Malmesbury, 2 March, 1903

My dear wife, I have received your letter of 24 January, but I think you made a mistake with the date, according to my calculations it should have been the 17 January, and the post stamped it with that date, because on the 24th you must have received my draft for £5, together with a letter, and now all the feribles are over.

Out of context, no date, no place

... Before I received the permit, I got a letter that he had left for America. So may the Lord help him there, I have not replied to the greetings in the letter,. so I can tell you that I receivd the lettger and I read it repeatedly. When I have the patience and I have pleasure from it…

Malmesbury, 2 March, 1903

My dear brother-in-law, I have received your greetings and I am very grateful for them. I know very well that I should write to you, and whatever I write is too little for your interest in my affairs all the time that you have been my brother-in-law. Please believe me. I have not forgotten. I have benefited from your keen interest in my affairs, both in money and advice and deeds.

Malmesbury, 10, March, 1903

My dear wife, I wish to inform you that I am TG in good health, and may my letter find you in good health, too. Further, about writing a whole page, I have no time at the moment. It is late and the post closes very shortly, and if I write more it will be delayed until next week.

Malmesbury, 15 March, 1903

My dear wife, I have not received a letter last week, although this is a legitimate complaint, but I let it pass, and I continue writing on Sunday because I have more time and I can write more things. I can inform you that I am TG in good health, and I hope to hear the same from you.

Malmesbury, 24 March, 1903

My dear wife, I have received a letter of the 7 February. In truth, I derived very little pleasure from it! I know that in a short time I have sent you £15 in three lots of £5, but I have received no acknowledgement of receipt of the money – as if it is a matter of no importance.

Malmesbury, (two weeks before Pesach), 29 March, 1903

My dear wife, your letter, which you have not written, I have not received. But I still thank you for the previous letters, because if you had not sent them, I would not have received them. I can inform you that TG I am well and happy. May God grant that this letter should find you in the same condition. I know that you want to hear news – but what can I write you?

Malmesbury, 5 April, 1903

My dear wife, I have received your letter of 20 February. You are very cross and you have listed all your complaints. I have not mentioned all the goods in the shop. I have not answered my brother’s letters. I have not answered the long letter with four points. I have not mentioned and I have not thanked you for the parcel. All these are sins that I have committed, and for this I will say ‘alangen vehoerachamin’ (‘He is merciful’).

Out of context, no date, no place

I greet cordially my dear parents, my dear father, Yehuda Leib Kretzmar, and my dear mother, the chaste and modest Beile, and my scholarly brother, Yaacov Kretzmar, and my sisters, Hinda and Chana – may they all live well. My dear parents, I can inform you that TG I am in good health. May God grant that I hear the same news from you.

Malmesbury, (Chol Hamoed Pesach), 15 April, 1903

My dearest wife, I have not yet received any letters in the week before Pesach, so I suppose it’s got to be like this. I, on my side, am trying to write more, and although I’m alone in the business and the boss and the labourer and the missus, who is cooking and serving and washing up, in spite of that I have to write letters in time, otherwise there is an alarm in heaven.

Malmesbury, 26 April, 1903

My dear wife, I have duly received your letter of 14 March and I thank God for His mercy for granting us good health, because all this is in His hands and He does what He wants. And so one must ask Him to have mercy, because He is a God of mercy and He grants life to all the living.

Malmesbury, 5 May, 1903

My dear wife, I have received your letter last week, and I thank God for the news that you are all well. May you continue to be thus as long as we have tobe separated. At least let us hear good news from each other. I, on my side, can tell you that I am TG in good health and spirits. May God grant that this letter should also find you well. I have not much news to tell you today.

Malmesbury, 10 May, 1903

About business I can tell you sales are normal. The monthly sales amount to about £80 – sometimes a few pounds more, but more or less that’s the normal sales. I hope that when the labour season is at an end, more people will come to town and sales will improve. I will write you about it.

Letter from Meish Rubin: (In the middle, out of context)

I greet heartily my dear mother-in-law, the chaste and modest Neche, and my brother-in-law, Moishe Schochet, and his wife, my sister, and their children, and also my brother-in-law, Menachem Mendel Morris, and my sister-in-law, Chana Reza, and my brother, shalom to you all.

Malmesbury, 27 July, 1903

My dear wife, please excuse me that I have not written last week. There is no real reason except that I had no time to write, so there was no letter last week. Now I can inform you that TG I am well and happy and I hope that my letter should also find you in a similar situation.