Sarah Dobson
A letter written by a passenger on board the Titanic could fetch up to £20,000 at auction.
The letter, which was being used as a bookmark, is written on White Star Line RMS Titanic-headed notepaper.
The folded piece of A4 paper, complete with its envelope, is to be auctioned by Tennants of Leyburn, in north Yorkshire.
It was written by first class passenger Ms Alice Lennox Conyngham to her nephew, Master Alan Duff. The letter's envelope clearly bears the postmark of Queenstown in Co Cork and the original penny stamp. It was posted on April 10th in the last consignment of mail to leave the Titanic.
The letter arrived at its Cambridge destination on April 11th, just three days before the liner sank after hitting an iceberg in the north Atlantic.
Miss Lennox Conyngham, who sailed the first part of the cruise from Southampton to Cherbourg in France, explained to her nephew how the liner had narrowly avoided a collision on leaving Southampton.
She also remarked on the vast size of the ship, the luxurious interior and even the coldness of the weather. The letter is being sold by Master Duff's daughter, Miss Christian Duff. Ms Duff was unaware of the potential value of the letter until she brought it to Tennants' valuer, Ms Diane Sinnott.
"It is such a scarce piece of memorabilia, so personal and so rare," said Ms Sinnott.
"It is in very good condition because it has been kept in its envelope and has very good provenance."
Miss Sinnott said that all these factors meant it could reach anything between £10,000 and £20,000 sterling. Miss Sinnott also said that interest had already been expressed from collectors in England, America and Australia. The letter is to be auctioned on February 25th.