A Mothers Story

Our mom decided in 1997 to do a seniors creative writing course. This resulted in my scanning and adding pictures to her story. I love her writting style as it is completly different from everybody eles's. Her teacher asked her to write from the heart I belive. Chattymoon and I asked if we could post it in stages. I do not know how it will work, what with the formatting and all. but lets find out..........

Lostinthetriangle (Chris)

A Mothers Story: part I

The year is now 1997; I go back to when I was born, November 26, 1923 at Mullet Bay St. George’s Bermuda. The nearest land is situated approximately 680 miles from Cape Hatteras, in North Carolina USA.

My Name is Marechaux Winifred Roberts Barnard. The midwife was a Mrs. Bartrum, she lived next to us, I remember her as a tall stately lady, she wore all white or pale purple, her hat and gloves matched. She walked to St George’s and back home, she lived to a great age.

We lived in an oblong cottage near the road, to the south was Banjo Island, to the West Sugar Loaf hill, that area has been owned by the same families for many years. Grandmother Paynter lived with us I never knew it until a few years ago.

My father was born January 13, 1888; the son of William Roberts who was called “Schooner”. He was the town’s barber a very short thin man, he died around 1932. My father’s mother was Florence; her father was a French Sea Captain named Marechaux. My father had a picture of her on the wall in the dining room. She had a lovely smile on her face; he always spoke kindly of her. I faintly remember her in bed, in the two-story house on Slip Gate Corner, she had left her husband.

My father, Maurice Richmond Roberts, we called him Dada, lived with her. He sold pies and cakes to the military people in the Barracks, a large Garrison in St. George’s, he used to talk about the gingerbread she used to make, a stiff dough which was rolled up like a coffee roll. “No one can do it like my mother” he used to say.
The other children lived with relatives; she had built that house, now I can see why he loved his mother. I have been told she was a lovely person.

As a young man he went to sea. Sailing to the East Coast of USA, South America and the Azores. He also traveled to Winnipeg in Canada, to visit relatives, a cousin Ernie had emigrated there. We knew of one brother Charles in Ottawa, he was employed in Indian Affairs, he came to Bermuda with his father a few times. His wife was Esther they had two children Connie and Jim.

I met her when the uncle died here, we kept up correspondence, found out there was two other brothers Roy and James in Winnipeg. James was married to Sadie, three children Marguerite, Thomas and Glennie. Roy later married Phyllis, meeting this branch of the family made a great impact in my life.

In 1978 my sister Olivia and I went to meet them, we have many good memories of our visit, they did all they could to make us feel at home, nor leave a stone unturned to make us happy. This traveling helped us to appreciate our island home.

A Mothers Story: part II

Back to my fathers traveling days. Ships would arrive in St. George’s, he would go to town, Captain would ask him to sail, he would race home get his sea bag, tell his mother goodbye. Would always bring her Turkish Delight.

In 1989 I left Bermuda by ship. Soon as we left the Harbor, the sky darkened, the seas grew restless. The end of the land turned to a point, then disappeared. That night the sea felt like it was rolling back and forth, round and round. I felt uneasy, looking out of the porthole the sea was very angry, I was in this place could not do any thing about it, why not enjoy it, then I understood the kinship with my father.

In his thirties he married Winifred Althea Paynter, daughter of Ada Hunter and Seth Paynter. My Grandfather was a shipwright, they lived in Long House in St George’s and then in Wellington, I have a picture of grandmother Paynter, taken with her daughter Norma two lovely ladies.
My mother was a cook at Shore Hills Hotel, which is now The Biological Station. A golf course was located there. She played the piano for the St. George’s Home League. Also for the Silent Movies at the Town Hall, the music had to keep time with the actions on the screen, sadness, joy, horses galloping. She also played the organ. A kind and loving person who I never understood until much later in life.

