"completed" Literacy in the Black Country in the 1800s

[snoopysue]

As far as literacy goes my gr gr grandmother was on the 1911 census as Nurse (certified Midwife), the midwife bit adds up with what my nan told me. At some point I suddenly realised that all of the documents I have where she should have signed, there is only her mark.
I did a bit of research into the midwife proffession and at this point in time you couldn't call yourself a midwife let alone practise as one unless you were registered or certified. Some were certified as part of their training and some had to prove to a board that they were competant. It is inconcievable today that a nurse or midwife would be illiterate, but my gr grandmother couldn't even sign her name!

Goodness Sue, mind you things were much more civilised by 1911, after the Education Act which was 1890 something, life did improve, bet your Gt Gt Grandmother was a great Midwife all the same.

Linell.

My mum says she delivered babies for the rich and poor alike, and was well respected. She was apparently a sleepwalker, and the local policeman followed her on occaision to make sure she got home okay. They had thirteen kids, and at one point they and nine kids were all living in a four roomed house! I remember my nan saying she had some sort of disfiguring tumour on her face, when I got the death certificate it mentioned a rodent ulcer (a non spreading, non lethal form of cancer) - it's nice when the records back the stories up!
One thing that annoys me though is that it's only the 1911 census that mentions her occupation, the only one where she's a widow. It's a shame that the wife's occupations weren't recorded more often!! If my gr gr grandfather had lived a little longer (he died in 1910), I might never have been able to prove the family stories.

[linell]

The non-conformist Sunday Schools, which became prevalent in 1800's, were also teaching basic literacy to children, and in some cases, I think children were going home and teaching their parents. I have instances in my own family where neither husband or wife could write their own names on their marriage certificates, but by the time their younger children came along, they could sign the birth certificates!

That's right Margaret, Sunday Schools did give free lessons, they taught the children how to write their names and how to read the Bible and how to add up etc. The Non Conformist Sunday Schools later started the Board Schools and the Church of England were the local Parish Schools. My Nan who was born in Cradley 1894 was to the contrary very educated. There were Schools by the time she was 5 years old, she worked hard and was one of the first girls to attend Halesowen Grammar School, where she achieved what was the Oxford Pass, she went on to be a Teacher, she was also one of the first Married Teachers, until about 1920 all lady teachers had to be Spinsters, my Nan was quite ground breaking in her own quiet way,



Sue wrote<<One thing that annoys me though is that it's only the 1911 census that mentions her occupation, the only one where she's a widow. It's a shame that the wife's occupations weren't recorded more often!! If my gr gr grandfather had lived a little longer (he died in 1910), I might never have been able to prove the family stories>>

As I said in my post above Sue, it was around this time that women who worked received some recognition. Did you know that circa 1800 Wife Selling was legal Men could take their wives to Market and sell them on

Linell.

[Antie Em]

Sue wrote<<One thing that annoys me though is that it's only the 1911 census that mentions her occupation, the only one where she's a widow. It's a shame that the wife's occupations weren't recorded more often!! If my gr gr grandfather had lived a little longer (he died in 1910), I might never have been able to prove the family stories>>

As I said in my post above Sue, it was around this time that women who worked received some recognition. Did you know that circa 1800 Wife Selling was legal Men could take their wives to Market and sell them on

Linell.

Pity some of them couldn't sell their husbands

[linell]

Sue wrote<<One thing that annoys me though is that it's only the 1911 census that mentions her occupation, the only one where she's a widow. It's a shame that the wife's occupations weren't recorded more often!! If my gr gr grandfather had lived a little longer (he died in 1910), I might never have been able to prove the family stories>>

As I said in my post above Sue, it was around this time that women who worked received some recognition. Did you know that circa 1800 Wife Selling was legal Men could take their wives to Market and sell them on

Linell.

Pity some of them couldn't sell their husbands

Yes well said Maggie, thank god for Womens Lib I say.

Linell.

[expat66]

This is a description of parts of Dudley, but very typical of anywhere in the Black Country:-


The Mambles King Street:- Fifty to sixty houses, no water. All dirty pallid, diseased, and some idiots. The people complain even in the midst of their filth, of want of water. All so bad as to be indescribable, a man almost dying, a woman with half a face, children devoured with filth, prostitutes and theives. The physical and moral condition of this place is indescribable.

Flood Street:- All drainage on the surface.

Brandy Row:- Mrs Shakespeare says there are 20 bad girls in the Yard. The other Occupants say they cannot get a nights rest, the language is disgusting. The privies very dreadful, some are under a house, no water for any of the houses.

King Street Ravenscroft Yard:-Large quantities of dung and manure, liquid and solids from Stables, much complained of by a poor woman at the bottom of the Street.

Wilkinson's Lane Queens Cross:- No water, a nasty unpaved, unchannelled place with abominable Court Yards, many of the people appear in a filthy barbarous condition, many children with serofula, a very populas neighbourhood, and large families.

Greystone Street:- Back Yards, very foul bad surface, the filth runs all the way down into the High Street.

Shore's Yard:-Very bad pavement, and defective drainage. The Stones are randoms, with very wide joints full of filth. Further up the Yard there are large heaps of refuse and manure in a solid state.

Queens Cross Hill:- has the most abominable privies, and refuse passing under the buildings, the houses are all moving and the coal underneath is on fire.

Mrs Sarah Jones, Pork Butcher:- has drains under her house to the street, filthy black drainage comes through her Yard, causing the most frightful stench.

The Hope Tavern has a cesspool and pump, the refuse is pumped out once a week, and every night when it rains, it then runs along the surface into Stafford Street, and to the corner of the High Street, the smell is very offensive.


Pitts Fold:- A very bad surface, unpaved, stagnant and filthy chanels close to the doors of the houses.

Pretty sobering stuff Linell!
... I think we sometimes tend to have a 'romantic' view of the past... aided and abetted by Hollywood. They must have been a pretty tough bunch..our ancestors!

Thanks for all the extra info.. books etc... I will do some reading up on this!
Expat

[linell]

Plenty of books for sale on line ex pat, enjoy from Linell.

[Northern Lass]

going to split this topic and start a new thread

Halesowen Grammar School Roll Call

min while I do