The Fourth Letter
William writes to Myra in July, 1868, and she receives the letter a few months later.
Nearly three years have now passed since William Sykes' ill-fated poaching raid:
Dear Husband,
Mrs Bone had a letter and asked whether I had got one from you or not, and that put me about for I thought that something had happened to you because there was no letters for me. And I was much further I put about when I received your letter when it was a week amongst them (William Sykes' family) before I got it. Dear Husband when you write again send me I word what sort of a passage you had when you were going out and send word whether you got that box I sent you when you were leaving this country, for you, never said in your letter whether you got it or not.
All send their love. ...Your daughter, Ann, is in place and is doing well and, Alfred is working in the mill and he gets 10 pence per day. Ann, Thirza, Alf and William sends their kind love to you. William has got long white curly hair and he was not called William for nothing for he is a little rip right, and your brothers ~ and sisters send their kind love to you ...
There was another fight over poaching with young Berdshaw last month. This took place on Lord Warncliff's estate. The Keeper was shot. Berdshaw's Father took it so much to heart that he went and threw himself on the rails and the trains past over him and killed him.
Dear Husband when you write again, direct your letter to Mrs Sykes, No 39 Midland Road, Masborough.
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