The earliest Valentine's Day card?
In February 1477, Margery Brews wrote a message to her 'well-beloved Valentine'
Every year on 14 February, romantic partners around the world exchange tokens of their love, perhaps flowers, a little gift, at the very least a card. Never forget the card! But did you know that the earliest ‘Valentine’s Day’ message we have belongs to the fifteenth century?
In February 1477, a determined Norfolk lady named Margery Brews wrote to her ‘right well-beloved Valentine’ John Paston III, crying that she should not be of good health of body nor heart until she heard from her love. She goes on to lament how ‘My heart me bids evermore to love you truly over all earthly things’.
It would seem at the time of the letter’s composition that Margery’s father, Sir Thomas Brews of Topcroft, was not minded to permit his daughter to marry Paston, on account of the size of her dowry. Fortunately for the young lovers, Sir Thomas would later relent, and Margery and Paston were later wed and had three children. Later letters show Margery referring to her husband as ‘mine own sweetheart’ and how she thought of him ‘both day and night when I would sleep’.
Margery died in 1495, probably around forty years old. The circumstances of her death are unknown, as is her final burial place. Her legacy, however, lives on.
The letter is still part of the British Library’s collection, having been part of the ‘Paston Letters’ that were discovered in 1735. A modern depiction of Margery, quill in handwriting to her Valentine, can be seen in Topcroft, Norfolk.
Below is the full modernized text of the earliest Valentine’s message:
"Unto my right well-beloved Valentine John Paston, squire, be this bill delivered.
Right reverent and worshipful and my right well-beloved valentine, I recommend me unto you full heartedly, desiring to hear of your welfare, which I beseech Almighty God long for to preserve unto his pleasure and your heart’s desire. And if it pleases you to hear of my welfare, I am not in good health of body nor of heart, nor shall I be till I hear from you. For there knows no creature what pain that I endure, and even on the pain of death I would reveal no more.
And my lady my mother hath laboured the matter to my father full diligently, but she can no more get than you already know of, for which God knoweth I am full sorry. But if you love me, as I trust verily that you do, you will not leave me therefore. For even if you had not half the livelihood that you have, for to do the greatest labour that any woman alive might, I would not forsake you. And if you command me to keep me true wherever I go, indeed I will do all my might you to love and never anyone else. And if my friends say that I do amiss, they shall not stop me from doing so.
My heart me bids evermore to love you truly over all earthly things. And if they be never so angry, I trust it shall be better in time coming. No more to you at this time, but the Holy Trinity have you in keeping. And I beseech you that this bill be not seen by any non-earthly creature save only yourself. And this letter was written at Topcroft with full heavy heart.
Be your own Margery Brews."
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Thank you for the lovely post, and Happy Valentine's Day!
And a Happy Valentine's Day to you, Nathan! 💖