My brother Ruigg played the euphonium in the Salvation Army Band; she would do the lead part when he was practicing. He was about twenty then. She made an outfit for my doll; it was rose colour with blue embroidery on the trimmings. In those years they had wedding parties for dolls. Knitting, crocheting making sweaters and hats. Very clever with her hands with paper, made fly-catchers, we did not have screens in those days, she also made flowers, she showed me how to make fudge, coconut cakes, toffee, also cheese cakes which we would sell for her, all to earn a few pennies.

She worked for a Mrs. Pritchard, a Cable and Wireless person. This lady was kind to us, especially at Christmas time. My mother did the best she could under the circumstances for her family, when we are young we do not appreciate our parents, it is sad we see it nearly too late. As the old book says, it is never too late to turn life around and help others.

A Mothers Story: part III

Family and neighbors stressed manners. A web that held us together, we respected the older people. The St. David’s Island folks had old-fashioned concerts in the Town Hall; ladies dressed in soldier clothes, acts from the First World War. The fiddler playing with singing was also from that era, some of the music was sad others kept one moving.

The roads were made with Gaol rocks, the prisoners broke them up, then the steamroller went over them, you could bruise when you took a tumble, I had a red American bike which I would ride to Hamilton. Long Bridge joined Longbird Island then the Causeway, swampy parts, mangrove trees, cedar trees and spruce, a cottage was built by Mr. Smith, the trees seemed to over hang the road, at night would be very dark & spooky.

In 1937 the Severn bridge joined St. David’s island with the rest of Bermuda, we used to walk over there, I remember visiting an elderly lady, who seemed to live on a hill. A two story house at the edge of the water not far from the bridge could be seen from St. George’s, I was told boats could go under the house and bring in goods to be stored.

During the depression my father worked with Dr Beebe with the bathysphere off Nonesuch Island, carrying on with his submarine experiments. He then moved on to Darrell’s Island working with Seaplanes. This led into the Second World War, September 1939.

Daily rations was a way of life, staples such as flour, sugar, butter, lard, coffee, tea, canned goods such as cream, condensed milk, water was added to this and used like fresh milk, bakedbeans, corn beef and codfish. Boats with supplies sunk. My father was with the Navy at Convict Bay, on the on and off boats, assisting with the convoys, gathering to wait for destroyers to be escorted to England. Boats were sunk off the island.

The American’s started to fill the Causeway to make the Airport; a ship called the Berkshire was used to house the men on St. David’s near Smith’s Island. The first name used by the Base was Fort Bell, it was located at St. George Hotel, in 1941 the news came about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. That was the invasion of the Americans, it did help Bermuda’s economy. Movie stars in that time was Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, Bing Crosby and Martha Ray. Songs of that day, Blue Moon, Deep Purple, Love Letters in the Sand, Stormy Weather, Roll Out The Barrel and When I Grow To Old To Dream.


Slip Gate was one of the places in Wellington. A teacher from East End School used to make Ice cream in the old crank maker. Mixture was in a container and around was cracked ice and rock salt. Crank and crank until it was stiff, time to bring it to the gate to sell in paper dishes to the folks.

Every Sunday night four men from Gospel Hall in Crawl had a meeting, singing and preaching about an hour, under the road light. Good Friday around 10am the Holy Rollers came to worship they had some moving choruses, later they would go down the Opera House for the rest of the afternoon and evening Services, they wore very plain clothes. Then we had the Uphill and Downhill people; they would play cricket and football against one another.

Red Barracks was another swimming area had a little sandy beach and a place to take a dive, I was not too good at that. Used to baby sit or go to the movies at Opera House on Saturday night. In season, Thursday night could be a play. One was called “The Gray Wraith”, sort of ghostly or concert with dancing, short skits and singing.


I liked to read a lot, talk to my friends, was never allowed to go to night parties.

A Mothers Story: part IV

Did like the plays in the park, especially the reenacting of Sir George Somers landing in Bermuda on Somers Day. The Tempest was done at St. Catherine’s Fort I missed that. They also had fairs for Churches and charities. Sorry the only grandparent I knew was William Roberts, all I can really remember was that he lived alone never remember visiting him. I was seven, he cut my hair off short like a boy and I cried I was about nine when he died. He must have been a lonely old man.

