Tag Archives: Father

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

1 March 1915; Monday

March 1915, , , ,

At work as usual. Tom Faichen commenced in the mill. Father recommenced work at 9 oclock, first turn out since his accident. I had to do Mr Aitken’s letters, the summary, and the forecasts. Received news that the Queen Elizabeth 15 inch gun ship1 has been engaged at the Dardanelles. Wrote for two boys to call.

  1. HMS Queen Elizabeth was launched on 16 October 1913 and entered service in January 1915. She was the only modern battleship to participate in naval operations in the Dardanelles. ↩

24 February 1915; Wednesday

February 1915, , , , , ,

At work as usual. Finished in good time, but fairly busy all day. Went to Elijah1 at night in the Victoria Hall2, performed by the Vocal Union. Principals, Mr Herbert Brown, Mr Matt Newton. Madam Catherine Vincent and Miss Lottie Beaumont, were all good. Was with Helen, Olive, Winnie and Willie Whittaker. Mother, Father and Gertie there and Charlie too. I went to Whittakers’ last thing for Charlie’s things3, because he had changed before at their house.

  1. “Elijah”: Mendelssohn’s very popular oratorio. ↩

  2. Victoria Hall: See 10 January 1914. ↩

  3. “Charlie’s things” – he was presumably in the choir. ↩

23 February 1915; Tuesday

February 1915,

Busy at work. Left work at 11.30 and carred1 to the town. Met Father and went to Heath’s office at 11.45. Agreed to take £100 but the company would not stand it. Robson’s made another offer for Father to work and Heath persuaded him to accept £752 and to commence work on Monday at 9 o’clock. Mr Dixon summoned away and Jack Robson at Heath’s.

Made arrangement at Heath’s Office.

  1. “Carred” meaning “rode on the tram-car.” ↩

  2. £75 in 1915 would be equivalent to about £7,500 in 2015. By contemporary standards, £7,500 is not a generous settlement for the loss of two fingers. A similar claim settled today could cost more than double that amount. ↩

22 February 1915; Monday

February 1915, , , ,

At work as usual. Busy all day. Busy in house at night. Charlie brought message that Father and I have to go to Heath’s tomorrow and see about compensation business.

Dardanelles1 Outer Forts bombarded by British & French fleet.

  1. The Dardanelles operation is probably too well known to need much explanation, but – there was disagreement throughout: whether any resources for it should be diverted from the Western Front; whether it was even possible to open the Dardanelles solely with naval action (this diary entry records the attempt to do so); whether, if that failed (which it did), troops should be sent in: they were, and that was a prolonged and very expensive failure, too. ↩

12 February 1915; Friday

February 1915

Carred1 down in the morning. Went with Father to the solicitors about the compensation case. Heath said we had spoiled the case by Father not going to work. Interview lasted about an hour and he decided to do what he could for a settlement. Nasty day. I carred 5 times and had scarcely any tea. Finished very late at night. Very busy at the office.

Interviewed Heath.

  1. “Carred”: Went by tram-car, if correct. ↩

9 February 1915; Tuesday

February 1915,

Commenced to move at night. Father got Coulthard’s cart to come at night and take a load. Horse stuck on the Chester Street1 bank and we had to give it a push. The shop should do better in takings. Directors’ meeting. Mrs Ranson2 all out of the new house.

  1. Chester St, and E. & W. Chester Sts, were north of and parallel with Chester Road. Chester St. E. included a bridge over the Durham-Sunderland railway (the bank?). Chester St. W. joined the N. end of Eldon Street. ↩

  2. “Mrs Ranson”: Possibly the previous owner of the house at 47 Eldon Street? ↩

25 January 1915; Monday

January 1915, , ,

At work and very busy. Charlie called and we went up to the recruiting office. Charlie was refused on account of his finger being off1. We called at the other office and he was refused there. A man from the County Court left a paper to the effect that Father’s Compensation Case would come on Feb 17/15. Two men hurt at work.

  1. “His finger being off”: see also 13 Dec. 1914 “on account of his finger”; but I (DL) don’t recall that Charlie had a finger missing. Charlie’s rejection was not permanent: on 9 August ALL records that “Charlie may enlist shortly”, and by mid-September he had been posted to the Dardanelles. ↩

13 January 1915; Wednesday

January 1915, , ,

At work as usual. Fathers advert appeared in Echo. Finished rather late. Went down to drill but the key was missing and we got no drill. Went round with Charlie and talked over joining the A.S.C.1

  1. The “A.S.C.”: the Army Service Corps (later the Royal Army Service Corps), which provided a wide range of support, such as clerical services and transport, to infantry and other branches of the Army. ↩