The Final Letter – #13 – Transcript – 24 July 1798

#13 Addressed to Mr. Henry Hirst, Grocer, Heptonstalll, Halifax, Yorkshire, South Britain Gibraltar 24th July 1798 Honor’d Father & Mother I once more take the opportunity of writing to you but with great concern I do assure you, for I have writ to you several times and can never receive any answer to my letters,...

Letter #12 – Transcript – 4 February 1798

#12 Addressed to Mr. Henry Hirst, Heptonstalll, Halifax, Yorkshire [Single Sheet] Gibraltar 4th February 1798 Honoured Father & Mother I once more have the opportunity of Writing to you, hoping this will find you in good health as this leaves me at present thanks be to the Almighty for it, I never received a Letter...

Letter #10 – Transcript – 7 September 1796

#10  Addressed to Mr. Henry Hirst, Grocer, Heptonstalll near Halifax, Yorkshire, South Britain Gibraltar 7th Septr. 1796 Honoured Father & Mother I once more have the opportunity of writing to you, hoping this will find you in good health as this leaves me at present thanks be to the Almighty for it, I am sorry...

Letter #8 – Transcript – 24 April 1796

#8 Address Panel missing Hirst Letter #8 - 24 April 1796 - Detail. Private Collection. Poole 24th April 1796 Honoured Father & Mother I Writ to you some time ago but never received any answer, whether the Letter miscarried or not I cannot tell, Hirst Letter #8 - 24 April 1796 - Page 1. Private...

With Lord Darbouville at Present … but where is that for our Private William Hirst?

Things usually go from bad to worse for William Hirst. I am with Lord Darbouville at Present, Victualling in the house, etc. William Hirst – 2 July 1795 He is now a French Prisoner of War being held in the “house” of “Lord Darbouville” and working for him. But maybe he has not landed so...

Letter #5 – Transcript – 2 July 1795

After 19 months with no word from their errant soldier son, Henry and Lydia receive THIS news. 225 years later we wonder - how did they respond? What went through their minds - and hearts?

Poor William Hirst – Sick and alone in the General Hospital of Tournay, 1793

In today's post, we look back from 2020, where we are in the midst of a pandemic crisis ourselves, to 1793 only to find our poor Private William Hirst sick and alone in the General Hospital of Tournay. https://www.statnews.com/2017/10/18/health-care-politics-aca/ I have been 6 Weeks in the General Hospital in this Town in the Fever and...

Ah, the twists and turns of trying to understand the motivations of our letter writer, William Hirst

In today's Guest Post Douglas Fyfe explores why William Hirst - or a young man of any century - might choose to go to war. In my last post I argued that William Hirst was likely an officer and not a member of the rank and file. He was literate, interested in mercantile matters, able...

Letter #4 – 24 November 1793 – Transcript

The saga continues! Letter #4 in which our new soldier finds that the 18th century has its own version of covid-19 ...

You’re in the Army now, Mr Hirst!

Today's post is written by Douglas Fyfe, longtime friend and colleague, in response to William Hirst's Letter 2 - 12 March 1793. The more we know, the more we want to know - with the biggest question being why would he ever join? Mary Tivy’s useful link to the Flanders campaign does point to the...