News

Women have often been described as “Hidden from history”. In the past historians have focused on major national events and the men behind them, with women only being mentioned in terms of their relationship to these men. It has been presumed that the Victorian ideal of ‘The Angel of the home’ prevailed, and a female could only be defined by her role as wife, mother or daughter.

Diaries of Hannah MacDonald 705:775/8229/13

A clue to the lives that nineteenth century women really led can be found in their letters and diaries. Worcestershire Archives hold a number of deposits that contain such items and one notable example is the Baldwin archive. Whilst Alfred Baldwin was a major industrialist and father to a Prime Minister, the interest in this deposit lies in the documents that it contains relating to his wife, sisters in law and mother in law. Alfred married a Louisa MacDonald, one of Rev George and Hannah MacDonald’s five daughters. George was a lower middle class itinerant Methodist minister whose wife and children trailed after him around the country on a yearly basis. From humble beginnings four of the daughters made amazing alliances to men in the forefront of political and cultural life. Alice married John Lockwood Kipling and gave birth to the literary giant Rudyard Kipling. Georgiana married the Pre Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones whilst Agnes was partner to Edward Poynter, who was to become Director of the National Gallery and we have already mentioned Louisa’s alliance. Again women are being considered for the matches they have made but these women also need to be considered in terms of their personal achievements.

Due to the itinerant nature of their father’s profession, and through lack of finance, the girls did not have much formal education. Being educated at home by both father and mother, attending Methodist lectures and debates and reading their fathers extensive library gave them a much wider education than attending an institution would have given them. Alice became an accomplished poet, who inspired and encouraged her son. As well as being an engraver Georgiana created literary translations in French and German with her friend George Eliot and taught herself Latin, despite the lack of encouragement from her husband. She attended political lectures by her friend William Morris and in later life became an active participant in local government. It is said that she took responsibility for the business aspect of her husband’s art. Agnes’ was a talented pianist and her social skills greatly helped her sententious husband in his career, whilst Louisa worked hard on her writing and her skills as an illustrator. As a tutor William Morris taught all of the daughters how to create woodcuts and gave them commissions for embroideries. One of the Baldwin family deposits contain a number of Louisa’s short stories and there are also a considerable number of letters between the sisters that highlight their interests and give insight into their relationship.

History of the Piebald family by Louisa MacDonald. Illustrations by GM (Georgiana MacDonald) 705:775/8229/9

The deposit also contains the diaries of the girl’s mother, Hannah MacDonald, covering the years 1838-1875. Hannah was from a comfortable background but when she married George MacDonald she began a life of constantly moving home, balancing household accounts with very little income and carrying eleven children in nineteen years. She educated her daughters to have thoughts and opinions of their own, to have a social conscience and work hard for the good of others. She could be considered a typical high minded non conformist wife but such women should not be ignored. It was their ideals that shaped those who led this country politically and economically into the twentieth century. So many of these diaries are in such small text that they are not easy to read and naturally contain quite mundane details of life yet it is the text, and what lies between the words that illustrates a way of life.

For example Hannah, in these volumes, kept an account of outgoings including how much the family were charged in income tax.

In her entry for 20 Jan 1872 she mentions reading a speech by Attorney General in Lichbourne trial, showing that she is interested in the wider world.

Her personal sadness is expressed in a matter of fact way but is no less palpable. On 12 April 1865 she remarks – this day my dear Alice And her husband embarked Southampton for Bombay.

Many of the entries show how Victorian women were rightly concerned, in a period of high mortality, about the health of their family. The poignant entry of 5 September 1852 notes – my dear Herbert would have been 2 years old if he had lived to see this day.

Even when her family are grown she worries about them. On 12 February 1875 she notes that Louise is visiting friends – I hope and pray that it will do her good, for she greatly needs it.

Tantalizingly she writes on 11 October 1852 – a day of considerable mental strife, an unexpected subject for consideration being brought before me – but gives no indication of the matter or the outcome.

A blog concerning the Confession Books from this deposit is to follow shortly

Share this Post

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

LinkedIn