Here’s Lewis Harding’s 1870 (ish) image of two little Polperro girls, Mary Jane Langmaid and Elizabeth Joliff, knitting. This is the iconic photo for people interested in the history of traditional knitting. A couple of people used it in their presentations at Ganseyfest, and folk wondered if the photo was staged. One or two even […]
Author: PLH
I’ll be presenting a talk at Ganseyfest, the International Gansey Seminar, in Inverness, on Saturday. Details here. Better still, am hoping to learn from other people’s talks and workshops, and see some interesting Scottish ganseys “in the flesh” (wool?) Will be talking about the Yorkshire inland ganseys but also how to use basic genealogical techniques, […]
This morning I had to wait in for A Man. So, to pass the time, I looked up the words “knitted jacket” in the 18thC newspapers. As you do. By the time the Man’s long-awaited plumbing visit happened, it was more a ‘Person From Porlock’ * incident, as I was so engrossed in the […]
One woman didn’t stand for the chauvinistic Anonymous’s poem, and gave him a reply with both barrels blazing. Interesting to note, she was not even a knitter, herself. I hope she took up the needles afterwards. I had a quick look on the 1851 Census for a Katharine/Catherine or Kitty West. No real likely candidates […]
In December 1847, Emily Bronte was publishing ‘Wuthering Heights’ – and probably, she was not knitting. That very month, an anonymous gentleman made his own literary offering. I don’t think he was knitting much that month, either… “The Knitting Mania I really must – it is no use – I must speak out my mind […]
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“We were the singers…”
““I am a labourer, and reside at Stillingfleet; I am one of the singers at the parish church, and went along with the deceased persons … to sing the Christmas hymn … We were the singers at Stillingfleet church…”
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The Celebrated Pedestrian
“With the exception of Captain Barclay, Abraham Wood, of Mildrew in Lancashire, holds the first rank amongst pedestrians. He is a remarkablyy fine, tall, well-made man, and is not only a swift runner, but is also possessed of good wind and great bottom.” From “Pedestrianism” by Walter Thom, published in 1813. I would be rather […]
Today, I thought I’d take you on the Quest for the Popped ‘Un. Years ago, when I read ‘The Knitting Bishop”s ‘History of Hand Knitting’, I first heard of a little book by Marie Hartley and Joan Ingilby, called ‘The Old Hand-Knitters of the Dales’. I searched high and low for a copy – but […]
For those of you looking forward to the forthcoming TV drama, based on Kate Summerscale’s brilliant book, ‘The Suspicions of Mr Whicher’, here’s a little something I stumbled upon. Knitting hasn’t always been a genteel, calming pursuit for nice ladies round the fireside. At one time, it was considered punishment. At York House of Correction: […]
How often do you find a direct line ancestor mentioned in a book? Judging by what I found yesterday – it’s not always a desirable thing. I was killing time at York Library yesterday after a fun morning at the dentist’s, waiting for my lift home, when I spied this on the Local History shelf, […]
PENELOPE HEMINGWAY 