This letter was written in Freetown, Sierra Leone, May 8th, 1842 by Joseph May to a Mrs. Mary Denham in London, England. From the Wesleyan Mission House, May writes of his sea and land travels to and throughout Western Africa. He recounts the weather, the towns he preached Christianity to, having taken over a school, and his plans to establish a Methodist school. The wove paper letter has several folds in addition to its main vertical crease, and spans approximately 1500 words across three pages. A significant remnant of the original red wax seal is present in one of the many folded squares of the paper. The fourth leaf (blank) of the letter reads: [Joseph May / Sierra Leone / 20/ [?/?] / Mrs. M. Denham / Tailor / 100 Bermondsey Street / Boro. London]. A large ‘8’ is ink blotted over part of the addressee’s surname, and another large ‘8’ is written in the free space beside it. Transcribed by digital volunteers
Authors
- Collection
- National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection Documents and Published Materials Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Dates
- 1842
- Format
- Wax and ink on wove paper
- Pages
- H x W (spread): 16 5/16 × 16 1/4 in. (41.4 × 41.3 cm) H x W (folded): 12 13/16 × 8 1/8 in. (32.5 × 20.6 cm)
- Place Discussed
- Sierra Leone
- Provider
- Smithsonian Institution
- Published in
- Sierra Leone
- Rights
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Source
- Digital Public Library of America https://dp.la/item/210847a9238094ad81b24c1aca1e10fa
