'Sewn in' for winter ??

[groom]

Welcome to Rootschat 1l2s, sounds horrendous. Where was that, I didn't think the custom went on that late in England? I never came across it when I was teaching then.

[1l2e]

Thank you for the welcome groom. Yes this was indeed in England, London in late 1970s and 1980s - quite a few other children in our area at the time had the same ordeal so maybe there was some sort of mini culture for it. Thinking back though to be honest I didn't really mind it that much and neither did my siblings - we were always kept warm and, although I hated the sewing and having something on me which I could not possibly take off for about 5 months (and believe me I tried many times), it was always snug and we never got cold. I guess it had its benefits and its negatives, but it really perhaps wasn't as bad as many would think. 

[iluleah]

Hi 1l2e welcome to rootschat 1970s Blimey!

My grandma told me a story about this .......... my grandparents were farmers in a tiny hamlet, the farm house they lived in (and where my cousin now lives) was originally built as a nunnery around the same time as the Norman church next to it was built, added to over the centuries and later the 'front porch' was used as the village school so a big farmhouse, during WW2 children were sent to the village from London they were brought to the farmhouse where they were to meet with the families who were taking them in.

When they arrived the people bringing them(I am assuming Red Cross or maybe land Army girls) told my gran "they stink, they are all sewn into their clothes"
She was concerned that it would frighten them even more to strip and bathe them, so as she had prepared food for them all it was more important to make sure they all ate, they all then went off to see the animals on the farm, see if there was any eggs to collect, climb in the straw and sit on the shire horses  while the villagers searched and brought some clean clothes from their homes ( hand me downs) Most then visited the tin bath set out in front of the fire, she told me a whole family would normally share one bath of water one after the next taking their bath, but the water was so dirty after 3 small children it took a long time to bathe the ones they could get to bathe and even longer to cut them out of their clothes.

My gran was someone who saved everything, used everything, nothing was thrown away but she said none of what they wore was any use to anyone or to use even as rags for cleaning and some had been sewn in their underwear for months and not only were they worse than filthy but infested with " all sorts" including fly larvae, lice etc

Many of these children didn't want to go home when the time came to do so and  it must have been very scary for them when they left their own family to go in the first place, but when they did go home they were clean, well fed, happy and healthy children along with no sewn in underwear.

[1l2e]

Wow, what an inspirational story and great grandmother. Such a shame the children were in such a bad state, perhaps they had been forced through their clothing to go to the toilet in them? Just for a bit of clarification: when you say 'sewn into their clothes', do you just mean that the clothes were sewn together so impossible to take off, or something else?

[Erato]

What a bizarre custom.  No wonder child mortality was high.  I have never heard of it in North America where the winters are longer and colder, at least in the north central region.

[mazi]

Well I can safely say that in 1948, little boys being what they are, when we we were trying to see who could "reach" the highest, not one of us was sewn in,

 Cannot speak for the young ladies.

Mike

[mazi]

Thanks for your question by PM, 1l2e,  imagine the little boy statue in Copenhagen.

Mike

Edit, Sorry, it's in Brussels

[groom]

Well you learn something new every day here don't you? I certainly didn't realise the custom was still going on as late as the 1970s in London. I know it wasn't where I was teaching as we used to take the children swimming every week. 

[iluleah]

Wow, what an inspirational story and great grandmother. Such a shame the children were in such a bad state, perhaps they had been forced through their clothing to go to the toilet in them? Just for a bit of clarification: when you say 'sewn into their clothes', do you just mean that the clothes were sewn together so impossible to take off, or something else?

I will answer your PM on here as it is the same question

Yes the underclothes were sewn together, so the vest/pants couldn't be removed, but as you said about yourself  it happened to you so you already know

where they met so they were both securely fastened and it was absolutely impossible for me to take the clothing off.