Elizabeth
W. McGahan's
Whispers From The Past
Selections from the Writings
of New Brunswick Women
Mum
was very protective of her Waterman black fountain pen. She didn’t want
me to use it as she was concerned I would bear down too hard and damage
the gold nib. Tonight she made an exception when I told her of wanting
to write, in my best penmanship, about the Valentine’s Day Party. I
went on to explain that maybe in the years to come, someone would want
to know the details of what we did to celebrate this occasion in our
one-room school.
When Ken heard my idea and reason for recording the event, he burst out
laughing.
In 1986, Dr. Elizabeth W. McGahan, of the University of New Brunswick -
Saint John, gathered twenty unpublished writings from school girl
compositions, diaries of young women, letters of mothers, minutes of
women’s associations, notebooks of working women, recollections of
personal experiences of ordinary women for her publication, “Whispers From The Past”.
The girls who attended the private Saint John school ‘Witanstede’ under
the guidance of founder and principal Jessie I. Lawson contributed to
the school paper, ‘The Witan”. Ann Caryle wrote in 1916 of her
first day in attendance having been home schooled by her mother in the
West Indies until her father was transferred to this smoky city.
Dorothy Tremaine reported on their annual sports day at Netherwood.
Ellen McTavish, later the wife of Timothy Warren Anglin, attended the
Academy of Sacred Heart, Saint John in 1858. Her letter to Bishop
T. L. Connolly requests he again give them instructions on the virtues
of St. Agnes on her festival day.
The diary of Ida J. Harding written in 1877 to 1880 has notes on her
family, friends and neighbours. She was in Carleton, across the harbour
from Saint John when the great fire broke out on 20 June 1877. On 29
May 1878, she attended with Annie, the ceremony for the placing of the
cornerstone of the new City Hall. Since it was raining, they watched
from the third storey of the Magee building. Interesting to note, Ida
made mention of her mother getting her teeth on July 13. For Christmas,
Ida received a mink cap and muff.
The letters of thirteen-year-old Clara Winifred Fritz to her mother
were written while on a year long trip to Indochina with her father,
who was the Captain of the Troop vessel.
The diary of sixteen year-old Emma Alice Pitt of Holderville
written in 1873 overflows with news of family, friends, neighbours, the
weather and much more. Throughout the writings, one gets the feeling
that “F” was one of the fellows she admired.
Emma Forrester of Portland, Saint John was filled with rage in 1839
when she wrote a letter to Lewis Durant concerning the ill treatment
her son had received at his hands, from the lack of proper sleeping
quarters, sufficient food and the heavy and severe chastisement upon a
sick and debilitated youth.
The letters Mary Louisa DeWolfe Moore, wife of John Warren Moore, a
well known New Brunswick furniture maker of St. Stephen, wrote from
1879 to 1882 to her daughter, Emily, the wife of Senator Albert Nash of
Harrington, Maine hold personal information of her children, their
little ones, the neighbours and what she considers to be poor
judgements made by her husband in his financial investments as well her
wishes to the dispersal of some pieces of her furniture.
The Minutes of the Daughters of Israel which formed in Saint John in
1899 tell of the appointing at their first meeting a committee to look
into any cases of the poor or sick, to assist them and where immediate
help is requested, to report to the president.
The “Haven” located on Broad Street in the South End of Saint John
cared for the needs of young unwed mothers. The group’s seventh Annual
Report of 1893 was written by A. S. Carmichael.
In 1912, Amanda Clark sent off a letter to Bishop Casey petitioning him
to send a priest to say Mass at Havelock at least once a month. She
also suggested he send Catholics to the area who might be interested in
farming.
Elizabeth Innes’s diary and notebook starts in 1837 and continues with
the occasional informative entry of community events and deaths, until
December of 1844. She states she nursed 168 women in their confinement.
Eliza Donkin relates her experiences of leaving ten siblings in a
country home to taking up residence with her mother’s brother, John
Kerr in his handsomely furnished mansion on Prince William Street. His
wife was the daughter of John Ferguson.
The author states, “These women were not recognized in their time as
professional writers. . . The writings contain comments largely on the
routine parts of life. They are not the dramatic echoes so typically
recorded from the chronicles of the time, but rather, the whispers from
Everywoman.”
Whispers From The Past
- Selections from the Writings of New
Brunswick Women by Elizabeth W. McGahan is available for viewing
at several research institutions.
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Query 1436
Ponford - Dunham - Oliver:
I am interested in anyone who is related to Joseph Ponford born 1780
and also Joseph C. Dunham, whose parents may possibly be John Dunham
and Elizabeth Oliver.
JOYCE LINDBLOM
88 Quail Hollow Dr
San Jose, CA.
95128, USA
E-mail THughes688@aol.com
Query 1437
Flewelling - Johnson:
Wishing to obtain, occupation, date of death and place of
interment for Frank Murray Flewelling, born Oak Point, Kings County,
New Brunswick in 1889. I also seek information concerning his wife
Helen Johnson. The family moved to Calgary area where it is said he
died.
DAVID F. SMITH
149 Douglas Ave.
Saint John, NB
Canada, E2K 1E5
E-mail eglnst@nb.sympatico.ca
Query 1438
Parker: David Parker
married to Sarah - last name unknown. He was a private in the King's
American Regiment. He was located in several counties of the St. John
River Valley. Their children were David, John born circa 1803,
Elizabeth and Samuel. I am interested in any ancestor or descendant
information.
MARK BILES
E-mail Mark_Biles@telus.net
Query 1439
Parks - Cotton Mill: In
the 1870's John H. Parks and William Parks owned Cotton Mills on Garden
Street, near the Railroad Depot in Saint John. I seek information on
the mills and their owners.
DEBORAH PARKS
1184 Winrose Drive
Collierville, TN
38017, USA
E-mail bdvw@earthlink.net
Query 1440
Carson - McMorris:
Benjamin Allan Carson married Theadosia Jane McMorris on 14 Apr 1897 in
Saint John, New Brunswick. They had three girls, Clissie Harriett,
Mabel Adelia, and Phillis Violet. I am looking for information on this
family.
DONALD RAYNES
6 Raynes Lane
Summerville, NB
Canada, E5S 1V1
E-mail raynesd@nb.sympatico.ca
Query 1441
Courtney - Berry:
According to the Saint John Marriage Register, Andrew H. Courtney and
Susan Ann Berry were married 29 Feb 1844. Can anyone provide
information on their parents and a date of death for Susan Courtney?
Any information on this family is greatly appreciated.
JENNIFER WADE
1860 Ashton Brook Lane
Buford, GA
30519, USA
E-mail jennw65@yahoo.com
