Tuesday, March 31, 2020

History Hits at Home: The Chamber Pot and the Toilet

We continue on with the sanitation theme for today's history hits at home featuring the Chamber Pot.



Chamber Pot in a Commode - Master Bedroom of Backus-Page House Museum

A chamber pot with lid from the Backus-Page House Museum collection.  

The Chamber Pot

Most of the rooms in our museum contain Chamber Pots.  These were mostly used during the winter months when the family members did not want to walk through the snow to get to the outhouse, and during the night when they did not want to light a candle. 

They came in a variety of sizes and colours to fit with the decor of the home and in upper class homes, would be nicely decorated and with matching lids.  The pots with lids were preferred because of the fumes and moisture of the waste material and were kept under the bed or in a nightstand. They were all shaped to make it convenient for women to squat or stand and was able to be hidden under the large skirts.


By the late 1800s, chamber pots were sometimes built into cabinets with covers that close, and were called commodes.  Even though we now have modern toilets, chamber pots are still used today in countries that lack indoor plumbing.

Why do we use the word toilet?

Until recently, we preferred not to talk about toilets in polite society. We now use a variety of euphemisms instead. Rather than use the word toilet, we talk about restrooms, washrooms and bathrooms, or powdering our nose.

The word “toilette” came from the Middle French word for cloth and by the Georgian era, a toilet referred to the cloth that lay on a dressing table, holding such things such as hairbrush and perfume. Since using powder was common for upper-class women and men, this would have given us the phrase “powder room”.

The word then moved away from the dressing table and the act of dressing to the place where the person dressed – the dressing room, which may have had a toilet (that is, a lavatory) in it. It started to be used as a euphemism for lavatory at the end of the 19th century.

There are other euphemisms that have come to us from the mid-Victorian era. A Privy is another word for a private place. Latrine, which we now think of as an outdoor toilet, is from an old-English word for washbasin or washroom.

In Britain, we often see the signs for the WC. It stands for water closet, another word used for the early flushing toilets. Around 1871, the initials came into common use.

No matter what term you use, we can thank our Victorian ancestors for giving us all the different words. Be sure to come out to our museum to see our collection of bathroom seats.


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You may not know that all our events, admission and programming income goes into maintaining our heritage buildings, daily operating expenses like utilities, and funding future events.  If you are able to contribute financially by purchasing a Tyrconnell Heritage Society Membership or making a donation in any amount your support would be greatly appreciated.  Memberships - Individual $30; Couple $35; Family $40; Organization $45; Business $75; Individual Lifetime $250  Here is the link to our page at CanadaHelps.

History Hits at Home: Soap and Water

You are probably tired of hearing about washing your hands frequently but it must be done.  Today we hit on soap and water.

Soap
·        Most people, except very rich people, didn’t use soap until about the second half of the 19th century.
·        Soap, made from tallow, was specifically for washing of clothes. Only the wealthy had access to the imported, specially wrapped, and expensive perfumed toilet soaps.
·        Soap could be bought at the general store, but most people preferred to make their own.  Basic soap was made from lye and grease.  Other ingredients, such as borax, ammonia, resin, wild ginger leaves and tallow of bayberry were sometimes added. 
Soap Making
·       Lye was made from ashes when trees were burned down around the homestead and were placed in a barrel, called a leach, which was put on top of a board. 
·       The board was raised at one end, the bottom of the barrel had a narrow slit which allowed water to seep through, a bucket was placed under the slit and as the water passed through the ashes, it trickled out as lye.  Lye was very dangerous; it could burn the skin badly and the throat if the fumes were breathed in. 
·       Animal fat and water were boiled in a kettle and became tallow. 
·       The lye was added to the tallow and they were boiled together over a fire, usually outdoors.  Tallow took the strength away from the lye. 
·       Bayberry tallow was added to the grease and lye for bath soap. 
·       Ammonia and borax for laundry soap. 
·       The liquid soap was poured into a pan or box and allowed to harden overnight and was cut into bars the next day.
                                        
