Anyone up for a Challenge?

[Treetotal]

I have considered some of the ideas you raise here, but unless we can confirm what his occupation was from the uniform it could be a friend, uncle, boyfriend, cousin.

This from Arthur's transcription:

But I hope you will make this one out alright. I hope you had a nice time at Richmond on Monday. I was sorry I did not see you or I would have told you about this one.

Gives the impression that he lives in Richmond....he clearly communicates with Edith regularly and knows the Family and the lodger Joseph Stephenson.

Thanks again Roger for all you input 

Carol

[arthurk]

This from Arthur's transcription:

But I hope you will make this one out alright. I hope you had a nice time at Richmond on Monday. I was sorry I did not see you or I would have told you about this one.

I'm flattered that you thought of me, but it was actually Bookbox (Reply #7).

[Treetotal]

Aw Arthur...I'm so used to you coming up with the answers 
Sorry...Bookbox   
Carol

[Trishanne]

I have only just caught up with the challenge, but one or two things in your gentleman’s photo seem odd to me. He seems extremely well dressed. Are you sure he is in uniform?. He is wearing a floral bow tie and his waistcoat is made in a spotted material and the buttons seem decorative too. His hat  is a mystery though, they were worn a bit around the beginning of the century but were usually associated with people with marine connections. I can’t make out any details on the darker watch fob but could the other one be a coat of arms similar to the one in my photo. I know it is not this one. He appears to be wearing a finger stall on the first finger on his left hand but I can’t imagine that is significant in any way.

[Treetotal]

If you look at Edwardian railway porter's uniform Pat, they are quite smart and some are wearing bow ties. I think what you are seeing on his left index finger is his thumb.
Thanks for your input. Not sure about the fob as there are many similar ones and may not have a connection to his occupation.
The idea of him being a chauffeur at Forcett Hall was an idea that crossed my mind, as the postcard address gives only "Forcett" in the first line of the address. The connection to Forcett Hall was suggested by Jool.
Carol

[Annette7]

So many things seem right about family of Edith born to Richard and Sarah,except Ernest dying in 1903.However,he was with the Neashams in 1901(William and Jane nee Gates,sister to Sarah),and was employed on the railways(is that a railwayman's hat in the portrait.Is  the person portrayed 19 or less?).Perhaps he had a number of portrait postcards done and one of the Neashams used it in 1905 to communicate with Ernest's family.
(I don't think it is a photo of one of the Neashams)

Regards
Roger

I too think the photo is that of someone working for the railway and may well be of Edith Wooff's brother Ernest who died 1903.

I don't necessarily think the postcard was sent by a male though.

I offer another contender for the sender - a female.

A Margaret Anne Gates was born in Forcett 1878 (birth reg'd Sept.1878 Richmond) who appears to have been raised by her maternal grandparents James and Sarah Gates - I believe Edith's mothers Sarah Gates was the daughter of James and Sarah and that Margaret Anne Gates was the illeg. dau. of Sarah's younger sister Eliza (confirmed by public tree on Ancestry).

Eliza subsequently married a John Garvey and, as already stated, daughter Margaret Anne was with her maternal grandparents in 1881 and 1891 but with her mothers family in 1901.   Margaret married a John Allen in 1907 and they appear to have had a daughter in 1905 (birth as Gates) who is later listed as Allen.   This daughter was named Edith May (coincidence or not?) and the family lived in Richmond in 1911.

So, was Margaret Ann Gates the sender of the postcard?   She, too, would be a cousin to Edith Wooff (their mothers being sisters) and the Gates family link to both Forcett and Richmond.

Annette

[despair]

There is a further "Gates" connection.Ernest Wooff is staying with the Neashams in 1901.William Neasham  married Jane Gates,another daughter of James and Sarah Gates,and another sister to Sarah and Eliza.Further,the Neashams are resident in Thornaby on Tees,only 3 miles from Stockton on Tees(the postmark).

Roger

[despair]

In the  1901 census there appears to be some fainter script above Ernest's occupation.It may not be relevant but can anyone make it out?
Looking back over comments,I'd missed the reference to a limp right arm in the photo.It almost looks as if he is an amputee.
It would be too much to expect these two observations to be linked!

Roger

[bearkat]

I thought his arm was missing at first but I think he's leaning against a cushion and his hand is on the arm of the chair.