💖Valentines Day💖back to 1837.

💖At the moment any excuse to have a little celebration or to treat yourself is very welcomed, a nice bunch of flowers, a lovely special meal to enjoy or a yummy cake for afternoon tea or special chocolates to enjoy while watching a favourite film. So I’m looking forward to Valentine’s Day, I ordered flowers and some nice foody things including heart shaped crumpets💗💗that arrived yesterday via our online shopping delivery for us to enjoy on Valentine’s Day💖

This excellent article by Sarah Peverley, University of Liverpool in The Conversation online back in February 2017 explains more about St Valentine’s Day “The feast of St Valentine has been associated with love since the Middle Ages. Back then Valentine was one of many saints honoured in the Christian calendar alongside major religious festivals, such as Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost…………..Little is known about the St Valentine who was martyred on February 14……….By the end of the Middle Ages, the meaning of Valentine’s Day had expanded to incorporate human lovers expressing their feelings in hope of attracting or reaffirming a mate. In February 1477, one would-be lover, Margery Brews, sent the oldest known “Valentine” in the English language to John Paston, referring to him as her “right welbelouyd Voluntyn”. At the time Brews’s parents were negotiating her marriage to Paston, a member of the Norfolk gentry, but he was not satisfied with the size of the dowry offered by her father“

This is a screenshot from the article of the letter.

“The couple married shortly after, so Margery’s heartfelt letters clearly appealed to her beloved. While we have to wait until the Tudor period to witness the now familiar concept of bestowing material gifts on one’s Valentine, it is Margery’s Valentine that best captures the essence of how the saint’s day transformed from being a lesser-known feast on the medieval liturgical calendar to one of the most important days of the year for hopeful and hopeless romantics, regardless of religion” Here’s the full article here: https://theconversation.com/st-valentines-a-minor-day-in-a-medieval-calendar-packed-with-festivals-71225

This is a recent find from Ebay and not only is it from America but also it’s postally unused. Interesting to see that this was likely to be an advertising card for people to buy bulk for reselling.

Looking through the British Newspaper Archives I found this fantastic account of a Wedding that never happened from 23 February in 1837 reported by The Wiltshire Independent via the Gloucester Journal…A Tedious Courtship of one fortnight….The poor old lady is, of course, to be pitied….she’s only 65! What a cheek! Ha Ha

**Oh Dear…A Tedious courtship of one fortnight and then a Cancelled Wedding! True love not running smooth here**💖💖

This below under the heading Customs and Superstitions of The Good Old Times, from The Westmoreland Gazette again in February 1837. The next paragraph was all about Witches!

**The Valentine Card that wasn’t.** This is another of my lovely finds on Ebay again from America. This was sent by **Bill Carpenter to a Mr J C Newton** 58 North Ogland Street, Buffalo, New York. Posted from Olyphant, Pennsylvania. From what I have found out (see below) I think Jay was either at School there or visiting, as his family seemed to live in Pennsylvania and had neighbours with the surname Carpenter.

Family History. I’ve found a Jay C Newton born 12 Feb 1892 in Sloan, New York. His parents were Frederick and Delia he had a sister Delia and a brother George. He married in 1921 to Pearl Pennington and at the time of his death in March 1975, he had two children Arlene and Ellis. He lived in Tanglewood Drive, Cumberland, Rhode Island in 1975. He has a draft registration card I found in the records on Ancestry which is nice, as it describes his appearance. Wonder how this card found it’s way over to the UK? I got them both from the same seller.

Blond hair Blue eyes…..50 years old and unemployed.

As a result of this Valentine’s weekend being able to have FREE access to Newspapers.com this weekend : https://www.newspapers.com/ I have been able to add so much more here about Jay C Newton’s life!

His marriage to Pearl Pennington in 1921

Jay C Newton’s death in 1975, which tells us so much about his life and also the fact that after Pearl died he remarried but sadly that didn’t last long.

This is my best transcription of the above, not sure if I have got every word correct and some I can’t decipher at all, my transcription doesn’t quite make total sense ha ha so I’m hoping for some help please!

Suppose you are a man today then 12 years old. We are bearing up under winter weather now, those had…. sleighrides vista? it eroded? snow some more. We are getting up a play, the people of East Bir?tow & me it is going to be good …. to are it fairly well now. Berth? quite rock and come down this might one have it. Yours Bill Carpenter.

This lovely card obviously sent as a Birthday Card, so not a Valentine’s Card at all!

A Wedding notice from the British Newspaper Archives; Valentine’s day Wedding reported on Saturday 18 February 1837 from the Derbyshire Courier; On Valentines Day Mr Walter Simpson, florist and farmer to Miss Pinder, both of the same Parish. Hope they lived happily ever after💒💕💖

Above and below: From The British Newspaper Archives February 1837

These are just a few of the lovely Wedding couples I have shared with you all recently on Twitter and Instagram💖💖
Happy Valentine’s Day to you all💖💖

Till next time then………………..

One comment

ritaroberts says:

13/02/2021 at 10:06 am

Thanks for sharing all these wonderful Valentine messages and photo’s Lynn It’s a romantic time and should always be celebrated. Happy Valentine’s day to you too Lynn. Stay safe. !!

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