More than 100 letters, 265 years old and still sealed with red wax, have finally been opened and studied. Their content: words of love and friendship from fiancées, wives, parents, brothers, and sisters, sent to French sailors during the Seven Years’ War. These words were never meant to reach their intended recipients…
“I would gladly spend the night writing to you (…), your faithful wife for life.” These are the words found on one of the 102 letters written to French sailors during the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763) and recently rediscovered. They were penned by Marie Dubosc to her husband, Louis Chambrelan, a first lieutenant. She passed away a year later, before he returned following his release from captivity.
The sailors addressed in these letters were aboard the ship La Galatée, which sailed from Bordeaux to what is now the province of Nova Scotia, Canada, to aid the besieged French army. In 1758, La Galatée was captured by the British ship HMS Essex and taken to Portsmouth. The letters were confiscated and handed over to the British Royal Admiralty.
A Hundred 18th-Century Love Letters: A Historical Discovery
Today, researcher Renaud Morieux, Professor of European History and Fellow of Pembroke College at the University of Cambridge, reveals their contents after months spent studying and deciphering them, in a paper published in Annales. Histoire, Sciences Sociales. The task was challenging: the narrow, dense calligraphy and other difficulties posed significant obstacles. “The handwriting is quite basic, often phonetic, with erratic spelling and limited vocabulary,” he explained to HuffPost.
These letters represent a historical treasure, offering testimony to a precise and significant historical context with far-reaching implications. On one hand, they provide a broad overview of different types of people and their literacy levels according to socioeconomic status. “It is quite rare for historians to find first-person documents written by people below a certain social class—at least before the 20th century, when literacy became more widespread,” Morieux noted.
On the other hand, they illustrate “universal human experiences” that are not merely “specific to France or the 18th century,” as the historian stated in a press release.
Another example of a message sent to a sailor: “On the first day of the year [i.e., January 1st], you wrote to your fiancée […]. I think of you more than of myself. […]. Send my regards to Varin [a shipmate]; it is only his wife who gives me news of you.” This letter was written by Marguerite, aged 61, to her sailor son Nicolas Quesnel on January 7, 1758.
Moreover, these letters demonstrate that—contrary to outdated assumptions—war is also “women’s business.” “While their men were away, women managed household economies and made crucial economic and political decisions,” Morieux emphasized in the release.
The letters are currently preserved at The National Archives in Kew, United Kingdom. Renaud Morieux hopes to continue tracing the history of La Galatée‘s entire crew to locate any additional letters possibly written during their capture. Indeed, as if piecing together a novel, he has already begun deciphering the familial and social connections among the various individuals who wrote the letters.
About the Research
- Lead Researcher: Renaud Morieux, University of Cambridge
- Publication: Annales. Histoire, Sciences Sociales
- Archive Location: The National Archives, Kew, UK
- Historical Period: Seven Years’ War (1756–1763)
- Number of Letters: 102
- Language: 18th-century French, with phonetic spelling and variable literacy levels
Why This Discovery Matters
🔹 Provides rare first-person accounts from non-elite 18th-century individuals
🔹 Illuminates the emotional lives and literacy practices of ordinary people during wartime
🔹 Highlights the active role of women in sustaining households and communities during conflict
🔹 Offers insights into naval history, communication networks, and the human cost of imperial warfare