Washing
·       Being presentable was generally accomplished by washing the face and hands and otherwise showing a neat outward appearance with emphasis on the smartness of clothing. Such hand and face washing usually took place in one's bed chamber, with a basin and a relatively small amount of water.
·       The stand-up wash was the main form of personal hygiene and the start of most people’s daily routine.  For men and upper and middle-class women it happened as soon as they rose from bed.
·       All a person needed was a bowl, a slop pail, a flannel, some soap and a single jugful of hot water.  Cold water was also an option and many used it, hoping to improve their circulation. 
·       With a single jug of water it is perfectly easy to wash and rinse the whole body.  A little water is poured into the bowl and the flannel is dipped in and then wrung out.  Some soap is applied and scrubbing the body can begin.  When this first bowl of water became murky, it is emptied into the slop pail and freshly filled from the jug. 

·       Body washing could be done in sections and it also allowed a person to remain mostly dressed throughout.  Once the last drop of clean water was used finally to rinse out the cloth and washing bowl, the slop pail was taken out and disposed of.
Washstand at Backus-Page House Museum

Water
  • ·         Some settlers got their water from a nearby spring, but most dug a well as near to the house as they could because hauling water was backbreaking work, usually done by the women and children. 
  • ·         People did not bathe or wash their clothes very often and when people did wash themselves or clothing, the dirty water was often thrown right outside the house so seeped into the nearby well, sometimes making it dirty or causing illness.
  • ·         Water was boiled in pots over the fire and poured into a bathtub for those that could afford one. Bath water was shared. The head of household would be first and he would get the fresh warm water, and then the next person according to station or age.






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You may not know that all our events, admission and programming income goes into maintaining our heritage buildings, daily operating expenses like utilities, and funding future events.  If you are able to contribute financially by purchasing a Tyrconnell Heritage Society Membership or making a donation in any amount your support would be greatly appreciated.  Memberships - Individual $30; Couple $35; Family $40; Organization $45; Business $75; Individual Lifetime $250  Here is the link to our page at CanadaHelps.


Monday, March 30, 2020

Site Check with Catie

Hi everyone!
I have volunteered to check on our beloved museum on Fridays and while I’m there I will be snapping some photos of nature around the house and quickly blogging about it here! When I was there this past Friday, March 27th it was very exciting to see the work being done to put up our Agricultural Centre, which has been a LONG time in the works. What was equally as exciting for me was the fact that the flora around the museum has started to come out of its sleepy winter slumber and grace us with its beauty. It my my eyes and heart happy to see these little darlings in a number of our gardens as well as parts of the lawn. There is beauty in every day if we choose to see it! Stay safe, healthy and well friends!

Friday, March 27, 2020

History Hits at Home: The Outhouse

Since we are all thinking about sanitation, toilet paper, soap, water, etc the next few history hits will focus on those topics. 
Picture courtesy of Wikipedia

·       Outhouses, also called a privy, were located at the far end of the garden or yard.  Our replica double seat outhouse at Backus-Page House Museum is behind the house on the east side. 

·       Outhouses were constructed of wooden walls and a sloped roof, usually very small in size and there was a gap in the walls at the top and bottom to allow airflow. Inside was the wooden seat which resembled a shelf.

·       Outhouses were lightweight for easy moving when the hole was full, and well ventilated, usually with fragrant flowers planted around it.

·       In some areas, pig manure and soiled straw would be added to the waste piles to help break down the waste material at a quicker pace.

·       When holes filled up, the shelter would be moved to a new area on the property if the family had the space. After the new hole was dug, that soil would be used to seal and cover the old existing hole. If families did not have the luxury of moving the privy, the hole would have to be cleaned out and taken out of town and then spread over fields. This was a major problem for people living in densely populated towns, where common overflowing caused a very unpleasant odor.

·       Not until the 1880s and 1890s did North American plumbing flourish.  Up until the 1840s indoor plumbing could be found only in the homes of the rich and in better, upper class hotels. 



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You may not know that all our events, admission and programming income goes into maintaining our heritage buildings, daily operating expenses like utilities, and funding future events.  If you are able to contribute financially by purchasing a Tyrconnell Heritage Society Membership or making a donation in any amount your support would be greatly appreciated.  Memberships - Individual $30; Couple $35; Family $40; Organization $45; Business $75; Individual Lifetime $250  Here is the link to our page at CanadaHelps.

