Tag Archives: Mother

Diary entries which mention Arthur Linfoot’s mother, Dorothy Linfoot (née Wilkinson). See Family page for more details.

5 October 1914; Monday

October 1914, , ,

A bit more work to do. Got up early and drilled first thing. Went to the Mission at night and didn’t like it. News of a slight repulse to the British advance on the Continent. 3 of the mill lads joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. Mother went to see about Fruit business for sale1 in Dundas Street.

Germans cross the Nethe & occupy Lierre & Duppel. Belgian Army retire to the West.

  1. As already noted on 13 February, the family planned to run a corner shop because Father had no wage since his accident. ↩

4 October 1914; Sunday

October 1914, , , ,

Chapel as usual. Mr Mathews conducting the services. Better than last time but not much use†. Instead of Sunday School the children went into the chapel and sang the songs Mr Mathews had taught them and he spoke a short while. Had usual walks. Mrs Cooke & Bella Spain to tea. Mother and Gertie went with them to the Grange1. Germans bombard Lierre again at night with heavy howitzer.

  1. The Grange: probably the Grange Congregational Church, in Stockton Road. ↩

1 October 1914; Thursday

October 1914, , , ,

Not much to do at work. Slight signs of general improvement. Mother and Father to tea at Uncle George’s. Went down to meeting at night. It was slightly improved but very noisy. Policemen going round asking people to keep lights out or as low as possible.

H.M.S.Cumberland captured 10 merchant ships1 and one going out for the Cameroons. The lights in the town very much reduced. Lière forts destroyed.

  1. According to Wikipedia, HMS Cumberland was sent to West Africa after the beginning of the war in August and supported operations in the Cameroons where she captured 10 German merchantmen at Douala on 27 September. ↩

10 July 1914; Friday

July 1914, , ,

Got up about 9 o’clock. Got luggage packed. I called at station and arranged for it to go. Had dinners and went up to the moors and read until train time. Left Bowes at 3.18. Arrived Sunderland about 7.30. Met Mr Whittaker at Durham and came down with him in the train. Had short walk at night with Charlie. Father and Mother went down to see Grandmother. Charlie and I met Willie and Lily in the town at night.

2 June 1914; Tuesday

June 1914, , ,

Got up about 9 o’clock. Read and played first thing. Shaved and went to Roker in the afternoon. Had a bit trouble with sore foot. Stayed in at night. Edie and Nelly Frere came up to see Mother while I was in. Charlie and I spoke to them in the town in the afternoon. They were with Jack and Hilda1 and the baby. We saw them at Roker too. I read a good bit.

  1. See Hilda disambiguation page. ↩

29 May 1914; Friday

May 1914, ,

Got up at 6 o’clock. Went to the baths with George , his brother and Edward. Edward had a little boy there who was afraid. Charlie got his bicycle at night. I had a ride on it. Felt a bit jaded. Had short walk. Mother still unwell.

Got to know of the disaster to the “Empress of Ireland”. Storstad1 ran into Empress of Ireland in the river Saint Lawrence and sank her. About 1000 lives lost. Accident happened at 1.45 a.m.

  1. Storstad was a Norwegian collier. It rammed the Empress of Ireland in fog, early on 29 May as ALL says, but did not itself sink. 1012 lives were lost, of the 1477 passengers and crew on the liner, bound for Liverpool. ↩