Unopened 265-Year-Old Letters from French Warship Crew's Families Finally Read, Provide Insight into 18th Century Society
Opening of Archived Letters Sheds Light on Role of Women in 18th Century French Society, Reveals Personal Struggles of Families Separated by Seven Years' War
- Over 100 letters, over two centuries old and never opened, were sent by families to sailors aboard the French warship Galatée during the Seven Years' War. These letters were intercepted by the British and left unopened for 265 years before recently being discovered and analyzed.
- The letters provide a unique perspective on 18th Century society by revealing the emotions, struggles, and daily life of people, especially women. About 59% of the letters were penned by women, this has offered insights into the literacy of the different classes and women's pivotal roles in households and society during their husbands' absence.
- One poignant piece of correspondence was from Marie Dubosc written to her husband, Louis Chambrelan, the first lieutenant of the ship. Unfortunately, he never received her heartfelt words as Marie died before he was released from captivity. Chambrelan returned to France and remarried in 1761.
- Several letters also reveal the tensions and dynamics within families. For instance, letters to sailor Nicolas Quesnel from his mother and fiancée show his mother's distress over him writing more to his partner than to her. Additionally, his mother expressed disappointment over Quesnel not acknowledging his stepfather in his letters.
- The letters, often dictated to scribes, highlight an interesting blend of private and public boundaries in the 18th century, as intimate thoughts and feelings were often expressed in letters that could be read by multiple people before reaching the intended recipient. These correspondences reveal rich details about family relations, longing, uncertainty, and hardships of distance and war in the societal context of the time.
Fox News 