My Great Grandmother's Memoir

[WhataPratt]

Hello! My great grandmother wrote a short account of her life, which I'm trying to transcribe for future generations as I believe old handwriting is only getting harder for people to read!
Some of her writing is pretty unclear, though, so I'm turning to you, dear Rootschatters, for help!

I think I've done pretty well, it's only a very few words I can't make out.

Attached are the scans of the passages with the illegible words (with plenty of the surrounding text so you can get an idea of the handwriting). And below are my transcriptions so far. The words I need help with are represented by ????.  Thank you for any ideas!

Image 1:

sprinkled all over it – how we looked forward to that.

Often on a Sunday evening mother cut up an orange & apple into slices and we all had a little each for a treat a slice at a time. We were never allowed to play with toys or dolls on a Sunday, but could read books – like the ‘Bible’, ‘Sunday at Home’ or the ‘????’ – or sing hymns, usually ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ or ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’. Mother took us to Sunday School Children’s Service in the afternoon. Mother was stone deaf so was very shy of going out and mixing with people. We thought it was nice going as the clergyman was Rev. Streatfeild – later on Bishop of Brighton – and he told us long stories each Sunday & he also had his wife and two daughters coming to the service as well.

Mother paid a shilling a week into a Clothing Club with which she bought us a pair of black stockings each once a year or some material to make us ???? with. We had ???? ones for winter – always wearing a pinafore over. Father mended our boots – did quite a bit of snobbing; our boots were lace up or button boots. We had a pair of plimsolls for the summer holidays but they were usually worn out by the time we started school again – 1/11 for mine, 1/6 Annie, 1/3 for the smaller ones.

Image 2:

we always had her with us.

At school I was lucky with prizes. I sometimes went home with four prizes once a year. A lady gave two prizes to a boy, two to a girl – and I won one – the youngest girl ever to win one, so I was very pleased with myself. Not that I was very good – I was often having to wear a tongue around my neck and put up on the ???? for talking in class. I never could keep my tongue quiet, and for the rest of my life it has stayed with me (I can talk). I say my tongue has near worn out.

At 14 years old I left school. Mother put me to dressmaking for a shilling a week and my tea. I was so pleased with my first 1 shilling wages, so I spent it on things for my mother. I got a beautiful large cucumber for 4d. But when I took them home to mother, I did get into trouble and got a good telling off for spending my money like that. I never did it again. But after six months of that I was not happy working from 9 till 5, sitting all day, sewing up seams and putting bones in collars and seam? ? & ??? all round skint(?). I was able to persuade mother to let me leave – so I went – keeping on

[conahy calling]

We had serge ones for Winter

[Wiggy]

Last query

collars and ?  & braid all round skirts  (?)

third paragraph -

put up on the platform (?)

Wiggy

[WhataPratt]

Thanks for the two great answers so far! Never heard of serge so no wonder I didn't get that. Kicking myself over "skirts" though! It seems obvious now.

[Wiggy]

Material to make us clothes with  ?   I think.  (Thought maybe Culottes but . .  doesn't look long enough.)

[Primrose11]

That's a great thing to have. Difficult writing, though.

I've been trying to think what the other Sunday reading matter was. Looks like a J at the beginning.
Can't work it out yet.
P

[Wiggy]

Bet it isn't Quran - which was my first thought!   

[WhataPratt]

Bet it isn't Quran - which was my first thought!   

You jest, but 'Qu' does look likely for the first two letters. Compare 'Queen Victoria's Jubilee' attached. Think this rules out J for the first letter also. It could be an L or possibly an I.

I also think it must be 'to make clothes with', it would make a lot of sense. I can see 'clo...' but I can't see '...thes' at all.

[shanreagh]

......the Queen.  Queen was a woman's magazine.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_(magazine)