Chapter 5

1. Chapter 5 Lifestyles in the Nineteenth Century

2. Family Life • Lifestyles of families in the 19th century were shaped by where people lived, how they earned a living, the resources available to them and the traditions they inherited.

3. housing • Housing reflected how people earned a living. For example, fishermen lived near the shore. • Tilt: a structure made of logs and chinked with moss. These were used mainly in Labrador. • Houses did not have running water, electricity or modern bathrooms. • In St. John’s, row housing was typical but most well-to-do people had their own separate houses.

4. housing • In the 1800s, most houses were of these three designs: • Saltbox house: two-storey, peaked roof. • Square-roof Design • Mansard Roof: featured a curved slope pointing outward at the bottom.

5. housing

6. Food and diet • Aboriginal Peoples: seal, caribou, salmon, berries. • Newfoundlanders ate a variety of wild game and fish. Once the family settled, they cleared land for a vegetable garden. Vegetables were stored in underground cellars. • Some families kept hens, sheep and cows which provided eggs, meat and dairy products.

7. Food and diet • Foods such as flour, molasses, tea, peas, beans and salt beef were imported. • Well-to-do families could buy spices and dried fruit. • By 1924, Newfoundlanders were manufacturing a variety of foods including biscuits, soda, margarine and jam. • Questions, Pg. 102, #’s 1 & 2.

8. Entertainment and recreation • Social Activities • Storytelling was important in order to keep the traditions and values of a community alive. • Song, music and dance was also an important part of cultural tradition. Fiddling, accordion playing and dancing were enjoyed. • Card playing was a favourite pastime for adults (ex. 120s, 45s).

9. Entertainment and recreation • Social Activities • Community social activities centered around the church (suppers, dances, picnics). • Celebrations such as Bonfire Night had specific customs, often with a large community bonfire for everyone in the community to attend. • “Copying Pans” was another popular, yet dangerous, activity. This is where young people would jump from one floating ice pan to another.

10. Entertainment and recreation • Celebrating Christmas • Christmas revolved around preparing food and exchanging gifts. • Foods such as cakes, sweet breads and meat or fish were given as presents. • Christmas issues of newspapers was also anticipated.

11. Entertainment and recreation • Mummering or jannying, was a popular Christmas activity. This is where people disguised themselves in costumes and visited homes where people had to guess who they were. • In Labrador, the tradition of “spirit figures” is when people would disguise themselves in seal and caribou skins and visit villages reminding young children to be good for the rest of the year (also called a Nalujuit).

12. Entertainment and recreation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqlFIGLAhQA&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

13. Entertainment and recreation • Sports • Many competitions and organized sporting events began to surface in more populated areas • 1826 – St. John’s Regatta • 1833 – Carbonear Cricket club • 1838- St. John’s Curling club

14. Entertainment and recreation • Today, children often entertain themselves with video games and electronics. In the 19th century, things were very different. • Children spent their time playing games outside. • Piddly – consisted of two sticks and two rocks • Tug of war • Shooting games • Ring games – rhymes and dances

15. Entertainment and recreation • In Labrador survival skills were in the form of games • Based on physical strength, agility, endurance and patience • The seal crawl (see page 109) • Even jobs like cleaning seals skins could be made into games; allowing children to slide down a hill on a seal skin.

16. Community Life • The Role of the Church • The church was the centre of religious, social and educational life • It provided for the spiritual needs of the residents even if the community did not have a church building • The church became very important in community life - volunteer women’s organizations in charge of social activities creating community events, fund-raisers and charitable work • People took part in choirs and Sunday school

17. Community Life • Schools • 19th century schools were run by charitable organizations or missionary groups. • Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts (SPG) • Moravian church educated the children of Labrador. • Most important school society – The Newfoundland School Society. • Their aim was to provide free education to poor children of all denominations.

18. Community Life • Schools • The staff had to be members of the Church of England. They set up their first school in St. John’s in 1824 and by 1846 operated in 44 places. • The Newfoundland government increasingly became involved in education by 1832 and helped finance the system. 1836 Education Act included clergy as school board members and by the 1850’s denominations ran their own schools.

19. Community Life • Health Care • The basis of health care in the 1800s was the community. • Home remedies were passed down from generation to generation • Women generally acted as midwives and took care of the sick • Outside help came from clergy and missionaries • Wilfred Grenfell provided health care in Northern Newfoundland and Labrador • On occasion doctors from naval ships helped small communities

20. Community Life • Health Care • As late as 1895 there were only 61 doctors in Newfoundland serving 210 000 people • In the 19th century, medical and surgical care was normally provided in the patient’s home as there were few hospitals. The hospitals tended to be a last resort for the poor and helpless. Infections and fevers contracted in hospitals caused many deaths. • Disease was rampant in the 1800s because of poverty and poor diets. Conditions gradual improved over time.

21. Community Life • Health Care – People in History • Sir Wilfred Grenfell • Came to Labrador in 1892 and dedicated his life to improving the lives of the people of northern Newfoundland and Labrador. • He raised funds to build hospitals, nursing stations and schools. • Mary Southcott • Became a nurse in England, came to St. John’s and was the superintendent of Nurses at St. John’s General Hospital. • Founded NL’s first school of nursing, opened hospitals, and involved with Child Welfare, Girl Guides and League of Women Voters.

22. Connecting people and communities • Communication and transportation were very limited in the early 1800s. • Communication • In the early 19th century the only link to the ‘outside’ world came from visiting ships and clergy, trading vessels and school inspectors. • People mainly used “the grapevine” and the mail to communicate. • Communication improved when the telegraph was developed: a system which used Morse Code to transmit by wire over long distances. Newfoundland was hooked up to the North American telegraph System in the 1850s.

23. Connecting people and communities • Communication • 1866 underwater cables were installed connecting Europe and North America. The first transatlantic cable message was received in Heart’s Content, NL • In 1901, Marconi received the first wireless radio signal across the Atlantic Ocean. • By the early 1900s, ships had wireless transmitters and telegraph service had been extended to smaller towns. • Communication was further advanced with the telephone, and by 1914, St. John’s and other larger towns had working telephone systems.

24. Connecting people and communities • Transportation • There were few opportunities to travel a century ago. • The sea isolated NL in the 1800s. • By the 1870s, steam ships linked communities in NL. This improved postal service. • As late as 1900, there were few roads in NL. These roads, however, were not useable in winter.

25. Connecting people and communities • Transportation • Some people did travel in winter by sled and dog team. • Snowshoes were a means of transportation in winter, while canoes provided a form of transportation in summer. • The railway was huge in the development of transportation. By 1898, passengers and freight could travel from St. John’s to Port aux Basques year-round. • Passenger steam ships also improved transportation, with run between Newfoundland and Halifax and eventually a run to Liverpool, England.