Laura Secord, the Mother: A Hero at Home

So much of what we know about Laura Secord revolves around her critical role in the War of 1812. She was a war hero, a woman who saved British lives and protected Upper Canada.

But Laura Secord was a hero in so many other ways. Laura Secord was a mother.

Laura Secord was the mother of seven children--six girls, one boy. She ran a busy household in good times and in bad. As a mother, she was a hero her entire life.

Laura Secord knew what it meant to face the fear of childbirth. Giving birth in the early 19th century was a dangerous job, with an endless list of things that could go wrong. The outlook for her children was even more grim--only 1/5 children born in this period made it past the age of five. Becoming a mother was incredibly brave. It still is.

Laura Secord was, at times, a stay-at-home mother and a working mother. She supported her husband James as he ran his General Store before the War of 1812. She cooked, entertained, and raised a large family...no easy feat, to be sure. After the General Store burnt down and James became injured, Secord went straight to applying to work herself, eventually making money working as an etiquette coach. She worked hard to provide whatever her family needed, especially in the most challenging times.

Laura Secord was a mother in times of war. Not only did she keep everything together as her husband left fight in the War of 1812, but when he fell, she walked down to the battlefield herself to bring him home and nurse him to health. With her husband either away or wounded and her house in the midst of battle, Laura Secord's leadership in her own home was extraordinary.

Laura Secord knew the pain of losing a child. Her daughter, Appolonia, died of typhus at age 18. Like many women at the time, Laura learned firsthand that being a mother could be incredibly heartbreaking. Laura Secord also knew the pain of losing a mother, as hers (Elizabeth Ingersoll) died when she was only 9 years old.

Yes, Laura Secord was brave. Most people know that from the story of her walk. But Secord's courage and strength neither started nor ended with her role in the War of 1812. She was the mother of seven in a small Ontario town. Her courage and determination can be seen in every single step she took...across Upper Canada, certainly, but also around her homestead as she cared for her children.

Regency House Party

Due to the very sparse information on civilian life and especially women’s history during the regency period, we get very excited when we find new sources of information. Therefore, when we found Regency House Party, a reality show based on the regency, we were very eager to watch it. What we found was a Big Brother meets Jane Austen scenario, which is really to be expected when you put modern day people into circumstances of another time.

The premise of the show is that the participants all attend a house party where the goal was to make a good match that would led to engagement. As they explain on the show a woman in the regency period had little chance of improving her circumstances through other means. Each person was given a character to portray along with their back-story when they signed on for the project. Some had titles but no money and vice versa, the whole idea was to make a match based on what you needed from the marriage, romantic love had very little to do with anything at this point.

One gets the notion from Austen’s novels that these ladies were living the lives of luxury and that their biggest priority was to go find themselves husbands. Yet strictly speaking most of these heroines were middle class and would have had to live a very similar life to Laura’s in the sense of what was expected from them. That’s where Regency house party gives an interesting perspective it shows what these ladies and gentlemen would have had to done to make a go of it in the Regency world. It is one thing to read about it, it is quite another to see it play out, even taking away the fact that they carry modern day ideals.

One thing of the things that made it ‘real’ was the bathing rituals exhibited for the project; the whole household was given one bathtub of water to bathe in and only once a week. While we are going to dedicate a future blog post on bathing in the regency it was very interesting to see this aspect first hand it gives it relevance. It is also interesting to see the way they created shampoo and washed their hair and their daily rituals to make themselves more appealing to those they were trying to attract. To those of us who are used to going out and purchasing these items from the grocery store this can be surprising and tedious to watch them perform.

While Regency House Party will not change your life and is rather astonishingly ridiculous at time for those who have an in-depth knowledge of the regency period. The contestant challenge the boundaries of etiquette from this period and remain true to their twenty first century values, however, that being said it is a very good watch for the sake of entertainment and perspective. 

