By Ellie Jones, Cathedral Archivist
‘Trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well’ is a splendid way to begin a letter. Better than simply ‘Dear…’, or ‘To…’. The phrase has a nice ring to it, but before we all set pen to paper to begin our correspondence (or compose an email) we had better check if we are entitled to use this form of address.
‘Trusty and well-beloved’ would be a typical way of beginning a formal letter to a loyal subject of some rank and status, so entirely appropriate if you happen to be the King or Queen writing to the Dean and Chapter in the late 15th century. This example is taken from an undated letter written by Henry VII (c.1490s) to the Dean and Chapter regarding a claim for the return of goods and merchandise seized from a boat wrecked off Torbay by some of their tenants. The wording is still used in some royal letters in the modern era, such as the 2011 notice of approval by which Elizabeth II formally consented to the marriage of “Our Most Dearly Beloved Grandson Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales, K.G. and Our Trusty and Well-beloved Catherine Elizabeth Middleton”.
A Lord, however, would have used a phrase such as ‘Worshipfull and my full herthy beloved ffrendes’ (‘Worshipful and my full heartily beloved friends’). Here, ‘worshipful’ conveys respect for someone’s worth, rather than implying a specifically religious context. In this example from the 1480s, Lord Hastings is writing to the Dean and Chapter about a dispute over the tithe payments in Altarnun, Cornwall, in the 1480s. Today, ‘Worshipful’ is used as a style of address for the Chancellor of a Diocese.
The “Old Document Reading Group” has recently begun tackling reading letters like this at monthly meetups. This new group is a gentle introduction for people who want to have a go at reading and transcribing historic documents, but have little or no formal training in palaeography. For anyone who didn’t manage to get a place this season, don’t worry, there will be plenty more opportunities next year, so keep an eye out for future events – or you might even like to book a session for yourself and some friends (contact the Cathedral Archives for more information).