My Aunt Norma (mothers Side) loved to help me, there was many happy times spent with her, she was a lovely homemaker always made room for one more plate of food from her pot. In those days, we had a few cars in Bermuda. We traveled by train. There were a few restaurants in Hamilton. Her sister, Nina lived in the USA for many years, she was a dressmaker, she spoke as we would say, real Yankee or dicty. She made lovely baked goods, pies and cakes.

One Sunday, before the Second World War we went in a sailboat with her to Coopers Island for a picnic. I did go swimming, lovely sandy beach, across the way was Ruth’s Bay. Above that was St. David’s Lighthouse, to the north a large lily field.



Easter Sunrise Services was held there. We used to go for Sunday School picnics in the summer time, a horse drawn cart picked up our baskets. All the food was cooked that day; we walked to Market Wharf to catch the ferry to St. David’s Island. The boat was called “Daisy” owned by Charlie Christianson. That was a great day in our summer holidays. Do remember having sandwiches, potato salad, farine pie, boiled ham, watermelon and water ices, some times tin peaches to go with cake, families had white tablecloths joined as one group. At a restaurant called the Happy Hit, there was a juke box playing A Tisket A Tasket my Green and Yellow Basket, a couple of girls was dancing they seemed in tune with the music.

Another time, traveling by boat back to St. George’s, we went on a shoal. We where stuck for a few minutes. The boilers on the South Shore is another sight especially in stormy weather, there are some dangerous places around Bermuda for ships, the Coral Reefs protect us, North Rock Light is a beacon.

A Mothers Story: part V

My first trip from Bermuda by plane was in 1969, the takeoff and landing speed, fastest I had ever traveled, an exhilarating feeling, being above the clouds their shapes and forms a strange joy of wonder. Man was on the Moon. Then returning, seeing Bermuda from the air, the white surrounding the reefs, the light and dark in various shades of green and blue very unreal a bit frightening but thrilling at the same time.

Guy Fawkes day on the 5th November, this goes back to the to the near destruction of House of Parliament in London, the boys usually made the Guy of old clothes, mask, hat, sat in a chair, paraded around. They would say something like ”If you don’t give me penny would take your guy away”. It would be put on a pile of wood and lit, we would have sweet potato pudding, lit off tiny crackers, sparkles and roman candles. If I held a cracker in my hand to long, it would be numb when it went off. Things became a bit reckless later, and this fun was banned.

Back in the thirties, before Christmas we had Prize Giving at Methodist Sunday school on Thursday night, on Friday was Tea Drinking Night white tablecloth, china, we had sandwiches, fruit and plain cake, the tea was milky for us children one of the high lights of our life.



On my fathers side I had two uncles, Clifford, he moved to Hamilton, was a businessman, he took part in the Easter Parades. Uncle Reggie trained as a baker, he served in the First World War. He was wounded in France; a bullet went through his hand. There were two sisters, Louisa, we called her Aunt Louie and the other Fanny, she moved to the USA, and she married and died there. Aunt Louie trained as a hairdresser in the USA. She married Henry Johnston late in life, no living children; they had a shop on Slip Gate corner.



Sunday afternoon they would leave for Hamilton to get ice for their cold boxes and for snowballs in the summer. This would last a week, keeping meat like ham, bologna and butter. Was also cheese which was kept in a safe, everything like butter, peanut butter, flour, sugar was in bulk, The usual chocolates.

Easter time, lovely Easter Eggs, it was a creamier not as sweet like what we have today, at Christmas time was a cream and jelly mix, hard candy like pear drops, bulls eyes, then one we called cough candy Hawthorns, they sold in a scoop made of brown wrapping paper. The Grocery shops of to day are a far cry of those in my child hood. Size of the small shop, just basic, and no frills. We ate what was there or go without.

