265 years, 104 letters written to French sailors their loved ones sat a shelf in a government building in the U.K. They were never opened, recently. They were read for the first time in two and a half centuries. The letters were on the French warship Galatée. The ship was captured the British Navy in 1758 the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763. The sailors on the Galatée were captured before they had time to open and read their mail. The letters were taken to London, where they were put storage and forgotten , gathering dust. An academic from Cambridge University said the letters were an archive in London. He said many them were love letters.
A group academics read and studied the letters. Lead researcher Renaud Morieux said the messages provided a rare and unique look history. The writers were from poor people and rich people; fiancés, parents, siblings and wives. The writing showed the differences levels of literacy the classes of French society. Professor Morieux said the letters were important documents. He said: "They reveal how we all cope major life challenges… pandemics or wars. We have to work out how to stay in touch, how to care people, and how to keep passion alive. Today, we have Zoom. the 18th century, people only had letters, but what they wrote feels very familiar."