Quilling (paper filigree)

This was something we picked up recently here at the homestead. I had been looking at Martha Stewart scrap booking supplies of all things when I got interested in Quilling. I had no idea what it was called so I started a Google search for rolled papers...well not the results I was looking for to say the least. But eventually I stumbled unto it. Quilling! AND it was a period appropriate activity! I ran around telling everyone how excited I was to try it and much to my astonishment people looked at me like I had a second head. Turns out Quilling sounds a lot like Quilting. No one knew how I could possibly be excited about making a rolled paper blanket...how weird!

  Eventually I won them over with the pictures and stories I will share below:

I always thought it was odd that Elinor Dashwood would be rolling papers for a basket. I thought “hey maybe they sell them to smokers” alas no so. Elinor was actually Quilling! Turns out the art form was from much earlier then I had originally expected. A reference to a quilled basket I found dates to 1663. Of course the beginnings of Quilling were much more modest then the images shown below. The earliest Quilling references I can find were monks using leftover bits of paper to make religious pictures. These were very ornate and usually gold coloured.

Ladies would spend hours upon hours pasting paper filigree onto furniture, tea caddies and screens. It is interesting to note it was not a uniform size stick in which the pieces were rolled around. When looking closely you can see the centre circle varies in size.

It was not a poor mans art. Princess’s were know to work on it and kings were known to have pieces with it. Here is an example of some of the modern quilling work being done today:

Our experience is minimal but we are working on it. There are tons of patterns and designs as well as tutorials out there for people to learn. It is such a cheap and cheerful craft. I would definitely encourage you to try it! Let us know if a card making/ornament making class next season would be of interest to you! We would love to tell you more about the rich history of Quilling.

Cooking in the Regency

Cooking...the second leading cause of death in women during the 19^th century.

Well not exactly, burns were the cause of death. But how did you get these burns? By cooking. Despite this fact, we at the Laura Secord Homestead thought it would be grand to try out some old recipes now that we have a fire pit. Bad idea. Once you start researching the cooking methods of the Regency period you can see how crazy (and dangerous) it was to use fire on a day to day basis. Here are some examples of things we will not be using/doing on site:

The original candy thermometer- If you have ever made taffy or fudge you know this instrument well...but what did they use back in Laura’s day? A good old finger! Most recipes of the day tell you that you can determine temperature by “keeping a basin of water by you, dip[ping] your finger in it, and put it quickly in your sugar, then into the water again to remove the sugar” now on your finger. I don’t know about you, but I scare at the sound of snapping bacon fat. There would be no way I would shove my finger in boiling sugar.

     (PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME)

The seven second bake oven- A seven second bake oven sounds kind of like a microwave to those who have never heard of this dangerous oven. It was, however, a great newfangled invention during Laura’s time. This bake oven was a brick oven heated with hot coals. The coals were removed after a time, but the bricks remained hot. How could you tell if the oven was the correct temperature for your bread? Well, you held your arm inside the hot oven and if you could take the heat for 7 seconds (no more, no less) then you had the perfect condition for baking your bread!           

           

Cochineal beetles- Such a pretty colour for those British red coats. How do they get that colour? Why, you ground cochineal beetles of course! These little South American cactus beetles are collected and ground to add bright red colouring to whatever you heart desires...even preserves. Yes, several recipes call for these lovely little critters to be added to cherries, apples and other preserves in order to keep the colour bright and appetizing. Want your ice cream moulds to come out in fancy colours? You can paint in some ground cochineal to the mold before adding in your sweet treat. As lovely as the colour is, I think we will stick to food colouring for our trials. (I know, we are no fun at all!)

