“Dear Family – We were through this old palace today – Happy can tell you its history and the State rooms that we saw are gorgeous. We love Edinbourgh and hate to leave it. Having good weather & a wonderful time. Write me in London. June.”
Addressed to: “Mrs. Eva Thompson, Pittsboro, Indiana. U.S.A. RFD”
The year is unreadable on the postal marking which looks like it might indicate 24 July but the stamp is a brown three halfpence Postal Union Congress 1929 stamp. This was one of five special commemorative stamps that were issued on May 10, 1929 by the 9th Postal Union Congress. The PUC was a formal meeting that took place every four years between members of the UPU (Universal Postal Union).
Which Mrs. Eva Thompson….
One could easily get led astray here: There is an Eva Thompson in Guilford Township, Hendricks County, but another Eva Thompson in Center Township, Hendricks County. Most likely the connection is with the second Eva: Center Township is closer (3 – 4 miles south) to Pittsboro than Guilford Township. And the 1920 Federal Census taken in Center Township shows Nathan J. Thompson, born about 1867, his wife Eva, born about 1867, and their children Milbern, Maurice and June. All are natives of Indiana. So, our postcard sender should be June Thompson, born about 1908, who is likely married to “Happy.” June would be about 22 years old then, when she would have addressed this postcard to her mother.
Looking a little further we discover an October 1929 Laconia passenger list (Liverpool, England to New York, NY) for Milford and June Davidson (spelled Davison.) June’s date of birth on this record is June 3, 1907, and place of birth Danville, Indiana, which is in Center Township. Milford was born in Hanford, California, March 27, 1905. Find A Grave shows a June (Thompson) Davidson. June and Milford were living in Berkeley, California by 1930. Milford’s occupation is chemist. A couple of Peoria, Illinois city directories (1955 – 1956) list Milford and June, with Milford as chief chemist for Pabst Brewery.
Divided back, used Real Photo Postcard. Postmarked July 24, 1929[?] location difficult to read, possibly Edinburgh, Scotland.
Price: $15.00
Sources: 1929 Postal Union Congress Stamp Issue. GBStamp.co.uk. Web accessed May 24, 2015. [http://www.gbstamp.co.uk/1929-puc-stamp-issue.php]
Year: 1920; Census Place: Center, Hendricks, Indiana; Roll: T625_436; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 30; Image: 607. (Ancestry.com)
Find A Grave Memorial# 126019609. Find A Grave. Web accessed May 24, 2015.
Year: 1930; Census Place: Berkeley, Alameda, California; Roll: 111; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0320; Image: 1028.0; FHL microfilm: 2339846. (Ancestry.com)
Peoria, Illinois city directories for 1955 and 1956. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989