School: Convent of Mercy, Moville (roll number 9278)

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1. Food and Clothes in Moville 80 Years Ago (continued)

   

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   sheep on his back. This was the sheep; would he take a joint? How some joints? Two are no longer taken! I asked my old friend in Moville last year (Mr. C) "When did you last sell a saddle of mutton to anyone?" He looked at me and said "To Sir Robert" My father died in 1887.
   Tailors of old went from house to house, staying with the family and made the garments, getting their "meat" and a wage besides. Of course, they found the cloth provided for them, for every farmer grew his own wool, the girls spun it, and were called spinners (spinsters) in consequence. Then they took yarn to the local weaver, who returned it to them woven. What fine cloth it was. It looked to be impervious to wet. Moreover, even in my own early days it seemed always to be of the same colour "hodden grey." Yet I know, some dyed their garments a fine red colour by means of a dye they obtained from a plant in the bogs.
   The shoemaker, too, he came and stayed and got his "meat." But, indeed, boots were a luxury. One old friend tells me he got his first boots when he was 14 years of age. The girls perhaps had a pair of boots between them to be put

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. products
      1. food products (~3,601)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Rita Mc Gowen

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Carnagarve, Co. Donegal

   Informant

   Bishop Montgomery

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Bishop

   Address

   Moville, Co. Donegal