Tag Archives: Father

Diary entries which mention Arthur Linfoot’s father, Christopher William Linfoot. See the Family page for more details.

1 February 1914; Sunday

February 1914, , , , ,

Got up about 9 o’clock. At chapel and School. Mr Chadwick off and Mr Mullens preached in the morning and Mr Lawson at night. I had Esther Mullens’s class as well as my own and managed all right. Didn’t stay to the sacrament at night. Had usual walks. Willie stayed off at night on account of Lawson preaching. Father about the same. Dr Blair had talk with Mother with regard to compensation1. Commenced to write to New Zealand.

  1. “Compensation” refers to ALL’s father’s loss of the first two fingers of his right hand in a workplace accident on an unrecorded date, probably in late 1913. ↩

31 January 1914; Saturday

January 1914, , , ,

Got up about 8 o’clock. Father not at all well. I telephoned for Dr Blair and he said Father has influenza. Hurried over to the cup tie game and Sunderland won Plymouth Argyle 2 – 1. Went to lecture at Trinity1 by Mr Catto on Israel before the Exile. Had walk to Roker with Willie at night. Received birthday card2 from Hilda.

  1. “Trinity”: possibly Holy Trinity Church, Bishopwearmouth. ↩

  2. This card, especially as it was 14 days late (and see also the entries for 1 and 4 February), was presumably from Hilda Linfoot in New Zealand, the fourth daughter of ALL’s uncle Charles Poulter Linfoot, who with another uncle, William Gaylard Linfoot, and their families, had emigrated on 25 July 1912 ↩

28 January 1914; Wednesday

January 1914, ,

Got up about 7.45. Drilled a bit. Fine morning. Busy all day. Finished in good time. Called for Willie and went to Bethany1. Only a few there. German funny man. Natty played as usual. Beresford, Reg Davis and Miss Brown sang, not so badly. Father in low spirits all day. Sat up until after 12 talking. Labour Leaders of South African Strike2 deported about this time.

  1. Bethany: presumably an evangelical chapel. ↩

  2. Mahatma Gandhi returned (or was returned) from South Africa to India in 1914. ↩

24 January 1914; Saturday

January 1914, , , , ,

Got up about 8 o’clock. Finished work about 2 o’clock. Hurried up with Father to see Dr Robinson and he was pretty reasonable1. Went to the Picture House [Picture House written beneath] and saw some decent pictures. We were in the 3d2. seats. Hurried up to Trinity3 and heard a good lecture on Zoroastrianism. Went to Roker with Willie. Finished off with a midnight meeting at the chapel and I played. Midnight Meeting. Joe Speed led and Blaikie and Dick sang. Nearly all the people drunk.

  1. Dr Robinson was presumably advising (but which side?) about the workplace accident. Other names not identified. ↩

  2. “3d.” is three old pence = 1¼p. For the post-­decimalisation generations: there were 12d. to the shilling (s.), and 20s. to the £; thus 6d. = 2½p., 1s. = 5p., 2s. 6d. (written 2/6) = 12½p., 10/-­‐ = 50p., 15/6 = 77½p., 30/-­‐ = £1.50 etc. Decimal equivalents are not generally given hereinafter. ↩

  3. Trinity: see note on 10 January. ↩

20 January 1914; Tuesday

January 1914, , , , , , , ,

Got up about 8 o’clock. Got work well up to date. Mr Jesse Collings expressed his intention to retire from Parliament at next general election1.

Finished in good time. Mother, Father and Gertie at a * lecture on Canada. I finished off some Pelman 2 papers and took them to the post. Mr Chadwick called to see about Ernie’s reply to his letter. Willie Whittaker called in and we went up the town way. Played the piano a bit. Went to bed late. Had a bath last thing. Took 2 letters for Mr Lawson and didn’t get away to dinner until late.

  1. Jesse Collings was MP for Ipswich, later for Birmingham Bordesley; best known as mover of the “three acres and a cow” amendment to the Queen’s Speech, January 1886, following which Lord Salisbury’s government fell and Gladstone became Prime Minister. ↩

  2. Pelman: See footnote on 6 January and all diary entries tagged Pelman. ↩

19 January 1914; Monday

January 1914, ,

Got up about 8 o’clock. At work as usual. A bit off form. Finished in good time. Typed some copies of references for Joe. Soled and heeled my own boots. Under Father’s instructions. Took all the night over it. Went to the post office last thing with Joe. Played a bit. Went to bed by midnight.

16 January 1914; Friday

January 1914, , , , ,

Got up about 9 o’clock. Warm damp day. Got on very well at work. Finished in good time. Marmie’s party at night. Charlie bad and went to bed soon. Mr and Mrs Wells, Mr and Mrs Grey. Willie and Lizzie Whittaker. Willie Marshall. Mrs Wiseman.1 Kit † and Rosses †. Father didn’t go down there. And Willie Peake and Mrs. Rather slow at times. Played a few games and danced a bit. Finished about 2 o’clock. <I> played for the dances.
Marmie’s Party.

  1. Mrs Wiseman: presumably Joe Wiseman’s mother. ↩

14 January 1914; Wednesday

January 1914, , , , , , ,

Frank still off. Busy at work. Jack in at night. He and Hilda1 stayed to supper. We played ping-­pong between 10 -­ 11 o’clock.

Got Swan Fountain Pen for birthday present. Ernie sent 4 on to choose from. I wrote to him at night and returned 3. Father, mother and Charlie buying it. Jack and I tried them at night. Charlie working late. Played the piano a bit. Went to boss. Jack gave me the forms duly drawn out, and full instructions what to do.

  1. Presumbly wife of Jack (probably son of Uncle Jack and Aunt Esther -­ but see fn. on 12 January); had child, 4 April 1914. See Hilda disambiguation page. ↩

13 January 1914; Tuesday

January 1914, , , ,

At work as usual. Frank1 off in the afternoon with a cold. Went down to Band of Hope2 annual general meeting after boxing with Charlie for a bit. Went into choir practice. Fairly good practice for anthem on Sunday. Hurried home and met Jack. He had the forms drawn up and we arranged for him to see his boss about them.

Row with Okie3
Had called for Father’s money and he wouldn’t give it to me. There was a man at the mill taking photographs of the machine4.

  1. Frank: little is known about ALL’s office colleagues at the Paper Mill, except George Crawford. ↩

  2. “Band of Hope”: Victorian temperance organisation which still exists as Hope UK. ↩

  3. Okie: a representative of Robson’s Saw Mill? “Father’s money”: probably arrears of wages – there is more about compensation money later. ↩

  4. Presumably the moulding machine in which Father had lost his two fingers. ↩