Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    HG12/26/12
  • Title
    Letter from John Esmonde Longuet Longuet-Higgins to his brother, Henry Hugh Longuet Longuet-Higgins. Sent from France. With part of envelope addressed to Potchefstroom, South Africa.
  • Date free text
    24 Apr 1916
  • Production date
    From: 1916 To: 1916
  • Scope and Content
    Last two months has been full of changing circumstances. The first bomb to drop was a heavy loss suffered by Wedd Jefferson [stockbrokers] through being let down to the tune of about £15,000 by a fraudulent defaulter who owed money under the moratorium. This put John in debt to the firm and swamped part of what he was going to put into the marriage settlement, so the wedding had to be postponed and furnishing of the house stopped. The next thing was that the brigagier was losing his staff captain and wanted John to take his place, which he did. A few days later the senior major was sent for from England. The colonel did not want to promote the next below John to be major, so wrote to England for a major who has now arrived. This means John is done for a majority in his own battalion. The next thing was John's leave being postponed for 10 days while the brigade major went on leave. For a short time was staff captain and brigade major. After a few days learned that was not allowed to have the post of staff captain because the War office had another person earmarked for the job. He duly arrived, the brigade major returned from leave and writer was to go on leave the next day, but all leave was cancelled. The new staff captain was then sent away to a training course, and the writer kept on with the work. All this time wondering how to get married; John and Cara both wanting and willing to face the risks, but Cara's father putting his foot down heavily because of money. John and Cara have agreed that if at alll possible they will marry when John next goes home, with or wothout permission. Is going home the day after tomorrow and does not not whether he will return married or not. Cara does not know whether during the next month she will be maid, wife or widow.
  • Level of description
    item
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