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Make Due and Mend #throwbackthursday


Make Due and Mend
 #throwbackthursday


By: Sabrina Merks


For the next few weeks I will be sharing some crafts and things you can do while at home and to get yourself ready for a fruitful spring! This week will be how to make your own compost bin!

Composting is one of the best things you can do for your garden, but a compost bin can cost you anywhere from $50 to $300. This will give you some instructions to make your own for a fraction of the cost! Compost is the perfect soil amendment, and it’s free for you to make at home. A compost bin needs to have space for the dirt, scraps, and other items you add into it. It needs to have drainage holes and air circulation. Pretty simple, right?
Items you will need!
  • Rubbermaid Container
  • Knife, Box Cutter, or Drill
  • Duct Tape
  • Chicken Wire
  • Scissors
Step 1: Pick Your Compost Bin
First, find the container that you want. Rubbermaid compost bins work amazing! Make sure it’s, at least, 24 inches tall or taller, and it does need to have the lid as well. A lid is necessary to keep the dirt moist and all of the critters out of the bin.

Step 2: Poke Holes in Your Compost Bin

Once you have your container, poke holes in the bottom and sides of the container. Adding holes to the bottom of the bin is necessary for two purposes.

  • You need aeration (air movement) throughout your compost. You really don’t want to trap all of those scents into the bin.
  • The holes let water drip out of the bin.

Step 3: Fix The Lid

Next, cut a rectangle out of the lid. This provides plenty of airflow and lets you add water to the bin without needing to take off the lid. Plus, it keeps animals out of it. Cut the chicken wire to be a bit larger than the rectangle you cut. Using duct tape, secure it to the lid. 

Step 4: Toss in Dirt and Create a Base

Now, you’re ready to start composting. Add dirt, fruit and veggie scraps, some dried leaves from your yard, and more. 
Step 5: Toss in Your Food Scraps
Now it’s time to start composting kitchen waste. So many items that you have and use in your daily life are compost safe.Worried that you’ll put something unsafe into your compost bin? Make a composting list!

Here are some green and brown materials for composting.

  • Eggshells
  • Coffee Grounds
  • Tea Leaves
  • Fruit Scraps
  • Veggie Scraps
  • Newspaper
  • Napkins
  • Lint
  • Old Wine
  • Leaves
  • Grass Clippings
  • Twigs
  • Shredded Brown Paper Bags
  • Corn Stalks
  • Coffee Filters
  • Straw
  • Peat Moss

Step 6: Turn and Moisten

The last step is to moisten the materials and turn it with a shovel. It’s not a good idea to add TOO much water. If you add too much water, you can end up with a stinky compost bin. Turning with a shovel is just as easy as it sounds. Use a shovel and turn the dirt around. You need to do this each time you add something to your bin, but that’s simple. Leave the shovel nearby. 
And that everyone is how to make a compost bin! Just in time for spring! Make sure to tag is if you make one! See you next week for another make due and mend!

If you have the time consider donating to help support the museum in our time of need! 

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

History Hits at Home: Founding the Talbot Settlement

Let's go back to our founder, Colonel Thomas Talbot for today's History Hit at Home.  While we have your attention, these education resources could use some updating so we are looking for a volunteer with some graphic design experience to upgrade the fonts, clean up the copies, and in general spruce up the resources we've been using in these blog posts.  Send an email to info@backuspagehouse.ca if you are interested.




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You may not know that all our events, admission and programming income goes into maintaining our heritage buildings, daily operating expenses like utilities, and funding future events.  If you are able to contribute financially by purchasing a Tyrconnell Heritage Society Membership or making a donation in any amount your support would be greatly appreciated.  Memberships - Individual $30; Couple $35; Family $40; Organization $45; Business $75; Individual Lifetime $250  Here is the link to our page at CanadaHelps.


Monday, March 23, 2020

History Hits at Home: Regency Clothing

How are you doing with everything shut down and being at home?  We hope you are very well.  Below is another History Hit for you to enjoy and share.  




