This is a facsimile reprint of letters written by Anna Maria Fay to her family in America while she was visiting Shropshire in 1851-2. This publication, with additional material and photographs, marked the 150th anniversary of her visit. Anna Maria was welcomed and entertained by the aristocratic families of Shropshire. She gives a fascinating account of a dinner party at Oakly Park and a carriage ride to Downton Castle.

She viewed everything with a lively, fresh approach and recounted such notable events as the coming of the railway in Ludlow. She is a valuable eyewitness of Shropshire life in the mid-19th century.

The Fays are a distinguished and numerous family in America and Anna Maria’s grandfather, Judge Fay, was a prominent figure in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Members of the Fay family have contributed to the additional material.

Hardback