Can remember my father ate with a special knife it was sharp, we would use it and he always knew it, if he had an apple or pear, he would share it equally in six pieces. Traveling to other parts of Bermuda was at a minimum, there was two horse drawn Buses that went every day and back. A neighbor near by had a telephone, he was a carriage driver, his wife would take my sister to the Sunbeams at the Salvation Army, she was seven years old. This is the life we knew and one never misses what you do not know.

In 1942 I bought a second hand electric iron, was working and earned a few pennies, had electricity connected to the house we had a light up and down, “Let there be Light !!!” That year we had a bad Dengue flu epidemic, I did not get it, though it treated some people quite seriously. After the mosquitoes were controlled, there was no problem.

There was other children, born in my father’s family, they died young, one of them a boy lost his life in between crib railing. Many families lost children those days. On the Paynter side lost two Uncles in early manhood, did wish I had a larger family.

In the early thirties I can remember the Gypsies, in a large building near the Town Hall, strangely dressed people, we were scared of them, they stayed a few months people was glad when they left. A sailing vessel came in to get water and provisions, on board was the body of a Belgium. Father Damian; he had served the people on an island in the SouthSeas which had leprosy. In the end, it killed him also.

A Mothers Story: part VI

The arrival of ships was a holiday for us. During the Spanish Civil War around 1936, a passenger ship The Cristobal Colon went aground near North Rock, aboard where Lawyers, Doctors and people of means served as crew. They had left their country to escape the war, many people had spoils from the ship, and most of it was auctioned off. Cruise ships coming to Bermuda, some where to large to dock, they would be off shore and tenders would take the people to Castle Harbor and other Hotels.

Going to school, past Pennos Wharf, was the Evangeline and a large German ship. My father worked on the tender, one day I was able to go with him. I remember the Dockyard. It looked so desolate from the water. I landed where the Governor’s Launch was docked in Hamilton, then I walked to my Aunt’s house on King Street.

I loved my Aunt Norma she was so kind to me, I spent many holidays with her. My cousin would take me into town at Christmas time to see the decorations, remember the clock at the Phoenix Annex was on the side of Smiths, Golden Gate was crowded, lots of toys was sold there. At midnight I would walk with my Aunt to the Catholic Church on Cedar Avenue for Mass, we did lots of walking in those days. My cousin Eleanor took me over the Pond to Mrs. Neverson’s School, I thought I would never reach there, this was after dark.

When the money was around, we would import goods, bed linen, clothing and toys from Oxendale in England or National Bella Hess catalogue in the USA. My earliest memory was a Christmas tree lit with candles. I can remember one year getting a doll with a china face, sometimes a dress, apple or orange and few nuts, my aunt had goose, much greasier than turkey. She always made fruit and plain pound cake in fact I have her Christmas pudding recipe. They used to wrap sixpence’s in brown paper and cooked in the mixture, this is for luck if you found it.
The usual Christmas food, roast chicken, cassava pie, picnic ham, potatoes, vegetable, plum pudding and sauce. During the depression years, no work, no money for luxury, my mother being a good cook did the best she could.

Christmas morning The Shepherds Lodge members, went to church at 4am, later they marched with the band, sometimes they came to Wellington, could hear the music in the distance. We went to church. Boxing Day and New Years Day the Gombeys came around, as children we wanted to run from the throbbing beat of the drums, the squeal of the whistle, the feet movement, colorful clothes and the scary mask on the face. Also the tall headdress made from peacock feathers swaying with the beat of the music.

Horse Races at Shelly Bay for those that liked the sport. Good Friday we flew kites. Ate hotcross buns with fish cakes. On Easter Sunday we went to St. Peters Church wore white dresses, the church was decorated so beautifully. The first of May was called May Day, we put water in a glass overnight, it would stay outside in the sun until noon. We dropped an egg white in it, would take form and people could tell our future.

As people of these beautiful islands we must respect one another and show appreciation of each other “No Respect there is a Problem”.