How to Make a Mop Cap
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You may not know that all our events, admission and programming income goes into maintaining our heritage buildings, daily operating expenses like utilities, and funding future events.  If you are able to contribute financially by purchasing a Tyrconnell Heritage Society Membership or making a donation in any amount your support would be greatly appreciated.  Memberships - Individual $30; Couple $35; Family $40; Organization $45; Business $75; Individual Lifetime $250  Here is the link to our page at CanadaHelps.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

History Hits at Home: War of 1812 in the Talbot Settlement.


Share a bit about how the War of 1812 effected the early Talbot Settlement while you are stuck at home.  Learn something new each day and stay healthy.  



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You may not know that all our events, admission and programming income goes into maintaining our heritage buildings, daily operating expenses like utilities, and funding future events.  If you are able to contribute financially by purchasing a Tyrconnell Heritage Society Membership or making a donation in any amount your support would be greatly appreciated.  Memberships - Individual $30; Couple $35; Family $40; Organization $45; Business $75; Individual Lifetime $250  Here is the link to our page at CanadaHelps.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

History Hits at Home: War of 1812 British Soldier and Artillery

While you are at home and we are closed, please enjoy these History Hits and activities.  

War of 1812 Field Artillery 

Blank War of 1812 British Soldier
War of 1812 Soldier with Labels
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You may not know that all our events, admission and programming income goes into maintaining our heritage buildings, daily operating expenses like utilities, and funding future events.  If you are able to contribute financially by purchasing a Tyrconnell Heritage Society Membership or making a donation in any amount your support would be greatly appreciated.  Memberships - Individual $30; Couple $35; Family $40; Organization $45; Business $75; Individual Lifetime $250  Here is the link to our page at CanadaHelps.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

History Hits at Home: Quilting

Since Backus-Page House Museum is on its off season and any onsite events are cancelled until at least April 5, 2020, we thought we would share some history resources with you and your families.  While you are at home the next 3 weeks our  "history hits" will add some fun to your life and keep us top of mind to visit in person when we open for the season and our events begin. 

Here is some quilting history, quilt block examples and colouring pages. 

Quilting

Quilt refers to layers of materials fastened together.  Traditionally the materials in the top and bottom layer are fabrics such as cotton and/or wool, the filling in between the layers a soft batting of cotton or wool fibres.  All three layers are held together in a pre-decided pattern of decorative rows of fine and even-running stitches traditionally sewn by hand, of sometimes by hand tying at regular intervals.
The stitching is called quilting.

Quilts were first made in Canada in the late 18th century with the arrival of settlers from the British Isles and the US.
Colour arrangements and quilting designs varied depending on the available materials.   To make the great amount of bedding necessary in the unheated sleeping rooms, every scrap and remnant of woollen material left from the manufacture of garments was saved. To supplement these, the best parts of worn-out garments were carefully cut out, and made into quilt pieces.
“To piece” means to join together separate pieces of like material to make sections or blocks that are in turn set together to form the top of the quilt. The pieces are usually of uniform shape and size and of contrasting colours. They are sewed together with a running stitch, making a seam upon the wrong side.
“To patch” or “appliqué” is frequently used to describe the patched or laid-on work. This is where the design is cut from one fabric and applied upon another. “Sewed on” and “laid quilts” are old terms given to appliqué or patched quilts.

