Occupations

[Antie Em]

How about this for an occupation of my relation Matilda Bennett in 1891 - Aged 44 - Living Brockmoor, Kingswinford - Widow, Keeps a Mangle. She must have charged for wringing out washing. Years ago when my kids were little I had a spin dryer and my next door neighbour would bring her washing round to mine every Monday to have it spinned (should have charged her).

[grangers14]

Oh bless. They must have felt good having one!

My first washer was my mum and dads old twin tub. It did spin but I had water all over the floor, I used to put the easiest things to wring out on the floor to take up all the water!

Jo

[Antie Em]

:lol:
Oh bless. They must have felt good having one!

My first washer was my mum and dads old twin tub. It did spin but I had water all over the floor, I used to put the easiest things to wring out on the floor to take up all the water!

Jo

My 91 year old mom still has a twin tub and if me or one of my sisters don't manage to grab her washing in time, she
still uses it. She has to haul the clothes in and out of the two drums with a wooden grabbing thing and a bowl. We've tried to get rid of it but she won't let us - she says it will "come in useful" for one of us one of these days. My old spin dryer - back in the sixties, stopped working properly and I had to hold down the top. I got fed up of this and one day put a house brick on top of it. It threw a wobbly one day and the brick went through the window - don't know what H & S would think of that - thank God the kids were nowhere near.

[snoopysue]

My gtran had a very strange contraption - reminds me of a butter churner.
It was an egg shaped drum about 40cm long on a stand. There was a handle so you turned it manually. I think she used it for her smalls, instead of having the hassle of getting her twin tub out. I suppose I should have noticed what the muscles on her arms were like.
I'm not even talking about eons ago! I think she bourght it in the late eighties, and used it up until she went into a nursing home at the age of nintyfive-ish!

[writer-ros]

Actually, the occupation of "keeping a mangle" meant that she would have hired it out to other women for a small sum. This was very common among the poorer classes.

Ros

[grangers14]

I didnt know that Ros, thanksfor saying. I will try and remember, interesting.
Jo

[Antie Em]

Actually, the occupation of "keeping a mangle" meant that she would have hired it out to other women for a small sum. This was very common among the poorer classes.

Ros

Thanks Ros - I had been mulling over this little snippit of information for years. I wonder who trundled it round the houses. I remember my mom having a mangle in the back yard - it would have taken three blokes to shift it. I had a wringer on my first electric washer - a Hotpoint Countess - it used to scare me to death in case my fingers went through it.

[Maths girl]

Actually, the occupation of "keeping a mangle" meant that she would have hired it out to other women for a small sum. This was very common among the poorer classes.

Ros

Thanks Ros - I had been mulling over this little snippit of information for years. I wonder who trundled it round the houses. I remember my mom having a mangle in the back yard - it would have taken three blokes to shift it. I had a wringer on my first electric washer - a Hotpoint Countess - it used to scare me to death in case my fingers went through it.

It could have been that it stayed put but that the chance to come in and use it was hired out -- rather than the machine was taken to others houses. -- a bit like we say you hire a room for a function these days

[grangers14]

Wonder if I could earn some money for all the kids/adults who come here to feed and water, share their troubles?
Sharing my ears, patience and using our stuff, what would you put that down on census?

Ummm may be wouldnt have the same feelings but would replenish the cupboards!

Can see another thread coming on!
Jo

[MarkCDodd]

I found out why they are called mangles when I got my three year old fingers caught in one.

[Antie Em]

Wonder if I could earn some money for all the kids/adults who come here to feed and water, share their troubles?
Sharing my ears, patience and using our stuff, what would you put that down on census?

Ummm may be wouldnt have the same feelings but would replenish the cupboards!

Can see another thread coming on!
Jo

Don't get paid for that Jo - it's called being a mum. My youngest sister married a lad who lived over the road from me and he only told me a couple of months ago that he and other kids in the road used to visit because I made toffee apples and toffee covered popcorn - oh and we had a colour telly.