A Little Blue Scrap of Love and Consent

“This is to ceertify that we are willing for Labin Gunn to Mary our Sister Jane Birdett”

Hello there, neighbors! Come on in and gather ’round the archival table. Today, I’ve got something truly special to show you, a tiny piece of history that feels as personal as a whispered secret. It’s a small, rectangular slip of paper, tinted a soft shade of blue that’s faded just a bit over the last hundred and seventy years. You can see where it’s been folded and tucked away in a pocket or a drawer, and the bottom edge is a bit ragged, but those little hand-drawn circles next to the names—those are the seals—tell you just how much this meant to the folks who wrote it.

Back on November 4th, 1854, two brothers named Gorge and Giles Birdett sat down with a pen and some black ink to do something important for their sister, Jane. They wrote a short note to Mr. Joel Mepherson, letting him know they were perfectly happy to see Jane marry a man named Labin Gunn. It’s a simple gesture, but back then, family was the foundation of everything. These brothers weren’t just signing a form; they were standing up for their sister and welcoming a new brother into the fold.

When we look at this fragile bit of paper today, we’re looking at a moment of transition in a young woman’s life. In the mid-1800s, these kinds of ‘permission’ notes were common, especially if parents weren’t around or if local customs required a formal nod from the male kin. It’s a reminder of a time when community and family ties were the threads that held our lives together. There’s no fancy legal talk here, just the honest words of two brothers making sure their sister’s path to happiness was clear.

It’s easy to get lost in the big dates of history books, but it’s these quiet, handwritten moments that really connect us to the past. This letter isn’t just a record of a marriage consent; it’s a testament to the enduring nature of family care. It reminds us that no matter how much the world changes, the desire to see our loved ones settled and happy is a story that never grows old. We’re all just parts of a long, continuing chain of folks looking out for one another, one blue slip of paper at a time.

Original Transcription

Mr Joel Mepherson
Sir This is to ceertify that we are willing for
Labin Gunn to Mary our Sister Jane Birdett
Given from under our hands and Seales This 4 th
day of November 1854
witnesseth
Curtis G. Alderson

Gorge T. Birdett {Seal}
Giles Birdett {Seal}