John Parr's letters

01 Oct 2007

October's item of the month is a series of letters written by John Parr, an ordinary 'Jack Tar' who served in the navy in the early 19th century. Much like the letters of Susannah Middleton, they offer an insight an insight into a young man’s life during the height of the Napoleonic war. The story starts in London, where John was apprenticed in 1801. At some point in 1803 however, he was taken by a press gang and entered into the navy... What happened next? Read the full article here

Renée (Digital Resources Librarian)