Name/Title
Letter: A.H. Metcalfe to Margaret Stewart, August 21, 1918Entry/Object ID
2014.7.33.8a,bDescription
This object is an envelope and the letter contained within. The letter is dated August 21, 1918. It is from A.H. Metcalfe and it is addressed to the mother of his friend Sefton Stewart who had been killed in battle on August 8, 1918.
The envelope, 2014.7.33.8a, is a cream/tan coloured paper which has been folded into shape. It is held together with an unknown adhesive. There are three inscriptions on the front in a black medium, rendered in cursive. The first, at center, reads "Mrs. Stewart (Seftons Mother) Richmond, Ont, Can.". The second inscription at the top center is illegible and has been damaged by the envelope's opening. A third inscription appears to have been written in a different hand and with a different medium; it appears in the lower proper right quadrant and reads "Canada" which is underlined. There are two stamp imprints on the front. The first is rendered in a blue ink at the proper bottom right quadrant and reads "Westholme Aux. Hospital Market Drayton". The second is rendered in black ink and appears at the proper top left corner; this stamp presents as a circle with text within it. At its center the words "8.15PM 22 AU 18" are visible.
The letter 2014.7.33.8b, is executed on a single cream/tan coloured piece of paper which has been folded along the vertical center to create a booklet shape. The medium is a handwritten black ink, rendered in cursive. The letter begins on the proper left half of the front with the words "Westholme Aux Hosp." at the top proper left corner. The proper right half of the front is blank. The back of the letter has writing on both halves with the second page occurring on the proper right half and the conclusion occurring on the proper left half. The letter ends "yours sincerely A.H. MetcalfeSubject Person/Organization
Margaret (Maggie) Stewart, Pte. Sefton Inglis Stewart, A.H. MetcalfeSubject Place
Country
France, CanadaCity
RichmondProvince
OntarioContext
This object is significant as it belongs to the Sefton Stewart Collection; a series of objects pertaining to Private Sefton Stewart of Richmond who fought, and was killed, in the First World War.Collection
Artefact Collection: PrimaryLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
LetterNomenclature Primary Object Term
CorrespondenceNomenclature Sub-Class
Other DocumentsNomenclature Class
Documentary ObjectsNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsLetter Details
Letter Date
August 21, 1918Postmark
Date and Time of Postmark
22 August 1918Postmark Place
City
Market DraytonCountry
EnglandSender
Name
A.H. MetcalfeAddress
Westholme Aux. Hospital, Marked DraytonAddressee
Name
Mrs. Stewart (Seftons Mother)Address
Richmond, Ontario, CanadaPrimary Language
EnglishTranscription
Transcription
[Envelope Front]
Capt [abbreviated: Captain] Lob In Hosp. [abbreviated: Hospital] [Postmark] MARKET DRAYTON [Illegible] 215 PM [2:15 Post Meridiem, Latin for After Noon] 22 AU 18 [abbreviated: 22 AUGUST 1918] Mrs Stewart (Seftons Mother), Richmond, Ont [abbreviated: Ontario], Can. [abbreviated: Canada] Canada Westholme Aux. [abbreviated: Auxiliary] Hospital Market Drayton
[Envelope Back] [Postmark] RICHMOND SP 16 18 [abbreviated: SEPTEMBER 16 1918] ONT. [abbreviated: ONTARIO]
[letter]
Westholme Aux. [abbreviated: Auxiliary] Hosp. [abbreviated: Hospital] Market Drayton, Salop, Eng. [abbreviated: England] Aug 21/18 [abbreviated: August 21 1918]. Dear Mrs Stewart:- I feel it my duty to inform you of the circumstances regarding your son Sefton's death. For over a year he has been my best pal and we were constantly together. It came as a great shock to me as he was killed right beside me by a machine gun
bullet. It went through his heart and he didn't speak. I was wounded in the neck a couple of minutes later. I am sure he did not suffer any pain. I wish to extend my sincerest sympathy. I feel his loss greatly in fact I can hardly convince myself that he will not be there when I return to the battallion May I close again extending to you his Mother my sincerest sympathy I shall always consider Sefton the best pal I ever had. Yours sincerely A H Metcalfe"Language
EnglishDimensions
Height
12 cmWidth
9.5 cmDimension Notes
Envelope, measured on an unknown date by James Riley. - 2014.7.33.8aHeight
17.5 cmWidth
22.5 cmDimension Notes
Letter, measured on an unknown date by James Riley. - 2014.7.33.8bRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
A.H. Metcalfe, Margaret (Maggie) Stewart, Pte. Sefton Inglis Stewart, Canadian Armed Forces, Canadian Expeditionary ForceRelated Places
Place
Country
England, France, CanadaCity
RichmondProvince
Ontario
