Tag Archives: Shop

Arthur Linfoot’s family bought a shop and house in Eldon Street, Sunderland in early 1915. They appear to have relinquished control of the shop to a Mrs Hewitt later the same year, although they retained the house. See also Sunderland map.

22 June 1915; Tuesday

Abridged, June 1915, , , , , ,

At work as usual. Called in the town at dinner time at Hills’ to see about a new typewriter ribbon. Called at Stewarts’ at night to get jacket altered. Played, and Charlie sang. Wrote up diary and shop books. Had walk with Joe.

Father bought some chickens. Mr McKenna1 introduced his new finance bill. Lemberg2 in danger.

  1. “Mr McKenna”: Reginald McKenna, 1863 – 1953, MP 1895 – 1918, Home Sec. 1911 – 15, Ch. Of Exch. 1915 – 16; issued second War Loan June 1915, at higher rate of interest than first (which was made convertible to second); this is said to have committed the UK to higher rates of interest than elsewhere, not only throughout WW1 but during the inter-­war Depression. The “McKenna Duties” of 33⅓% on luxury imports, “to finance WW1”, lasted until 1953. McKenna married a niece of Gertrude Jekyll. He was Chairman of the Midland Bank (now owned by HSBC) after 1918. ↩

  2. Lemberg: the Ukrainian city of Lviv (Ukrainian: Львів, Polish: Lwów, Russian: Lvov, Latin: Leopolis, or German: Lemberg). The battle of Lemberg, 20-22 June 1915, was a short-lived Russian attempt to defend the great fortress of Lemberg against advancing German and Austrian troops during the aftermath of the great German victory at Gorlice-Tarnow. ↩

7 May 1915; Friday

May 1915, , , , ,

At work as usual. Busy all day. Finished late. Wrote up some of Parson’s Weekly News. Wrote up shop books. Received word of Bob’s Death1.

Lusitania2  3 sunk, with about 1900 people on board, by German submarine4. Relations between Japan & China very strained.

  1. See Robert Thomas Brotherston on this site. ↩

  2. “Lusitania”: too well known to require much comment, but – launched 1907, briefly world’s biggest ship (31,500 tons), commandeered as armed cruiser in 1914, but unsuitable so returned to passenger use on condition she carried government cargoes; left New York 1 May 1915 (allegedly carrying munitions), torpedoed 7 May 11 miles from S. Irish coast, sank in 11 minutes; 1,195 lives lost, including 128 Americans, thus influencing American opinion against Germany. ↩

  3. Coincidentally, the departure of the Lusitania (presumably from New York) is noted in the same New York Times headline as reports the declaration of war on Germany by “England” on 5th August 1914. ↩

  4. The submarine was the SM U-20. ↩

23 April 1915; Friday

April 1915, , , ,

At work as usual. Got a sales book a bit further up today. Read a bit at night. Bought the “Roadmender.”1 Shipping between England & Holland stopped. Had short walk last thing. Mr Chadwick called at the shop. Edward off all day.

  1. “The Roadmender”, by ‘Michael Fairless’ (Margaret Fairless Barber, 1869 – 1901), is a consolatory Christian work, written by Fairless/Barber in her last illness and published 1902. It was immensely popular (reprinted 31 times in 10 years) before the era of effective modern medicine and during WW1; old copies still abound. See also: Arthur Linfoot’s Library ↩

1 April 1915; Thursday

April 1915, , ,

Carred1 to work both in the morning and dinnertime. Busy all day. Finished about 6 o’clock. Called round by Hopkirk’s and had a haircut and a shave. Saw a boy fall of<f> van and picked him up. Received £75 from Heath as Compensation for father’s accident. Mother received it at the office. I hurried down on the car and banked £50 of it. Did a bit shorthand2, Pelman3 and played. Went to bed very late. Successful day in the shop.

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

  2. See Pitman’s Shorthand. ↩

  3. Pelman: See 6 January 1914. ↩