A rare but interesting way of turning a spit- If you have been on our tour you may have seen our lovely 1813 reflector oven, which is similar to a rotisserie oven. If you wanted to turn your meat on a spit but did not want to do it by hand, as you would do with our oven, you could try many ingenious solutions. One we will not be trying here at the homestead is a bigger version of the hamster wheel. Yes indeed, people would build large wheels that were big enough for a small pooch to fit in. The pooch would then walk on the wheel and this would in turn spin the spit that

the meat was on. Did you notice the picture on top of the blog sign up? Our sneaky way of showing how mundane it would have been to see this in action in the home. Needless to say my new puppy will not be going anywhere near a fire and her walking will only consist of visits to the new local dog park.

    One dog wheel that still survives in an old homestead

Regency Weddings

Weddings of yore were different from the weddings that we know today and that some fantasize their entire lives about. From ancient times forward marriage was very rarely about romantic love and very much about strengthening the family unit.[1] Often these alliances were about making the connections between various families and the influx of wealth a dowry could bring into the new family.[2] Often careers needed more then one partner to run the family business and therefore it meant that a married couple would run the family business together.[3] With this in mind weddings were not the affairs that we know them as today. However, with the uncertainty that war brought with it many women in 1812 North America made matches that they may not have had the ability to make previous to this.  With soldiers coming and going over the length of the conflict these ladies often found themselves far from home married to men they had not known very long. [4]

Weddings themselves were private and intimate affairs. They would take place in the morning at the local church. After which there could be a celebration breakfast similar to our Wedding reception with all ones friends and family.[5] Due to the war many of these weddings had to be short and sweet. One story that survives to us is of James FitzGibbon’s wedding, where he took leave from the battle to marry his Mary and then had to leave her at the chapel to return to the Niagara campaign.[6] With everything as uncertain as it was couples took great lengths to hold the weddingas soon as they could.

The Ladies and Gentlemen of the Regency upper classes didn’t did not have the same luxuries that the others did to marry for love, as these marriages were often politically minded. In particular when the Prince Regent’s line died out with the passing of his daughter Charlotte it was seen as the political duty of his siblings to produce an heir to the British throne. This was an endeavour that they all undertook and saw the marriage of many, however, the one of importance to the succession was the marriage between Duke of Kent and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg, which saw the birth of the future Queen Victoria.

While these matches were politically oriented they were the precursor for today’s grand weddings. They were a way to show the elite classes of other countries how wealthy and powerful you were by the kind of party you were able to put on. Princess Charlotte’s wedding dress for example survives to us and shows how our modern wedding gown evolved from even the Regency era.  

http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/in-honor-of-the-royal-wedding-princess-charlottes-wedding-dress-1816/

These more lavish affairs were not only confined to Europe. As the upper class holders in North America kept up with a majority of what their European counterparts did so too did they keep up with the Jones’ when it came to weddings. They had their pick of location, as there was no law stipulating when and where the marriage could take place. Great care was taken to issue the bride a beautiful dress and the brides family often held a party after where they provide the refreshments.[7] While they may not be what we know them as today weddings during the regency period showed the commitment that was undertaken by both parties in a manner that was appropriate to the life they lived.

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[1] Amanada Vickery, Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England, (London: Yale University Press, 2009), chap. 1.

[2] Amanada Vickery, Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England, (London: Yale University Press, 2009), chap. 1.

[3] Dianne Graves, In the Midst of Alarms: the Untold Story of Women and the War of 1812, (Robin Brass Studio, 2007), chap. 2.

[4] Dianne Graves, In the Midst of Alarms: the Untold Story of Women and the War of 1812, (Robin Brass Studio, 2007), chap. 2.

[5] Laura Boyle, "Weddings During the Regency Era," The Jane Austen Centre Online (blog), June 20, 2011, http://www.janeausten.co.uk/weddings-during-the-regency-era/.

[6] Dianne Graves, In the Midst of Alarms: the Untold Story of Women and the War of 1812, (Robin Brass Studio, 2007), chap. 2.

[7] Dianne Graves, In the Midst of Alarms: the Untold Story of Women and the War of 1812, (Robin Brass Studio, 2007), chap. 2.

