Dear Friend update

A deeply moving letter, written by an orphanage choirboy and hastily stuffed down the side of a church pew 125 years ago, has been found by workmen restoring the building.

Addressed simply to ‘Dear friend’, the letter was written on 11 August 1897 by 13-year-old William Elliott, on the back of a chorister’s order of service sheet, at Sunderland Parish Church, also known as Holy Trinity – now Seventeen Nineteen - on the North East coastline.

In it, William - one of 50 sons of seafaring men housed at the nearby Sunderland Orphan Asylum – begs not to be forgotten.

And, thanks to the efforts of Seventeen Nineteen, which now runs the fully restored Grade I listed Georgian building – in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust - as a performance, celebration and event space, he never will be.

Artist Jules Eachus asked for people to write a letter responding to William's letter- below are some of the beautiful letters we received. 

• Anyone who wishes to take part in the Dear Friend project and write to Seventeen Nineteen is asked to contact Lily Daniels with their postal address at  17nineteen@thecct.org.uk or call 0191 560 0288