My brother Ruigg, was eighteen months older, they said he was born with a caul (web on the face) he had fits, later in life he was stabilized with a special diet. He would get in a fuss with Dada, never liked to work in the garden, when the war came he took off and joined the BMA Regiment in St. David’s Battery. He did his years, later opened a business in Hamilton. He loved to go fishing off the rocks or at Pennos Wharf, then home and cook them for a meal.

He was in Munich at the Olympic Games in 1972, when the Israelis where shot.
He traveled all over the world.

A Mothers Story: part VII

Can remember on the inside of the front door up top, was a horseshoe, hung for luck. The door key was quite large. Outside the back door on the wall was bottle of shark oil, this was our barometer. I did not like fishing, the rest of my family did! Squirmy, sticky, smelly fish.

When my father cooked shark, he attacked it like the Battle of the Atlantic, had to be squeezed right after it was cooked in water, the liver cooked slowly so it would not burn, the parsley and pepper leaves chopped just right with a few red and green small peppers. The fat from the liver was strained, not a particle left, then the green leaves into it. Then it was mixed to the light airy mixture of the shark, with the right shade of green, must say with sweet potatoes was delightful. We could not come close when this great event was going on.
We never drank liquid after shark, we were told not to, no use to ask why, that answer, “I told you not to!!!”

Very few of us questioned our parents, especially our father. My father had his good and bad points; he had a very hot temper. He would say “Right is right and wrong is no men’s right“. He was a character. He always wanted us to get a good education.

After my grandfather died in the thirties, from his house was few pieces of furniture, table, sideboard with lots of decoration and mirrors, a gramophone, “His Masters Voice”, with a very large speaker. Also a metal box of round records. We had a field day.

We now lived in Wellington in a two-story house with a large garden in front; a rough stone wall surrounded the West. I remember a small old wooden cuddy. This was called King Amber’s Court, On rainy days this was the meeting place of the gentlemen.

Nearby was the muddy smelly waters surrounded by Mangrovetrees and spruce, my brother would go fishing there, he would scare us like he was sinking. In bad weather the water came up to the boundary, later the bay was filled and is now a playground. The northern boundary was on the main road, Hibiscus, Cherry, and Match-me-if-you-can hedges. Large Mulberry trees we used to climb up to get the fruit, there was also pomegranate, fig, grape, papaw, avocado banana and sugarapple, also a large Northern Pine tree that was taken down.
Was a danger to the house. Nasturtium, Bluebell and the small pink flowers of Coralita vines in seasons.

Coralita was used for weddings with fern, as children we would string up the different colors of oleanders and hang them on our neck and arms. The Bermudiana is our National flower. It has green leaves, the flower is blue and yellow, the plant was about eight to ten inches high, it will pop up in the most unusual places, been here for donkey’s years.

Elderberry bush from this tea was made for medicinal purposes. Cedar berries, lemon grass, lots of poppies grew in the garden. The rose pink flower petals was put in a bottle add sugar was left for few days in the sun, this was rubbed on the gums of teething babies to stop the pain. Rhubarb was used for bruises. Medical treatment was mostly herbs and other home remedies.

In the spring of the year a cooling medication of sulfur and wine or sulfur and molasses, this was to clean the system. Cod-liver oil, caster oil, Scots emulsion and Canadian healing oil with a few drops on sugar was taken to help a cold and cough. From a piece of aloe we would cut out the clear jelly cut in pieces very very bitter, we added molasses and boiled it until a little would harden in water. Grease cupcake pan poured in let it set, wrap in wax paper, and was good to suck for a cough. Minnards liniment for rubbing a stiff joint, damp cloths for fever, also match-me-if-you-can leaves on chest or rubbing alcohol, sage bush leaves the flowers was yellow and orange.

On the rough side we cleaned our teeth we also used baking soda. There was some strange things done, roach in throat to clear the pleghm, an onion heart heated & put in ear for earache.

A Mothers Story: part VIII

Facing the road on the Northeast boundary I recall two pillars like an entrance do believe it was one property long time ago. Can recall coal ships. My mother was up early, to give my father his breakfast. We had no clock, she heard the rooster crow and thought it was time, found out it was just past midnight, happened to be an east wind then he crows any time.

