113. An Agricultural Labourer’s Daughter.
I have only had one child, a daughter, who is now six years. I had been married eight years when she was born, but have had no miscarriages. I was very well when I was pregnant. The mothers in the Guild were most kind in advising me during pregnancy, at the time and after. I weaned her at nine months, and she is one of the bonniest girls one can see.
My husband, when in work, earns a good wage. It has been his experience to be out of work many times, for varying lengths of time—once for fourteen weeks—that soon after our child was born.
In an agricultural district, large families and small wages predominate. I am the second child of a family of twelve, and as my father’s earnings were very small it always meant my mother working too—hop-tying, gathering fruit, harvesting, and even picking stones off fields. As soon as each of us was old enough we had to work very hard; at ten and eleven years of age I worked in the fields, and did shaving poles, etc. My mother had to pay 9d. and 11d. per week school money, out of her little, for us, and I am thankful to her for educating us as she did, never keeping us away to mind babies, as a great many did in those days. I am nearly thirty-nine now, and free education had not come in then.
Wages 24s. to 40s.; one child.