1850s letters hidden in cabinet

The letters are in very good condition

A bundle of love letters dating back to the 1850s was uncovered inside a writing chest as it was being restored.

The piece of furniture was taken in to Peter Hall & Son, in Staveley, near Kendal, in Cumbria, where the secret compartment was discovered.

They eventually managed to open the space by pressing a screw in the corner of the cabinet which revealed the letters, which were in good condition.

There were written by 'George' to his 'dearest Fanny' and date from 1854.

Jeremy Hall, who runs the company, said the chest had been bought 50 years ago at an auction in Bowness by the family who brought it into them.

Workmen pressed a screw to open up the compartment

He said: "While we were working on it we found some sort of rattling inside but couldn't find out where from. We couldn't discover the catch where to release this false front.

"After 24 hours pondering on this and looking at it we pressed the screw in the corner. This released the catch which then released another catch and opened up a compartment where these letters were."

The letters were in mint condition on expensive laid paper and Mr Hall said they were beautifully written.

'Earthly thoughts'

They spoke of his affection for the woman who was later to become his bride, with one concluding: "Believe me my very dearest Fan always to remain your own most deeply attached George."

In another he wrote: "On Sunday I went to church in the morning but it is, as you say, a very difficult thing to drive away earthly thoughts."

More domestic matters are also touched upon. In one letter, George wrote: "Your pigeons are all quite well, I went to give them some clean water today."

Mr Hall added that research into the couple found Fanny was 18 at the time the letters started. She was one of seven daughters from Congleton, in Cheshire. George lived in Manchester but travelled a lot.

They got married in 1856 in Congleton and then moved to the Lake District where Fanny died at the age of 39.

George was a colonel in the Army at that time and he went on to marry her cousin.