JORDAN BAKER - 10 B
HISTORY ASSIGNMENT
MOLLY ELLSON - nee DENSLEY 1907 -
In the early 1900's rules were fairly strict in regard to the behaviour, the responsibilities and the conduct of a child. Children were brought up to the knowledge that they should be seen and not heard, little girls were expected to be models of decorum; less was expected of boys. My great-grandmother's family consisted of her mother, her father, herself and her two older sisters. Being a household of mainly women, her father was quite strict about all aspects of his daughter's lives. He wouldn't let his daughters go in the water or on boats for fear of drowning and as a result none could ever swim. He wouldn't let his daughters have much social contact, except at school. The girls spent much of their time helping their mother in the house or amusing themselves with games like hopscotch. Their household chores included plucking the Sunday chicken and carrying the wood for the fuel stove from the yard to the house.
The girls attended a catholic school from the ages 7 to 14 and studied subjects such as religion, history, arithmetic and singing. Children didn't wear uniform to school, but wore the casual clothes common at the time; long pleated skirts reaching well below the knees, blouses, full apron with sleeves and black lace-up shoes. Boys continued at high school while girls generally didn't, but sought employment such as domestic service, secretarial work, or sewing or knitting in a factory until they were married. As was the case in my great-grandmother's household, the eldest daughter was often obliged by her parents to stay home and help the mother around the house until married. When the girl did work, she always gave her pay to her parents.
Undesirable people weren't common in my great-grandmother’s youth, and the neighbourhood children were generally given free reign as far as friends and playmates were concerned.
However, because communications were far less advanced than they are now, the news was not generally followed, and transport, mostly by horse and buggy, was so much slower, people tended to live in a rather insular environment.
Their whole world revolved around their own particular neighbourhood. The people were thrust closely together, especially the women, and as a consequence many petty arguments and jealousies occurred which resulted in one family "not speaking" to another and other families taking sides. Only in cases like this were children forbidden to talk to other neighbourhood children.
The girls were forbidden to associate with boys, except at occasional dances in their late teens/early twenties. Parents were especially strict in this respect. However, my grandmother remembers sneaking to the cemetery to meet the local boys under the pretence of putting flowers on the graves.
Reading played a major part in the leisure and amusement of people. Before the wireless and television, the only amusements available were the pictures music, occasional Labor League dances for those in their teens and early twenties, and books. Families often read books like the bible together at night, by the light of the kerosene lamp. Reading material, especially for children and teenagers, was heavily censored and girls were expected to read only standard books like "Little Women" and “Anne of Green Gables".
Gossip and adult affairs were kept out of the reach of more immature readers. My great-grandmother especially recalls a newspaper called "The Truth", containing gossip, which was carefully kept out of the reach of her and her sisters. However, when her parents went out, which wasn't often, the girls would go down to the local store and buy it.
The Great War did not really affect my great-grandmother. She was only seven when it began, and her father was too old for the army. However, she does remember a family of boys living down the street whose mother had died when they were young . Her mother often looked after them and 'mothered' them. When war broke out, all four boys enlisted. My great-grandmother can remember meeting the returning soldiers with her mother at Circular Quay at 6.00am, when the ships often came in.
My great-grandmother herself was born in the home and delivered by a midwife, as were her own first two children. Her third was born in hospital. Her mother was present at the birth of the children, and helped her care for them when they were babies. The babies were taken down to the baby health care centre each week, where they were weighted and so forth.
The mother always raised the child. It was she who took care of them, cooked their meals and clothed them. Neither my great-grandmother’s father nor husband contributed in any way, except for the occasional disciplinary action, to the upbringing of the children. His role was as the breadwinner.