Corn and Beans

Cross Canoe 

Flock of Geese

Indian Trails and Irish Puzzle

Log Cabin

Log Cabin

Backus-Page House Museum

Log Cabin

Make Your Own Log Cabin Quilt


The Quilting Frame
In its usual form it consists of four narrow pieces of wood, two somewhat longer than a quilt, and two shorter, perhaps half as long, with holes bored in the ends of each piece. These pieces are made into an oblong frame by fastenings of bolts or pegs, and are commonly supported on the backs of chairs.
Each side bar or roll of the quilting frame is tightly wound with cotton strips or has a piece of muslin firmly fastened to its entire length, to which is sewed the edges of the lining, one side to each bar. Then the extra length is rolled up on one side of the frame, and after being tightly stretched, the wooden pieces are securely fastened. On this stretched lining or back of the quilt, the cotton or wool used for filling or interlining is spread very carefully and smoothly; then with even greater care the top is put in place, its edge pinned or basted to the edge of the lining, and drawn tightly over the cotton. The ends of the quilt must also be stretched. This is done by pinning pieces of muslin to the quilt and wrapping them around the ends of the frame.
Great care is required to keep all edges true and to stretch all parts of the quilt uniformly. Upon this smooth top the quilting is drawn, for even the most expert quilters require outlines to quilt by. If the quilt top is light in colour the design is drawn with faint pencil lines; if the colours are too dark to show pencil markings, then with a chalked line. It is a fascinating thing to children to watch the marking of a quilt with the chalk lines. The firm cord used for this is drawn repeatedly across a piece of chalk or through powdered starch until well coated, then held near the quilt, and very tightly stretched, while a second person draws it up and lets it fly back with a snap, thus making a straight white line. How closely the lines are drawn depends wholly upon the ambition and diligence of the quilter. The lines may be barely a quarter of an inch apart, or may be placed only close enough together to perform their function of keeping the interlining in place.
Patterns of quiltings are not as plentiful as designs for the patchwork tops of quilts; only about eight or ten standard patterns being in general use. The simplest pattern consists of “single diagonal” lines, spaced to suit the work in hand. The lines are run diagonally across the quilt instead of parallel with the weave, in order that they may show to better advantage, and also because the cloth is less apt to tear or pull apart than if the quilting lines are run in the same direction as the threads of the fabric. The elaboration of the “single” diagonal into sets of two or more parallel lines, thus forming the “double” and “triple” diagonals, is the first step toward ornamentation in quilting. A further advance is made when the quilting lines are crossed, by means of which patterns like the “square,” “diamond,” and “hanging diamond” are produced.
After the space of some twelve inches, which is as far as the quilter can reach conveniently, has been quilted, the completed portion is rolled up on the side of the frame nearest the quilter. From the other side another section is then unrolled and marked for quilting, and quilted as far as the worker can reach. Thus quilting and rolling are continued until the whole quilt is gone over, after which it is taken from the frame and the edges neatly bound with a narrow piece of bias material, either white or of some harmonizing colour. Since all of the stitches are taken entirely through the quilt, the design worked into the top is repeated on the lining, so that the back makes a white spread of effective pattern in low relief.


When a bedcover of exceptional warmth is desired, several sheets of cotton or wool prepared for that purpose are laid one over the other between the top and back. As this is too thick to allow a needle to be pushed through easily, and even stitches cannot be taken, then quilting gives way to tying or knotting. Threads of silk, cotton, linen, or wool are drawn through with coarse needles and the ends tied in tight, firm knots. These knots are arranged at close, regular intervals to prevent the interlining from slipping out of place. To this kind of covering is applied the very appropriate name of “comfort.” 

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You may not know that all our events, admission and programming income goes into maintaining our heritage buildings, daily operating expenses like utilities, and funding future events.  If you are able to contribute financially by purchasing a Tyrconnell Heritage Society Membership or making a donation in any amount your support would be greatly appreciated.  Memberships - Individual $30; Couple $35; Family $40; Organization $45; Business $75; Individual Lifetime $250  Here is the link to our page at CanadaHelps.

Friday, March 13, 2020

Museum Closed and Events Cancelled Until April 5, 2020


Good evening everyone,

The health and safety of our visitors, volunteers, and staff is of the utmost importance to us.  This means Backus-Page House Museum’s breakfast and ground breakingon Sunday are cancelled and will be rescheduled later in the season.  All board and committee meetings, appointments, rentals, etc are cancelled.  Some work will be done via email or conference call but I will contact those involved over the next 24 hours.

Anything planned past April 5, 2020 we will revisit at that time.  Everyone stay healthy and we hope to see you all at the museum when it is safe to do so.

  


Backus-Page House Museum
Tyrconnell Heritage Society
519-762-3072



Sunday, March 8, 2020

WW2 A Woman's Work is Never Done


In honour of International Women's Day, this is a talk Cultural Manager, Angela Bobier gave in June, 2018 at Living History Weekend.

