Women in the Workplace - Sepia Saturday

Last week on  Sepia Saturday  I looked at Men at Work, this time Women are in tthe spotlight beginning with images from my local heritage group Auld Earlston.

 

Mill Workers at Rhymer's Mill. Earlston, Berwickshire - early 1900's. As in other Border textile towns, women were a significant part of the ẃorkforce.  But to me, as someone who is non-technical,   that machinery in the first image looks frightening!

 

Earlston Munition Workers in World War Two

Around 950,000 British women worked in munitions factories during the Second World War, making weapons such as shells and bullets. Munitions work was often well-paid, but involved long hours, sometimes up to seven days a week. Workers were also at serious risk from accidents with dangerous machinery or when working with high explosive material.  Some munitions workers dealt with  toxic chemicals every day. Those who handled sulphur were nicknamed ‘Canary Girls’, because their skin and hair turned yellow from contact with the chemical. [Source: My Learning.Org ]

Earlston Nurses on Parade in a fund raising event in the Second World Wa.

Let's not forget Housewives at Work - Shopping in the Traveling Co-op Van in Earlston

I remember my mother wearing this kind of pinny with a handy front pocket for dusters etc. . She made them for many a sale of work. 

Workwear at the Egg Packaging Station at Georgefield Farm, Earlston 

 

 The distinctive work costume of the Bondagers.

Bondagers were female farm workers in south east Scotland and Northumberland. As part of their husband's contract (or bond) with the farmer, he would undertake to provide another worker (usually his wife) to help as and when required. The women wore a distinctive dress with bonnet, described as the "last remaining peasant costume" in Britain.  The custom of bondagers lasted well into the 20th century.

And from my own family collection  three photographs I have featured before, but are among my favourites and fit the theme so well. 

 

My great aunt Jenny Danson  (second on the left) with her work colleagues from the post office in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire.  Her daughter Pam recalled a story that during the First World War, a telegram was received at the Post  Office for Jenny's mother Mrs Maria Danson.  Fearing the worst, Jenny was allowed to run home with it.  Fortunately it was good news to say that brother Frank was wounded in hospital in Malta but was doing well.    

                                           
Both before and after her marriage, my mother offered dressmaking services from her home.  Mum had been apprenticed to a tailor at the age of 14, and was still sewing well into her 80's.  I only came across her early business card after her death. 

My mother's second cousin was Elsie Oldham, who as "Elise" (note the French version of her name!) offered "Bobbing, Shingling, Marcel Waving and Perming", from her home in Blackpool, Lancashire, and advertised on this lovely evocative 1920's blotter.

Elsie's old set of scissors and hair clippers

Elsie's son recalled how she continued working  until shortly before she died in 1989 - by that time the number of customers had dwindled to about three a week all of whom were as old as she was!  When the house was emptied  a cupboard was discovered full of bottles of hair dye.

 

 

 A different source gave me a lovely  insight  on my Aunt Edith (Danson) a teacher . Ex pupils at the school set up a Facebook page  ahead of the centenary of the school in 2014 and in a google search found my blog and got in touch. I was delighted to read comments from former pupils of "Miss Danson",  who was remembered with fondness: "I always thought she was a wonderful teacher with lots of patience and 8nderstanding".

 

 

 

 And finally: 

 
  As for my working life life 

 - that ranged from student work in a variety of shops including a fishmongers (totally out of my comfort zone), a bookshop (my favourite) and a tartan trash souvenir shop in Edinburgh  - think garish tasteless  tartan products aimed a tourists. I spent a year in the USA on an exchange  programme as a trainee librarian (wonderful American experience);  as a young mother I did voluntary work setting up a library  at my daughter's school and at the local Citizen's Advice Bureau.  

 

I returned to the workplace in 1978 at my local tourist information centre - above.  It now looks so old fashioned - old telephone, no computer, let alone a typewriter, no uniform, just a name badge - they came years later!   But I loved it   -  until I was made redundant.  Finally I returned to my roots in the Local Studies Library at ibrary HQ,  before    finally being the Family History Researcher in the Scottish Borders  Archive Centre. How many people can say their hobby became their job!!

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Sepia Saturday gives an opportunity for genealogy bloggers   to share their family history and memories through photographs

 

 

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