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Letters from Eugénie Narcisse Sladden (1854-1916), née Mourilyan, wife of Julius Sladden

Eugénie Mourilyan as a young woman.
Eugénie Sladden c1898.

Eugénie Narcisse Sladden, née Mourilyan (1854-1916), came to Badsey in 1879 with her husband, Julius.  The Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service at The Hive in Worcester contains 399 of her letters written between 1877 and 1916; the Imperial War Museum contains seven of her letters.

The vast majority of the letters are from the pre World War I period and have not been transcribed (these may be viewed at Worcester).  There is one letter written in 1868 by 14-year-old Eugénie but, after that, the letters begin with those written to Julius shortly before their marriage in December 1877, when she was living in Paris and he was in Chipping Norton.  Once married and living in Badsey, there are some letters written to Julius whilst Eugénie was visiting relatives; there are also letters to her daughters whilst away at school.

There are 37 letters from the WW1 period, all of which have been transcribed.  Her last letter was written to her youngest son, Cyril, just three days before she died.