The Researcher’s Dilemma: Can I Quote This Letter?

What I Learned About Quoting From Letters While Researching Ted’s Story

My great Grandfather Jack, Ted's Cousin

When I first began writing about Ted — my great-grandfather’s cousin, executed in 1916 and later pardoned — I knew the journey would involve difficult truths, military history, and some painful family discoveries. What I didn’t expect was the practical challenge of working with private letters written by researchers in the 1980s, whose words had become part of our family’s archive.

Among the papers handed down through the generations was a number of remarkable letters from researcher and author Julian Sykes, who supported my aunt’s investigation long before the files were officially opened. His letters were full of insight, interpretation and information gathered during a time when so much of the data was embargoed. The letters added texture and humanity to our investigative story. As I started drafting the chapter, I naturally wanted to include them. They felt essential. And then the question hit me:

Am I actually allowed to quote this?

I own the letter, but I don’t own the copyright. Like many writers working with personal archives, I suddenly found myself wondering what I could and couldn't do. The last thing I wanted to do was mis-handle someone else’s work, especially someone who had helped my family understand Ted’s case decades before I began writing.

What I discovered:

After digging into the guidance I learned:

1. Private letters are protected by copyright. Even though the physical letter is mine, the words belong to the author for 70 years after their death.

2. Facts are not protected. When a letter quotes an archival document or gives factual information, that can be used freely.

3. Fair dealing allows for short, necessary quotations. As long as I quote sparingly and in a way that genuinely supports analysis, I can include excerpts with proper attribution.

4. Tone and meaning can be described without quoting at length. This was a breakthrough when I realised that I didn’t need to reproduce long direct quotes, I could paraphrase his intent and describe the feelings within the correspondence, and limit direct quotations to just a few words.

5. Sometimes the ethical approach is as important as the legal one. For me, treating Sykes’s work with respect mattered just as much as ticking the legal boxes.

What I chose to do:

I began rewriting sections of my chapter so that his advice, frustrations and research wisdom came through without reproducing his letters or quoting verbatim. I kept their essence; his persistence, his guidance to my aunt, the barriers he faced, while using only tiny direct quotes where absolutely necessary.

At the same time, I reached out to his publisher for clarity on any permissions needed. Even if fair dealing does cover me, I want to honour his contribution.

It's about getting that balance right - yes being historically accurate, yes to being legally covered, and also yes to being respectful to the man who did so much groundwork years before me.

Tips for anyone writing with private letters or personal archives

1. Don’t panic - this is a common issue! Every historian, memoirist and genealogist hits this moment eventually.

2. Separate facts from personal expression. Facts can be used freely. Expressions — tone, opinions, commentary — require more care.

3. Quote only what you truly need. Think in terms of a sentence or a phrase, not whole paragraphs.

4. Paraphrase when possible. You can describe the purpose, meaning or tone of a letter without quoting it verbatim.

5. Attribute clearly. “Private correspondence, 1984” is enough unless you have permission to name the writer.

6. Contact the rights-holder if it feels significant. Publishers, literary estates or family executors can often help.

7. Keep a note of your reasoning. If you ever need to justify your use of material, having a record of your thought process is helpful.

Why it matters

Doing research in this field can feel like walking a tightrope between exposing the truth, an individuals privacy, alongside respect for the writer and historical accuracy.

Handling private letters with care isn’t just a legal precaution; these documents were written by real people, often for reasons deeply personal to them.

We need to approach their publication with sensitivity, so that we honour both the story we’re telling and the people whose words helped us get there.