364, accessed: 27 September 2024
Additional Comments:
Elliott's memoir provides evidence for reading and writing abilities around 1904/05. Walter Elliott recalls how many people could not read or write and therefore when he delivered telegram messages to people he sometimes had to read them to the recipient - even such messages like the death of a relative in war.