Physical form

Abstract

Petitions were folded pieces of paper with the writing on the inside and the destination or recipient (if stated) on the outside; envelopes were unusual until the nineteenth century and then only for long-distance, posted communication. Antoine de Courtin’s Rules of civility advised writers to enclose their letter in another paper that had the address on it, in order to give an important initial sign of respect for the personal space and sensibility of their superiors.¹ However, the cover (like a modern envelope) was less important after its initial reception and may have been discarded. More likely, petitioners wrote requests on a single piece of paper, folded it and tucked the ends in, then handed it in person to an estate official; delivery and receipt are discussed more fully in Chapter 12. It is not until the nineteenth century that many Cumberland petitions have seals, possibly because only then was there a reliable local postal service that could substitute for delivery in person or by a hired messenger; some of the Cumberland petitions refer to developments in communications that rendered routes more frequented, while the job of postman on the Breadalbane estates was sought-after in the later Georgian age.² When used, seals could convey the social status of the sender or they could hint at the content (for example, black was associated with death). Seals too are discussed in Chapter 12.