Scientists have discovered more than 100 letters that were all sent between 1757 and 1758, often by people who could neither read nor write. The almost 300 year old and, until recently, unopened letters provide us with a very unique insight into the daily life of 18ecentury citizens.
Renaud Morieux is the researcher who has deciphered the letters, which were sent by French marines to their relatives during the Seven Years’ War, but were intercepted by British opponents and therefore never arrived. Morieux has published the research in the research journal Annals History Social Sciences. According to Morieux, one of the most important findings is the fact that providing and maintaining communication between sender and receiver was truly a joint effort, because most senders and receivers could neither read nor write. “Today we would find it very uncomfortable to write a letter to a fiancée, knowing that all our relatives and neighbors would hear its contents. The gap between intimacy and what was known in common was much smaller then than it is now.”
Everyone participated
Morieux’s research therefore primarily calls for a more inclusive definition of literacy. “It is possible to be part of a writing culture without being able to read or write yourself,” says Morieux. “Many of the senders told their stories to a writer, who then wrote the letter for them. When they received a letter, they often went to someone they knew was literary and had the letter read to them. That wasn’t always a professional.”
In addition, more than half of all letters examined were signed by women. “These letters disprove the age-old idea that war is mainly about men,” Morieux said. “While the men were away, women were busy running the household and making crucial economic and political decisions.”
Spider in the web
This includes the sister of Nicolas Godefroy, a pilot in training who had to serve. Due to a shortage of experienced sailors, France forced many men living along the coast to enlist for 1 year every 3 or 4 years. This system was very unpopular among the population, and many sailors tried to get rid of their military service. Some tried to escape as soon as the ship was docked at a port. Others tried to get discharged based on injury. And Godefroy also intended to escape his military service. But that was beyond his sister’s reckoning. She writes to her brother: “It would hurt me more if you left for the islands.” This specifically refers to the Caribbean Islands, where thousands of European sailors traveled to at that time and died from diseases. Despite his desire for freedom, his sister and mother refused to support him in this. They disapproved of his plan to escape and refused to request his discharge from the Navy. They feared the plan would backfire and force him to stay at sea even longer.
Family feud
The letters also show that family disputes were often fought out with the pen. For example, another letter tells the story of Nicolas Quesnel, a young sailor from Normandy. His mother accused him of only writing to his fiancée, Marianne. A few weeks later, Nicolas receives a letter from Marianne in which she tells him that he should also write to his mother. After he does that, the atmosphere lightens up a bit, although his mother is still angry that he never mentions his father. “What we see here are complex but familiar tensions,” Morieux said. “Today we have Zoom and WhatsApp, but in the 18ecentury they only had letters.”
It later emerged that Nicolas Quesnel had been captured by the British along with the rest of the crew. After his release, he was okay with his family: a few years later he left on a trading ship to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, towards the horizon and beyond.