The cedar trees was blighted in the forties, was replaced by rather untidy tree that shed long thin needles, sometimes a tree snapped under high winds. This tree was called the Casuarina it came from Australia.
Thankful the cedar is taking shape again its roots dug in, it is part of our Heritage, and many beautiful articles are made from this wood. Used to have a Christmas tree of cedar.

We had many Birthdays for Dada, he lived to be in his nineties, his children, the grand’s and the great grand’s, he loved to have people around to go for drives, would walk to the gate. Always had mints, peardrops or cookies to offer. My mother and I were going to a wedding, started to be a lovely day, then a dark cloud started in the west, became very dark. It poured with rain, later it cleared, this was a happy day spent with her, and I had on a white dress with small blue flowers. We went in a carriage to St Peter’s Church. I can remember walking up the steps, beyond the door the memory ended.
My country was a farming one, we exported onions, potatoes, Easter lilies were another product. Mustard greens grew wild. We washed, cooked and served them, very good with rice. Cassava was also grown in the garden.


Have a photo of my mother; father my brother and aunt. I was about two years old. This was taken on a farm at Baileys Bay.

Then the prohibition days when Liquor was outlawed in parts of the USA
Bootlegging days, the boats sneaked into the harbor from the Revenue boats. The Slip where boats was repaired, as children the two story building was outlawed for us, we would peek in the door, below was the engine for pulling up the boats on the slip. Very strange in 1997 I had the opportunity to visit the slip and was able to tour and touch; it really is amazing how life is.

Living in Wellington was more children to play with, marbles, hopscotch, jacks, skipping, and boys liked tops. Hide and go seek before darkness, can recall being over the Slip, the message “Come straight home”, that we did. Our father’s word was law. Early Sunday mornings or other days in the evening, we went swimming, a rocky beach and a barge for the good swimmers. Facing St. George’s Harbor, the Point was a nice place to go only at low tide.
We used to swim to a buoy; there were always older people to swim with us. One day at the shoreline my sister Florence was face down in the water, she was taken from the water and people assisted her. She was OK. We played with a family close by. Their father was born in Denmark. They lived in a cottage at the Slip, four girls and two boys. An old boat was in the water, we got in, having a good time when the boat started to sink, the father came to rescue us, and somebody was spanked. They used to tell us if we did not behave we would get a sting a nettle on our legs.

Sand was pumped in Nearons Cut under the railway bridge it became a beach facing north did not last long, as the winter seas washed it out. Was good while it lasted? Mr. Manual was Portuguese who came to Bermuda from Cape Verde Island, was a fisherman and a gardener, he grew a plant that tasted like celery, he built his own little cottage. He, like most of the fisherman of the day used to blow a conch shell to sell their catch.

A Mothers Story: part IX

The cricket field was near by. Cup Match was big time, one time went to Somerset with my Aunt Norma we took our food with us, another time on the Corona, later on the train. My sister Olivia was a big cricket fan, my sister Florence was the baby of the family she had dark hair she loved babies and animals. We had a dog; named Mac he was brown and black.

My brother was called Ruigg, the eldest, named after a Norwegian friend of my father. We did not have nursery school, my father helped us to do our ABC’s and numbers we could do them backwards, could read before we went to school, my first class was under a lady called Soone Richardson. She could use the strap very quickly if you misbehaved. At seven years it cost 6d and 1 shilling in the higher classes. Our money was in pounds, shillings and pence. 20 shillings to the pound, farthing worth ¼ of a penny, this was not in use in my day could find them here and there. ½ penny, one penny, three pence, six pence, one shilling was twelve pence, florin was two shillings, half crown 2 shillings & six pence. A crown five shillings then we had the notes one, five, ten, twenty and fifty pounds, there could have been more.

Went to school at East End, at fourteen years and in the seventh standard we are supposed to be equipped to cope in life, school wise. Nurse Smith came once a month to give the last two classes, health lessons. We also did embroidery in the fourth standard. The birthday of Queen Victoria was 24th May, ladies from Imperial Orders, Daughters Empire gave us a talk, and in my time it was Empire day, later Commonwealth Day. Now it is Bermuda Day.

