She Was Aye Workin' : Memories of Tenement Women in Edinburgh and Glasgow

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9781873487051
• ISBN10: 1873487053
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2003-10-28
• Publisher: White Cockade Publishing

Summary

"Exploring the previously hidden lives of the women who raised families and made ends meet in Scotland's crowded urban tenements, this book draws on memories of the first half of the 20th century that evoke living conditions unimaginable today. It is an eloquent tribute to stamina, management skills, and moral strength in the face of poor housing and relentless poverty. This book contains material not previously published on taboo subjects such as sexual awareness and domestic violence, and it explains the social context that regulated women's behavior."

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	8	(1)
Illustration Acknowledgements	8	(1)
Contributors	9	(2)
Foreword by Elaine C. Smith	11	(2)
Introduction	13	(8)
1. Growing Up	21	(14)
Bed sharing
Keeping clean
Helping at home
'Becoming a woman'
The facts of life
2. Out of the House	35	(14)
Games and clubs
Further afield
Schooling
Starting to earn
3. Are Ye Dancin'?	49	(14)
Going out
Dancing
Courtship
Keeping safe
4. Getting Married and Setting Up Home	63	(14)
Getting engaged
The wedding
Celebrations
Honeymoon
Starting married life
5. Having Babies	77	(18)
Birth control
Pregnancy
Giving birth
New mothers
Adoption
6. Feeding the Family	95	(12)
Family diet
Routines and treats
Buying and storing food
Mealtimes
7. Yer Ne'er Done	107	(16)
Cleaning
Shared stairs and toilets
Wash day
The wash house and the steamie
8. For Better, for Worse	123	(16)
'A good man'
Neighbours
Time off and outings
Women's groups
Drinking
Domestic violence
9. For Richer, for Poorer	139	(20)
Making ends meet
Working women
The store
The buroo and the parish
The pawn
Making do
10. In Sickness and in Health	159	(12)
Simple help
Home remedies
Doctors and dispensaries
Infectious diseases
11. Till Death Us Do Part	171	(15)
Old age
Preparedness for death
Laying out
The funeral
Afterwards
Appendix on Prices and Wages	186	(2)
Glossary	188	(2)
Selected Reading 189
Index	190