RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: jaylay on Wednesday 16 May 07 22:30 BST (UK)
-
Can anyone make out these names? I have this letter, and I cannot make out either the recipient or the writer of the letter! Any clues appreciated!
Thanks
Jaylay
-
is it Dear Sherie from R Emmet?
-
First thoughts...
Dear Sherie from R.Emmet.
Hope this helps, Jaylay.
-
I think you're right with "R. Emmet"
But the addressee might be "Shine" - since the writer belatedly dots his "i"s - note the dot above the "n" in "kind" and the second "e" in "received"
-
I read it as:
Dear Shuie ::)
Sheila
-
My first thought was Shuie as well, but I take IGS's point about the delayed dots on the 'i's and it could be Shine.
I think we should bear in mind the possibility of it being a surname, given that the sender signs himself, rather formally, as R. Emmet.
Gareth
-
Gareth makes a good point. But looking at the way the writer makes his r's, I still think the addressee could be Sherie!
MarieC
-
Yes I had thought that the signature was R Emmet also, and that's a very good point IGS about they delayed dotting of the i's - they're done like that thorughout the letter. But my first impression was Shuie also - and Gareth's point about it possibly being a surname is also valid. I'd love to know for sure - so I could do a US census lookup for them.
Thanks to you all for your input!
Jaylay
-
I read it at first as Shine, but Sherie would be much more likely.
I doubt that it is a surname - surely then it would be Dear Mr Shine,
or whoever, in keeping with the formal/courteous tone.
:)
Koromo
-
If you look at some of the writing on the letter the writer consistently seems to write e's without the loop so I think it is Sherie.
Kerry
-
surely then it would be Dear Mr Shine,
Not if they had been public (in UK = private!) schoolboys, but in that case the signatory would just have put Emmet. The mother of my American granddaughter is called Sherie, so I suppose it could be that if the recipient of the letter is American.
Liz
-
I agree it seems odd to use just a surname and no Mr. or whatever - but in the letter - not the scanned bit - the writer says "I saw Shiel a few days ago" I'm pretty sure it is Shiel - since that is a name that has cropped up in my tree (not part of the family, but an attorney acting for one of them). Also if the addressee is Sherie, then that would be the only place in the entire letter where the write has placed the dot directly over the i and not after it (if you see what I mean...) ??? Curiouser and curiouser.....
Jaylay
-
I agree I think it is Shine. If this was someone writing to a man he regarded as his social inferior he might well use just the name.
-
If he has forgotten to cross the 't', it could be Dear Stevie
-
I doubt if anyone addressing someone as Stevie would sign off as formally as R Emmet.
I stick by my earlier post - I believe it was a surname and, perhaps, as suggested by slightlyfoxed, someone Emmet considered his social inferior, a tradesman of some sort.
Gareth
-
;D It could also read as Slime ;D Sli ^^^ e, my dad writes this way.
^^^ m and ^^ n.
::) Lesanne.
-
I had a look at the 1930 census at the library today and found a lawyer named Richard EMMET living at 131 East 66th Street, New York City - that's between Park and Lexington Avenues - and just around the corner from the Mayfair Hotel at 610 Park Avenue.
-
Thanks so much everyone for your comments - IGS - special thanks to you for going to all that trouble on my behalf - I now feel fairly sure that the Addressee is Shine and the writer is R Emmet. (Neither of whom I have come across before in my tree!). Maybe this is a red herring of a letter ???
Jaylay
-
If "R. Emmet" was, indeed, Richard Emmet, he may have been part of this law firm:
http://www.emmetmarvin.com/4hist.aspx
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a partner at one time.
-
Looks like 'Sluice' to me.
-
Jaylay, this is so intriguing. Just have to find 'Shiney Sherie'.
Is there an equivalent to our Digital Times for America?
-
Thanks again IGS - this is getting better and better! You're right Lesanne, it is fascinating - My 80 year old aunt, who found the letter which a bunch of my late grandmother's stuff, gave it to me a couple of weeks ago and is now calling me on a daily basis for updates as to who these people might be (not putting me under pressure or anything... ::)). Unfortunately I don't have access to Ancestry, but I'll certainly do some research on those names and will post my findings!
Thanks for all your help again
Jaylay
PS The writer invites the person to lunch in the letter "Won't you come and have lunch with me some day in Jersey City. I lunch at 1.30 and am very generally at home for lunch." That probably means the person lived in Jersey city - Is that a town in New Jersey?
J
-
Yes, Jersey City is right across the Hudson River from New York City (Manhattan) - easily accessible in 1931 (and today) by ferry, PATH train (i.e. subway/tube), and by automobile via the Holland Tunnel.
I checked the census for Hudson County, New Jersey (Jersey City is there), and found only two EMMETs - and no R. EMMETs. Perhaps someone with Ancestry could find some more - and add another "t" to the surname, just to be safe.
Do you think your EMMET could have been an attorney, or is that my own private tangent?
-
It's possible that he was an attorney - to cut a long story short - my great uncle James Kelly immigrated to NY from Belfast in 1910, died around 1926, and there was a legal dispute over his estate, which my grandmother, his sister, went over to NY to try to solve. Sheil is the name of the Dublin lawyer she had retained, and John Eachen was the NY attorney. I have several typewritten letters and a few telegrams concerning all of this - and have never come across the name R Emmet before. The only other connection in NY I am aware of is with a Samuel Mahood in Brooklyn, who was my grandmothers uncle. The Kellys were not especially wealthy, I think James was a bartender and a bus driver - so not sure what kind of 'estate' they were all arguing over ???
Jaylay
-
Had a really quick look on Ancestry for you. There are loads of Richard Emmets but the only one I can see for living in NY is RICHARD STOCKTON EMMET born 1897 New York - unfortunately that persons tree is locked so would have to email them for details. .. if you want me to I'll happily do so. I'm assuming the letter is 1931 not 1831 for this person to fit???
My first thought was the name on the letter was Shuie (a good Scots/Irish nickname/shortened form of name I believe ?) - there are a few Scots/Irish Emmets on Ancestry. I also had a quick look at Sheil and James Kelly - there's a LOT so would need a bit more to make a proper search
-
Hi Jess
Thank you for doing that for me - I have the 'family trees only' membership myself - Just saw that entry about half an hour ago :D That Richard Emmet is definitely an attorney - and a descendant of Robert Emmet (Irish Orator and Patriot, who was hanged). I'll email them myself - thanks for your offer!
Jaylay
PS Yes the letter was definitely 1931 (Don't think they had telephones in 1831.... ;D)