WW2 A Woman’s Work is Never Done
Western Elgin War Time Farm Life
Sacrifice, Austerity and Thrift

Good morning everyone.  Thank you so much for giving me the chance to share with you WW2 A Woman’s Work is Never Done.  I’m Angela Bobier, Cultural Manager here at Backus-Page House Museum.  At the end I’d be happy to take questions.

You might be wondering what the significance of my outfit is today.  I figured this was my one chance to be Miss Canada.  I’m passing around a picture from the Elgin County Archives showing three young ladies from Rodney in similar attire.  They were part of the Miss Canada Team who went door to door selling victory bonds.  I can only assume the caps they were wearing were red but today I’m wearing my Grandpa Mervyn Foreman’s WW2 army cap. 



During the Second World War, the federal government took control of all fund-raising activities through the War Charities Act of 1939 and the organizers of any event or program were required to secure permission from the Department of National War Services.

The Miss Canada Team would have been organized through this department as well.  Victory Loans also known as Victory Bonds raised money for the war effort.  There were 9 victory loans between June 15, 1941 to November 1945.  Total cash sales were almost $12 billion.  For every $4 invested your return was $5 and your profit didn’t have to be reported on your income tax. 

Rationing & Nutrition
Women also had to deal with Federal interventions in their kitchens, symbolized by the ration book.  I’m passing around some examples of ration books from our area.  Popular slogans were “Food Will Win the War” and food was a “weapon of war”
1.      The first to be branded a patriotic food was the apple.  Promotions included “serve apples daily and you serve your country too”
2.      In 1943 the Nutrition Services Division launched the Canadian Nutrition Program giving Canadians A LOT of nutrition advice. At the heart of this campaign was Canada’s Official Food Rules which listed the six food groups required to maintain a healthy diet:
A.      Milk
B.      cereals and breads,
C.      fruits
D.     vegetables
E.      eggs
F.        “meat, fish, etc.”
As the slogan of the Food Rules reminded Canadians, the goal was straightforward: “Eat right, feel right – Canada needs you strong!” Or, as one headline put it more bluntly, “Canada’s Faulty Diet is Adolf Hitler’s Ally.”
3.      There were thousands of controls on price, production and distribution of everyday food starting in December 1941 followed by the introduction of coupon rationing of sugar in July 1942, tea and coffee in August, butter in December, and meat in March 1943.

Sliced bread and iced cake in bakeries were abolished.  Meatless Tuesdays in restaurants began and between 1945 and 1947, meatless Fridays, as well were established.

Reductions in the production of non-essential goods like chocolate bars and soft drinks (THE HORROR!!), limitations on the number of tin can sizes that could be used from 116 to only 9 standard sizes, as well as the removal of foods like carrots, beets, apples, pork and beans, and spaghetti from the list of foods that could be sold in cans.

One effect was that Canadians were faced with an increasing number of novel food products. The artificial sweetener saccharin became far more common in a range of packaged foods and soybeans entered the Canadian diet in a number of different forms, whether as a substitute for salted peanuts and peanut butter or as a main ingredient in “chocolate” bars.

Women also collected fat and bones in their kitchens when the Department of National War Service instituted a Fats and Bones collection, essential to munitions production. 
Bones are essential to make industrial glues,  
“Fat is Ammunition” – one pound of fat alone supplied “enough glycerine to fire 150 bullets from a Bren gun” and two pounds would “fire a burst of 20 cannon shells from a Spitfire or 10 anti-aircraft shells.”
Canadian housewives could  “be a munition maker right in your own kitchen.”

Victory Gardens
Who’s heard of Victory Gardens before?  They were very popular in WW1.  Normally our kitchen garden here at the museum is 1850s but this year we decided to plant a Victory Garden for this event and something different to talk about on museum tours.  At the garden entrance you can view a copy of a poster on what to plant, when, and in what order. 

I was shocked to learn that there was official discouragement of victory gardening by inexperienced gardeners in the early years of the war.  From the perspective of the Department of Agriculture, inexperienced gardeners were likely to waste valuable commodities in short supply. One 1942 pamphlet produced by the Department even went so far as to actively discourage unskilled “city-folk” from planting food gardens because “they would create the demand for equipment such as garden tools, fertilizers and sprays, which are made from materials needed by Canada’s war industries and because Canada’s vegetable seed supply can best be employed by experienced gardeners with equipment on hand.”