Two large Avocado trees, a tank was in the yard, the playground had no grass. Did have a flag pole, the entrance was on the road, half of the school was built on the road the balance had a wall we could look over, a candy shop was across the road, Somers Gardens was near by. We played netball in the same yard; a pen went into my hand the ink stayed there for years. For a penny or two we could get pilot biscuit and cheese or ryebread and ham for lunch or penny worth of day old cake at the St. George’s Bakery on Water Street. We did have sports at Garrison field, remember doing Lime and Spoon race.

When it rained we did not have rain coats, had a coat of some sort. A neighbor would come to get his children in a covered carriage; we would all tumble in to get home. The train had an accident, was covered in sand from a slide this was not far from where we lived, my brother went up there, no one was killed. This has triggered another memory. A man lost his leg on the train tracks. Later with his one leg and crutch, he would carry a bag with books over his shoulder, exchange with us, Readers Digest, Life etc. Would have to go outside to dip water from the tank.

A Mothers Story: part X

Back to school some teachers we liked more than others. Luckily I received a three-year scholarship to Berkeley Institute, a group of ladies for Students Aid. I sold cookies to help, school by train, I enjoyed this part of life, meeting new people and learning new things. I also took cooking classes at Domestic Science Center, Front Street Hamilton. Singing classes in school as well. Took part in Concerts also Prize Giving. In our textbooks the Atom was not split.

The Atomic bomb was dropped on Japanese soil, Nagasaki and Hiroshima ending the war with USA dreadful destruction to life and property. The years went quickly, Scholarship over, went to work in a Hardware Store.

Most houses had a fireplace or brick oven, cooking utensils were made of iron, and they were heavy. Later material was porcelain that was smooth but could chip easily, than aluminum. In our home there was a coal stove in the kitchen, the tank was under the floor, a well was built of wood with a top on it, quite modern for those times. Did not have to go outside to dip water.

A wire safe was very important to keep the flies off the food, under the legs where dishes for water to keep the ants out; food was cooked every day. Later on came Iceboxes. Basin goblet and slop bucket was the bathroom. Washing clothes with tub, washboard, another tub for rinsing, wring out by hand and hang on the clothesline. On the back of the stove we heated flat irons to do our clothes, watch out for soot. Later the iron was more modern, was heated with fine bits of wood, paper and coal, lit with a match we would blow on it to get the fire going inside, took a lot of puffing, blowing and nearly flopping out.

Clothes those days cotton, wool, linen, pungee was a tanish colour, very soft I remember having a dress of it, cotton clothes was heavy with starch sometimes. Saturday night, out came the tub in the kitchen for the bath. Other times a wash up, baking soda was our deodorant, perfume was in a blue bottle called Evening in Paris. No closets, we had fewer clothes in those days, life was basic. I forgot to mention the outhouse a bit from the house. It had two accommodations, paper from apple and orange wrappings was used for toilet paper, ran short used newspaper or catalogue sheets rumpled a bit to soften. Roaches was near by, trees covered the building like a little bower.

Fennel grew wild in open fields, parsley facing the north shore, find clumps in sheltered rocks. Lots of fun with life plant, we called them Floppers, we plopped them. It did pass away time when I was young. We had few books.
Sunday school had a library, and I would read with kerosene lamp when I was older. Thursday’s was half a day, weddings and sports was held that day.

A Mothers Story: part XI

Saturday was payday at 5pm, nights we would walk to town. Mr. Burgess made homemade ice cream and sherbet at the Burgess Ice-cream Parlor. That was a treat, Salvation Army Band played on the Corner of Robertson’s Drug Store across from the Police Station, we had another Drug Store Higginbothom, on Water Street, Spurling’s Meat Market was opened also on Sundays for a short time, could get ice there. We had a Bakery, dress shops; National Store had a variety of goods, grocery shops F. C. Outerbridge, H. Outerbridge, Manlies, Loblins, Goslings Brothers.

