| Ref No | WIN/026 |
| Collection | Winstanley Oral History Collection |
| Title | Mrs. Emily. E. Burgess interviewed by Michael Winstanley |
| Name of creator | Winstanley, Michael |
| Date | 20/01/1976 - 27/01/1976 |
| Duration | 1 hr. 29 min. 58 sec. |
| Extent | 1 sound tape reel |
| 1 audio file Waveform Audio |
| Description | Mrs. Emily. E. Burgess, born 1890, maiden name Bones, interviewed in Deal. Her father was a prudential insurance agent, and later agricultural labourer (left over hubbub over alleged embezzlement of horticultural society funds). Her mother was a housewife. Burgess belonged to a family of 12, of which she was the second eldest, and she worked in domestic help.
Track one [01:29:58]. Interview with Mrs E Burgess. Mrs Burgess’ home, 21 Meryl Gardens, Walmer, Deal, Kent [00:00:01]. [00:00:20] Born 1980 at Old Wives Lees. [0:01:38] A discussion regarding insurance and money struggles. [00:02:14] EB then discusses clubs and chapel. [00:02:16] EB explains that her family went to chapel and did not drink, not even her father. [00:04:20] EB describes her father traveling for work on a bike, someone traveling by pennyfarthing would often pass him in the neighbourhood. EB’s father used to preach at the chapel [00:05:02]. [00:06:30] EB is asked about laborers attending chapel; they either went to chapel or the pub. [00:08:16] EB describes the complex relationship between the chapel people and the C of E people. [00:09:20] EB had a prayer book in her school but explains the impact of feeling a nonconformist as a child. [00:10:45] Description of EB’s childhood school days from eating to her knowing of the Hardy family and strictness levels at school. [00:14:30] EB remembers caning, exams and discipline at school. Description of EB’s position in the family [00:17:00]. [00:20:24] Detailed explanation of clothing and family costs. [00:21:46] Explanation of children in poverty. Conversation about hop picking and then a woman's role in hop picking. [00:27:00] Describes cheap loaves of bread and margarine and how food was affected in the winter. [00:29:00] EB describes meals and home grown produce e.g meat, eggs and vegetables. [00:32:00] Explanation of water supply. [00:34:34] Description of the layout of EB’s home. [00:38:00] The conversation moves to EB’s fathers involvement in the trade movement and voting. [00:43:00] Sunday with family, from dinner, clothing and chores. Sunday school. [00:53:24] Description of holiday and day trips. [00:55:15] Band of hope and EB’s family's jobs/roles. [00:57:18] Sunday school outings. [00:58:02] Old Wives Lee's homes. [00:59:16] EB’s religious family heritage and history. [01:00:00] A description of a Sunday and the women’s role. [01:03:22] Explanation of working for a Captain.[01:04:24] Recollection of jobs, the children she worked for, their conditions, travel accessibility and payments. Being followed by a man [01:11:02]. Social life in Folkstone, recollection of being a servant. [01:13:45]. Bathing in the summers of 1911 [01:14:03]. Walmer Church [01:16:01]. Being a servant in the war [01:17:17]. Marriage in the early 1900s [01:18:21]. [01:19:20] Food in service and the families Mrs Burgess worked for. [01:23:40] Entertainment in the early 1900s, the new cinema and magic lantern shows. [01:25:55] Impact of travelling ‘by your feet’ through Thannington Without, Canterbury and Pilgrims Way. [01:26:42] Cars and the attitudes of new transports.
Summary completed by Martha Pledge, volunteer. |
| Notes | Transcript exists for this interview. |
| PhysicalDescription | 1 sound tape reel : analogue, 5 inch reel, 9,5 cm/sec, 2 track, mono |
| Waveform Audio |
| Related Organisation | University of Kent |
| Related Place | Old Wives Lees, Kent |
| Whitstable, Kent |
| Nackington, Kent |
| Dunkirk, Kent |
| Access filename | WIN-026-001A-A.mp3 |
| Category | Audio recordings |
| Access conditions | Available for consultation at the University of Kent's Special Collections & Archives reading room, Templeman Library, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NU. Access is available via digital listening copies. The University of Kent acknowledges the intellectual property rights of those named as contributors in this recording and the rights of those not identified. |
| Copyright | University of Kent and individual speakers |
| Material within the archive may remain within copyright under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Special Collections & Archives staff will assist where possible in helping trace copyright holders, but it is ultimately the responsibility of users to obtain the permission of the copyright holder for reproduction of copyright material for uses other than research or private study. |
| Level | Item |