Boys in Short Trousers: Sepia Saturday

This week's Sepia Saturday's prompt photograph shows a young paper boy, laden with newspapers and wearing his adult style clothes of someone much older - a flat cap and knickerbockers.   It is often the females of the family who get featured for their costume, but with my post  it is the turn of boys. 

Toward the end of the 19th century and into the early 20th century, children no longer dressed like tiny adults, but had their own  style of clothes.  But boys were often still dressed in skirts  for their early years -   as in this early photograph of my cousin's father.

 Young Arthur Smith, born in Blackpool, Lancashire in 1908

The Smith family originated from Unst inthe  Shetland Isles - the most northerly point of Britian, moving to the mainland in the mid 19th century.  Perhaps the tartan dress worn by Arthur here  is a nod to his Scottish ancestry. But I was a bit surprised that as late as 1908 in Blackpool the fashion persisted of very young boys in a dress.

In the first half of the 20th century, for boys the main characteristic was short trousers, worn whatever the weather,  with knee length socks.  Boys did not go into long trousers until the age of around 13-14 - something of a rite of passage - I remember this from my own brother.

 

  The note on the back of this photograph says:
"Arthur in his first pair  of trousers", c.1910

Harry Rawcliffe Danson, born 1912

in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire

Harry's middle name came from  his grandmother Maria Danson, nee Rawcliffe.  This is a section of a larger family photograph taken in 1916 when his father  William Danson went off to war in Flanders.  24 years later Harry survived the evacuation from  Dunkirk.  He retained his good dark looks all his life.

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In the early 20th century, large hats for boys seemed to be the style for formal photographs  - wherever you might be across England  -  north east, north west  or the midlands - as illustrated in these family photographs. 

 

Joseph Prince Oldham  (1855-1921)

 founder of a carters and coal merchant business in Blackpool.

    

My husband's uncle  - Matthew Iley White, born 1915.

Photograph taken by T. W. H. Liddle, Photographer, South Shields.  

Frederick Henry Weston (my Unclle Fred), born 1905

In Wolverhampton, Staffordshire.

Surely Fred must have been dressed up for a special occasion in this fancy coat and white socks and big hat?  Unfortunately there is no longer anyone alive  from the immediate  family to ask. 

This photograph came to me via a connection of my cousin and is one of the very few early photographs I have of my father's Weston family. The story was that photographs were thrown out  following a death.  What a crime!   

In the 1911 census the Weston family were living in Lunt Lane, Lunt Gardens, Bilston, Wolverhampton in the heart of industrial English Midlands. A photograph in Wolverhampton Archives indicated that Lunt Lane was the location of the Bilston Sewers - so not exactly garden country!

Jesse and Bernard Pennington in a studio beach photograph, complete with spade Taken by W. J. Gregson, 82 Talbot Road, Blackpool. 


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A sailor suit is a uniform traditionally worn by enlisted seamen in the navy, characterized by its distinctive collar.  It gained popularity and  developed into a popular clothing style  as worn by the children  of Queen Victoria.

 Arthur Smith again in his sailor suit - and what a wonderful mop of curls!

Jackie Threlfall, wearing the popular sailor suit.  
Taken by ? Watson, 13 Wellington Terrace, Blackpool

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Moving onto the 1940's 

                                                         My husband and  his older brother.

                                          My husband in his winter coat -

 My husband - look at those baggy shorts, 

worn with a sports jacket and V neck pullover   

 My cousin Stuart with his sister and how angelic they look, with their blond locks obviously inherited form their father Arthur (above) 

 

 

        

My brother happy at play! 

This was taken  on holiday in Bournemouth where a  paddling stream ran through the park,  My mother \always knew to take a change of clothes with us for my brother who inevitably managed to fall in the water at some point.  Seeing he is wearing a jumper, it cannot have been that warm a  warm summer. 

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Sepia Saturday gives an opportunity for genealogy bloggers 

       to share their family history through photographs

 

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