Written by
May, Joseph, Nigerian, 1817 - 1891
Received by
Denham, Mary, British
Date
1842
Medium
wax and ink on wove paper
Dimensions
H x W (spread): 16 5/16 × 16 1/4 in. (41.4 × 41.3 cm)
H x W (folded): 12 13/16 × 8 1/8 in. (32.5 × 20.6 cm)
Description
This letter was written in Freetown, Sierra Leone, May 8th, 1842 by Joseph May to a Mrs. Mary Denham in London, England. From the Wesleyan Mission House, May writes of his sea and land travels to and throughout Western Africa. He recounts the weather, the towns he preached Christianity to, having taken over a school, and his plans to establish a Methodist school. The wove paper letter has several folds in addition to its main vertical crease, and spans approximately 1500 words across three pages. A significant remnant of the original red wax seal is present in one of the many folded squares of the paper. The fourth leaf (blank) of the letter reads: [Joseph May / Sierra Leone / 20/ [?/?] / Mrs. M. Denham / Tailor / 100 Bermondsey Street / Boro. London]. A large ‘8’ is ink blotted over part of the addressee’s surname, and another large ‘8’ is written in the free space beside it.
Transcription Center Status
Transcription Available
Place made
Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa, Africa
Place used
London, England, Europe
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Documents and Manuscripts
Type
documents
letters (correspondence)
Topic
Africa
Children
Christianity
Correspondence
Education
Men
Methodist
Religion
Slavery
Travel
Women
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2018.46.9
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5ca766566-aa63-45a5-ac24-774f4dbd7a50

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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