100 Years of Cox

I am telling the story of ten siblings from the Machell Cox family, through the letters they wrote to each other. They were born in England between 1868 and 1884; seven of them lived in England and three lived abroad, in the Colonies. One of the siblings was my great grandfather.

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100 Years of Cox

S3E3: Floreat Budgettum

August 13, 2021 • Frances • Season 3 • Episode 3

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Frances reads five letters, written in 1909 by Edmund, Annie May, Avice, Aldwyn and Enid.

Edmund takes far too long to write his Budget letter and reckons his siblings are going to miss him out of the next round.

Annie May begs the siblings - Please don't put Edmund on the black list - she was probably lonely and really needed the family contact.

Avice further describes the wealthy Brooks family as well as her life as a govvie, and she hopes Mother, recuperating in Folkestone, is enjoying the splendid weather.

Aldwyn has been to visit Neville in Pretoria, and is now on a steam ship traveling back to Nyasaland. He posts his letter back to England in the mailbag of a steamer, on the mighty Zambezi, which is going downstream , whilst Aldwyn's steamer is going upstream. Close your eyes and just imagine the scene.

And Enid provides all the news about Mother being ill, having an operation, most of the family getting influenza, then Hazel getting measles whilst Mother goes to Folkestone for the sea air and Enid and her family then go to North Wales to take the sea air there.

May says baby Leslie cries all the time, Edmund says he is an ugly baby, but Enid says baby Leslie (my grandfather) is a fine specimen. Thank goodness for kind aunties.

And the Navy at Plymouth already know that a war with Germany is coming.

00:00 Intro
2:46 Edmund's letter, 25th April 1909
8:20 May's letter, 29th April
11:27 Avice's letter, 7th May
17:09 Aldwyn's letter, 12th March
28:02 Notes on Aldwyn's letter
35:39 Enid's letter, 9th May
41:58 Notes on Enid's letter

You can contact Frances by email - machellcoxletters@gmail.com
or X/Twitter - @CoxLetters
or Blue Sky - @Coxletters.bsky.social

All content is subject to copyright and belongs to Frances Thompson and the Bodleian Library.