Regency Dating

As the great Pat Benatar said, “love is a battlefield,” and things were no different during the Regency period.

            In order to be successful at dating in the Regency world, both ladies and gentlemen had to adhere to very strict (and sometimes hilarious) etiquette rules. For this reason, we at the Laura Secord Homestead thought it would be fun to create a 19^th century dating guide for us single 21^st century ladies:

What to Wear

Dating rituals often took place in very public settings, like “outings, assemblies, dances and supervised gatherings. Dancing was an excellent means of bringing people together, and in the British provinces in particular, many seem to have taken to the dance floor at every opportunity.”¹ Thus, what you wore to these public venues was very important, and you became a commodity of marriage, put on display for all to see. Ladies had to strike a very delicate balance between dressing to impress and remaining “unconcerned as to dress.”² After all, “elegance of appearance… should reflect elegance of mind.”³ And most importantly, ladies had to be modest! In fact, “care… was always taken to tread the line of respectability since loss of reputation was disastrous for a young woman.”⁴ Despite the often raunchy depictions of female dress and corsets on television and in Hollywood movies, modesty was one of the primary concerns of ladies during the period, and a lady’s reputation was hinged on her ability to remain attractive to young suitors while also remaining virtuous. Thus, modesty scarves were very common, and although it was appropriate to have low-cut necklines for an evening ball, most women wouldn’t be caught dead wearing low-cut dresses in the day time. Not to mention, it was best to keep your makeup to a minimum, and a lady who wore too much makeup ran the risk of appearing promiscuous.⁵

Getting a date

            If you were going to be successful on the dating scene, you had to know how to dance.  Many people were taught as children how to do steps and figures like Quidrilles, the Cotillian, Boulangeries, German Waltz etc.⁶ and “to dance badly… [was] inexcusable, and may be classed as a ‘Horrible Blunder.’”⁷ It was up to men to seek out women to dance, and in the mean time, ladies were allowed to communicate using something called the “language of the fan.” Basically, depending on how you held a fan in front of your body or waved it in front of your face would single different messages to suitors in the room. However, a lady’s role was essentially passive in these sorts of rituals. But “ladies… [still had] to strike a delicate balance: a lady must encourage a man’s affections, but not too strongly” and the language of the fan was helpful in that regard.⁸ If you were unhappy with the gentleman who would eventually ask you to dance it was not in your power to immediately find a more appealing or suitable partner. Sadly, if a lady “refused one gentleman, a lady may not accept another’s invitation.”⁹ Not to mention, “a lady may not invite a gentleman to dance.”¹⁰ However, if the social event was informal and very few men are present, two ladies could dance together.¹¹ Who you danced with was also very important, as “marriage was not only a personal contract but also an important institution…. Young people were expected to marry someone of their own background.”¹²  For that reason, a lady should be careful with who she danced with because  if you were to dance with a man more than 2 times in any given evening you were practically engaged, and it was unheard of to break an engagement during the Regency period.

            Don’t worry ladies, men also had to adhere to some strict dating rules. For example, a man could not ask you to dance without a formal introduction to your chaperones, and if he danced with you the night previous, he was expected to pay your house a visit the next morning for at least fifteen minutes (now, wouldn’t we all love the promise of a phone call from our gentlemen suitors).

            In small cities or towns, larger balls were not as common, however, “a young woman’s home was important as a place where possible suitors called or attended gatherings under the watchful eyes of parents or guardians.”¹³ This would have been the most likely situation for the Secord girls, considering they were middle class. In Lower Canada during the time, men could only court women if they had the intent of marrying them, whereas in Upper Canada, Sunday evenings were reserved for acts of courtship.¹⁴ Now James Secord, having six daughters, would have to address and monitor many meetings between his daughters and their suitors.