Somers Inn, White Horse Tavern, St George’s Hotel and Glen Dora were some of the accommodations of the day.

The Bank of Bermuda, Post Office above Customs House, Clifford’s toyshop was the favorite at Christmas, printing shop above. Above the Market was Dentist Corbin at that time was very scared of having my teeth done lot more pain then today. There was a Chinese restaurant and Laundry Shop across from Tucker House the liquor shops was there also. Shops closed at ten PM, we bought meat to be cooked that night. A-one Grocery also Paynter and White Grocery in Wellington, there was a small variety shop run by Mrs. Connaught. If it was a bit rainy, cold or windy going home in the dark, can remember hanging on to my mothers skirt to keep warm and protected.

These are a few names of people that lived in town (St. George’s) Bodington, Bleasdale, Dakus, Evans, Lamon and Virtue.

Sunday breakfast was codfish-and-potatoes, bananas and egg sauce with parsley. We had late supper roast Lamb, potatoes, tin peas and gravy. My father always ate bread with his meals, dessert cake, peaches and custard or prunes with blance mange (Cornstarch with milk and sugar & flavoring) put in a pudding mold when cooled turn out, could cut with a knife it was that stiff.

My father always ate European style I could never do it with the ease he did. ‘Practice Makes Perfect’. Sunday was church, Sunday school. Mr. Brown had a little Shop he made coconut cakes or we could go to Gibson’s Restaurant for goodies. Some times went to Methodist Church with the girls.
Sunday evenings the Silver Band played on the Town Square, what I can remember was a circular plot of grass with a railing the flag was in the center, after Church Service, this was mostly in the Summer time, in charge was Mr. Pye.

A Mothers Story: part XII

In the Richard Allen African Methodist Church basement went with friends to an exercise class, the lady in charge had lived in Canada, this I enjoyed very much. Friends of ours, they moved to Underwood’s in Ferry Reach. The road past Biological Station, then the Oil tanks past the Burgess homestead. We would visit there sometimes.

Very kind people they would offer us gingerbread and lemonade, not many people lived in The Ferry as we called it. This part overlooked the South West from Tuckers Town to Bailey’s Bay, we wandered on past The Astor Estate a deep cut in the hill, to make the road. We passed the entrance to Lovers Lake we reached our friends they lived in a wooden house right on the water. We would stay a short time and start for Wellington. Lovers Lake is similar in vegetation as Mullet Bay was; the train track was running past it, the train had a connection to the Astor Estate its own little train it even had a tunnel.

We had a few plane crashes in that area and also over the Oil Docks, I can remember my Father having a message to leave on the Bermudian a fire was at the Oil Docks, we were scared as the wind was in our direction, thankful it changed. There where families that never knew about it until 8am, we had been up since early in the am.

Bermuda has been called the isle of devils, the shipwrecks around our shores high winds and unfriendly waters we had horrible weather in those years, so we thought. We always stayed downstairs during bad storms, a family had a wooden house next to us, in 1929 the storm blew it down, my father gave them a room to stay in, we never knew about the eye of the storm, we just thought it came back.

The Station at Fort George flew signals. We could not see it from where we lived. I remember seeing a radio my father had built never heard it play. It was oblong. Later years Mr. Burch played a radio in the evening the opening Hymn was “A Church in the Wildwood” we could hear it clearly in the valley.

On Sunday Evening would go up to a neighbor and listen to Amos and Andy, a romantic play or music, we all have the good and bad days in life. My school days are over; the school of life is to begin. “School Days, School Days, Dear old Golden Rule Days. Reading, writing and arithmetic. Taught to the tune of the Hickory Stick. You where my Queen of Calico. You wrote on my slate, I loved you so, when we were a couple of kids”. This song came out of my memory.


Will end with this poem I read a few years ago.

“He drew a circle and shut me out, heretic rebel a thing to flout, but love and I had the wit to wind, I drew a circle and took him in”.