"Dear L"... The Mystery of a British Postcard Arrived After 121 Years

Postcard Arrives at an Office in Wales, UK
Postcard Processed on August 23, 1903
"Re-enter the System for Some Reason"

A postcard sent from Wales, UK, a staggering 121 years ago, has arrived late, becoming a hot topic.

On the 21st (local time), the British BBC reported, "On the 16th, a faded postcard arrived at the Cradock Street branch of the Swansea Building Society in Wales." The staff at the society discovered a postcard addressed to an unknown recipient named ‘Lydia Davis’ among a pile of mail delivered to their office.

[Image source=Photo by Swansea Financial Cooperative X (formerly Twitter) capture]

The employees who saw the postcard could not hide their surprise. Although the address on the Christmas-themed card was correct, there was a stamp featuring King Edward VII (reigned 1901?1910), and a postmark reading ‘AU23 03’ was stamped over the stamp. According to the postmark, the mail was processed on August 23, 1903. A representative of the Swansea Building Society told local media, “The postman delivered a bunch of mail as usual, mostly related to mortgages or deposits,” and “while one employee was skimming through it, a postcard suddenly fell onto the table.”

The postcard begins with “Dear L” and ends with “Sending love to all, from Yourt.” The main text reads, “I hope you are enjoying yourself at home. I have about 10 shillings left after paying for the train fare, and I am doing well. Please send my regards to Miss Gilbert and John.” The recipient was ‘Miss Lydia Davis.’ After posting the postcard on social media, the society was contacted by someone claiming to be a relative of Lydia Davis, but the circumstances under which the postcard was received by mail remain a mystery.

The society celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, and it is presumed that there was a house on this site before. The society staff said, “We hope that a relative of Miss Lydia Davis, who previously lived at this address, can receive this card.” As this story gained attention, the UK Royal Mail stated, “The postcard was not lost for 100 years during delivery but seems to have re-entered the system for some reason,” adding, “Items that enter our system must be delivered to the correct address.”