Hilary's Diaries - Hilary Townsend President of Stalbridge History Society
February 2021 Hilary Townsend
Last month I pointed out how much safer childbirth seems to have become in recent years. The result of this has been that I have been asked what babies looked like in my childhood. Basically, the same as they always did I suppose, but prams were getting steadily lighter in colour and bigger wheeled. The mothers proudly invited me to look into the pram and it was like looking into a white or cream coloured cave.
The young baby was always dressed in white, usually swaddled in a white shawl, probably knitted by grandma, and on its head it wore a white bonnet or cap according to its gender. In its early years it was dressed in long white gowns rather like christening gowns today. My mother made some lovely white ones for me. Underneath the gown it would have worn bootees, exquisite little socks often knitted in a lacy pattern with fine wool and fastened with ribbons or little pom-poms. These booties fascinated me as a child, they were so delicate and the feet they encased seemed so incredibly tiny.
After some weeks the baby would have been `shortened` which meant it was put into clothes that were much shorter. The clothes were almost invariably dresses, regardless of the sex of the child. Its bottom was encased in square terry towelling nappies sometimes, for very young babies, this was lined with a cotton nappy. The whole would have been fastened together at the waist with two large safety pins, purpose built and very strong. Disposable nappies and tumble dryers must have been unheard of in those days for the arrival of a new baby in a household meant a line of square terry towelling nappies like flags blowing on the washing line.
Prams in those days were constructed with the weather in mind. Duvets were unheard of so the baby was firmly wrapped up in soft cot blankets. When it came on to rain a stout hood was put up above the baby’s head. The hood was firmly hinged on each side and needed fairly strong hands to get it up and in place. The rest of the baby was covered by a stout Macintosh storm apron. This was fastened down firmly over the sides of the pram and then had a raised piece coming up in the front so that the child was well protected from the elements. As one peered into the pram, this had the effect of making the cave seem more like twilight.
New mothers were always ready to speak to my mother and in the course of the conversation I noticed that they were very often on the way to the chemist to buy `gripe water`. Our chemist, situated in the same place as it is now, kept good stocks of this gripe water. It was sweet and had a very distinctive smell and seemed to be a recommended for babies with wind, indigestion, teething problems or practically anything.
© Hilary Townsend
February 2021 |
Discover Dorset – Blackmore Vale Dovecote Press 2004
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Blackmore Vale Childhood Dovecote Press 2006
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One Woman’s Fight for Architectural Heritage 2012
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Stalbridge to Siberia and other places - Silk Hay Books 2018
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Titles by Hilary Townsend
Hilary, from a family of yeoman farmers, grew up in Dorset. As a personnel manager in industry, and later lecturer in management subjects, she wrote magazine and newspaper features for UK and North American markets.
Hilary, from a family of yeoman farmers, grew up in Dorset. As a personnel manager in industry, and later lecturer in management subjects, she wrote magazine and newspaper features for UK and North American markets.