Romance in Wartime

The War of 1812 brought opportunity for romance to those countries affected by the conflict. Often times, young soldiers and officers would pass through a town and be charmed by many young ladies and vice versa. In fact, “wherever they went, the men in uniform left an impression, and civilian males often found themselves displaced by military suitors vying for the affection of the local belles.”¹⁵ This is exactly what happened to Mary Secord, Laura’s eldest daughter. She was courted by a surgeon named William Trumble, and moved to Ireland. (Way to go, Mary!)

 So ladies, if you want to land yourself a man like Mr. Darcy or Mr. Knightly, break out your best modesty scarves and log some time  practicing with your fan. And if you ever want to see these various dating rules in action, check out the PBS documentary “Regency House Party” where a group of people volunteer to go on a Regency-style dating show. The results are hilarious and disastrous, and it comes highly recommended by us at the Laura Secord Homestead for both entertainment and learning purposes.  

1.     Graves, 66.

2.     Ross, 65.

3.     Ross, 66.

4.     Graves, 66.

5.     Ross, 71.

6.     Ross, 50.

7.     Ross, 50.

8.     Graves, 69.

9.     Ross, 54.

10.  Ross, 55.

11.  Ross, 55.

12.  Graves, 66.

13.  Graves, 67.

14.  Graves, 67-68.

15.  Graves 75.

References

Graves, Dianne. “Love, Courtship, Marriage and Dangerous Liaisons” In In the Midst of Alarms:

The Untold Story of Women and the War of 1812,64-102.Canada: Robin Brass Studio, 2007.

Ross, Josephine. Jane Austen’s Guide to Good Manners. New York: Holtzbrinck, 2006.

Quilting in the Regency

Quilting is an art form that has only just recently been seen as one. It started in ancient times in the East and would eventually spread to the west as communications between the two continents spread. Archaeologists have found quilted objects from Mongolian tombs that date as far back as 100 BCE.[1] Because of the expense of fabric only the wealthiest would have had quilts that remain intact. Others would have needed to repurpose the materials to make new goods when they were no longer needed for the quilt.

When the knowledge of quilting reached England it advanced greatly with the development of textile production.[2]  While the upper classes were the ones that owned the quilts their lower class servants were the ones that created these works of art and some households produced excess quilts to sell to other households.[3]

When North America began to be settled by Europeans they brought their knowledge of quilting with them. As time went on the patterns in the new world mimicked that in England until the American Revolution when the American style of quilting emerged.[4] Therefore Canadian quilts during this period would have been a mixture of both American and European influence.

The International Quilt Study centre and Museum showcases an online exhibit that includes examples of quilts created during the regency period.

http://www.quiltstudy.org/exhibitions/online_exhibitions/mosaic/paper_pieces1.html

To think that these blankets were made completely by hand and that it often took years to finish is astonishing to us. After all we too have taken up quilting, however, we do so with modern convinces like sewing machines. I can attest to the fact that even with all my time saving equipment none of my creations are anywhere as near as perfect as those done by ladies in another era.

It is an aspect of their lives I have romanticized; the thought that one would gather with her friends to make something that she would keep and cherish for many years to come. This sometimes is what brought comfort that made their way in the world a long way off from the family and friends that they grew up with.[5] So I implore everyone to take another look at these beautiful masterpieces in their own right and ponder who put the care into creating them and what they would have meant.

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[1] Roberts, Elise. The Quilt: A History and Celebration of an American Art Form. (Minneapolis: Voyageur Press, 2007) 16.

[2] Roberts, Elise. The Quilt: A History and Celebration of an American Art Form. (Minneapolis: Voyageur Press, 2007) 18-19.

[3] Roberts, Elise. The Quilt: A History and Celebration of an American Art Form. (Minneapolis: Voyageur Press, 2007) 18-19.

[4] Roberts, Elise. The Quilt: A History and Celebration of an American Art Form. (Minneapolis: Voyageur Press, 2007) 20.

[5] Roberts, Elise. The Quilt: A History and Celebration of an American Art Form. (Minneapolis: Voyageur Press, 2007) 28.