By 1943 and 1944 Victory Gardens were needed and Canadians often took great pride in tending the thousands of new gardens that began to appear on front lawns and vacant lots everywhere in the early years of the war. For victory gardeners, they were an important contribution to the war effort – they freed up agricultural production and shipping space that could be used to send more food to Canada’s allies and they provided a ready supply of fresh, nutritious foods. At its 1944 peak, it was estimated that upwards of 209,200 victory gardens were in operation nationwide producing a total of 57,000 tons of vegetables.

Food Relief campaigns
Women really stepped up to organize food relief campaigns.
Red Cross – food parcels for Allied prisoners of war
Jam for Britain with Red Cross and in partnership with Federated Women’s Institutes and Circles Fermieres
Our Local Women’s Institutes idn West Elgin and Dunwich: wrote letters, knitted caps and gloves, made quilts, sent parcels, sewed pajamas, made jams and jellies, sent honey and condensed milk, made ditty (toiletry) bags for the Navy, salvaged scrap metal, supported local blood donor clinics, and much more.  In the museum’s kitchen is more information compiled by our Summer Assistant Manager, Sabrina Merks.    

Helping family overseas: 
Anyone in Canada who had family overseas was mostly likely VERY worried about them.  Due to shortages many, like my own Grandparents probably sent care packages.  I recently found a letter to my Grandfather, Mervyn Foreman from his sister Doris in Wales.  I’ll read a few portions regarding the shortages in Britain. 

























I don’t know if my Grandparents sent Doris stockings for her wedding or if she managed to find enough ingredients to make a wedding cake.    I do know that Doris married John Rosser on Christmas Eve, 1942 and had two daughters.  I also know that my Grandparents were married on June 30, 1943 75 years ago at St. Peter’s Anglican Church.  There is a small display inside the museum of their wedding certificate, photo and ration cards. 


Please walk through the museum today to see display on the Women’s Institutes, George Henry Backus, Don Hockin, WW2, and our 2018 exhibit of Hats and Trailblazers featuring WW2 veteran Lorne Spicer. 


A War Time Wedding

St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Tyrconnell, was the site for the wedding of Miss Marion Marie Davy to Mr. Mervyn Foreman on June 30, 1943.  Mervyn arrived in Canada from Wales in 1927 and was a Private in the Prince Edward Island Highlanders “Black Watch” stationed at St. John’s New Brunswick and came home to Wallacetown on leave.  Engaged for some time, the war interrupted wedding plans so a wedding was quickly organized. 

John S. Pearce (descendent of original settler, John Pearce) stood as Best Man.  Mervyn had worked as a hired man on the Pearce Farm and other local farms for many years.  Ushers were Morley Page (last resident of Backus-Page House Museum), Clarence Bobier and Johnny Bobier of Wallacetown. 

Marion and Maid of Honour, Ila McArthur, had grown up together.  Marion’s mother, Ida Davy was best friends with Grace Page (of Backus-Page House Museum) and it is likely that Grace assisted with decorating the church.  Iris Page (daughter of Morley and Grace) said her mother was regularly asked to decorate for weddings. 

According to Audrey Littlejohn, the reception was held in Wallacetown at Davy’s Garage and Restaurant, now Small Town Auto.  Currie Road was blocked at Talbot Line and at Argyle Street, so the road could be used for dancing.  Mervyn and Marion lived for a time with her parents, Sam and Ida Davy, after the War until they built their home on Talbot Line in Wallacetown around 1950. 

Mervyn and Marion’s Granddaughter, Angela Foreman-Bobier is now Cultural Manager here at Backus-Page House Museum and is married to John Bobier, great grandson of Clarence Bobier and great great nephew of Johnny Bobier who served as ushers at this War Time Wedding. 

Small Town Connections


Wedding Photograph, Certificate of Marriage and Ration Cards from the personal collection of Angela Foreman-Bobier