Monday, April 20, 2020

Mondays at the Manor - An Adult's Day





Mondays at the Manor 

With all of us at home, one of the most often heard phrases is “I’m bored”.  Luckily, we have time today to have down time. Our ancestors had very little spare time. 

Their day began with a trip to the outhouse and bringing in water for washing themselves.  This would have been a trip to the creek, and later to the well.  On your next visit, check out our replica outhouse, and ask about the cistern on the east side where rain water would have been collected. 
Once the parents were dressed, the fire in the stove would have to be lit, and the meals were prepared by Mrs. Backus and her daughters.  Dough for bread would be started to rise, and vegetables brought up for meals. The house garden, located between our House and our carriage house, would have a small amount of vegetables and herbs to be used for family meals. In between, there would be clothing to be sewn and mended. Of course, this would be by hand. There was also laundry to be done and dishes washed.  The children were taught at home, so lessons had to be prepared and taught

Mr. Backus and the older boys would head for the fields to work, taking with them a lunch prepared by the girls. He would have over seen a few farm hands, raising sheep, pigs, cattle for beef and milk, and chickens for meat and eggs. He also had to be aware of the weather and seasons to know what and when to plant and when to plan the harvest.  In addition to his farm work, Mr. Backus and his sons help at St. Peter’s Anglican Church up the road. They helped with repairs for the church and the parsonage.

Next week we’ll take a look at the daily routine of the Backus children and their responsibilities.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.


No comments: