Letter, Margaret Jones [enclosed letter Joan Merklejohn] to Barry and Stewart Jones, 5 April 1942
Description
- Creators
- Jones, Margaret; Merklejohn, Joan, Author
- Jones, Barry; Jones, Stewart, Recipient
- Media Type
- Image
- Text
- Item Type
- Correspondence
- Description
- A three-page handwritten letter from Margaret Jones to her sons Barry and Stewart. Enclosed is a second , two-page handwritten letter from Joan Merklejohn who was currently staying with Margaret Jones. The letters describe the changing of the clocks and a young Dutch soldier who is “on holiday” and comes to help around the farm.
The envelope states that the letters were received on July 3rd, 1942.
The letters were provided by E. Ann McRae. - Notes
- The Pate-Jones Collection consists of some photographs of the family members and a large group of letters. The majority of the letters are written by Margaret nee Wilson, and some by her husband Howard Jones, to their sons Barry and Stewart Jones, or to Mr. and Mrs. Pate. From 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, Barry and Stewart lived with Margaret’s second cousin Andrew Wilson Pate and his wife Mary Herron nee McClure at the Brantwood Farm. The original farm was founded by Andrew’s father James Pate, and was situated on the south side of Powerline Road and Gretzky Parkway, which at that time, was considered part of the County of Brant.
The correspondences cover from detail Margaret Jones’ dilemma in settling her boys with virtual strangers, her return trip to England to rejoin the war effort there, news of farm life in England, the concern that England might lose the war, and the anguish of both families when Andrew Pate died in 1944, leaving his teenage son to run Brantwood Farms. These letters are therefore a fascinating way to conceptualize how the war affected daily life in Canada locally, and in England.
In recent decades, the original Brantwood Farm that was situated on the south side of Powerline Road was sold by the Pate family for development. The farms are now located on the north side of Powerline Road, and consist of several farms belonging to several Pate families, mostly within the County of Brant, remaining a thriving local establishment to this day. - Inscriptions
- Copley
Pattingham
Wolverhampton
April 5th
My Dear Barry + Stewart,
We sent Barry’s letter to Uncle Oswald - + thank you for your letter Stewart. - - I’m glad that Barry wrote to Oswald though … + to Uncle Stanley! - -
This is Easter week-end . + I suppose you are on holiday. - - Jean Merklejohn is here for part of her holday - - She is getting on fine - - + is off out with “Uncle Howard” whenever he is about. - - you ^ can se she is learning to write + she wouldn’t have any help with her letter. She is most independent - - so I hope you can understand her letter. – she sealed it all up so that I wouldn’t be able to touch it –
Last week- end I didn’t manage to get a letter written - - It has been a muddly + upsetting week. - - I fell off a high pair
(2)
of steps, + unfortunately knocked my head (but did not fracture my ribs!) Anyway I had to go to bed + it was just the day after the arrival of a young man. Earnest Kirk who has come home for all summer. Of course there is no-one in the home to help me so we just had to muddle through + I feel all right now. - - I was very annoyed with myself.
So really I have not much news for you apart from that, because I have seen no-one, nor been anywhere. Daddy is very well except that his feet still bother him + this week we have been planting [lovely?] potatoes. I want to get the garden planted full of vegetables to make up for the fruit we cant get! – think you boys would have to do some digging if you were here!
I wonder what you are helping with this holiday? - - is Marion home too? – But studying hard I’m sure: -- She’ll be glad when
(3)
She gets all her exams over. Are your report cards going to be a good to send this time? –
We have now changed our clocks to double summer time + it is quite dark + very cold when I get up in the morning. - - I wish we didn’t change the time. It is still cold enough to want to sit by the fire in the evening but because it is light we just keep on working. –
We had another letter from Uncle Ted this week + I really must write to him. I’ll try to write to Mrs pate this week - - Give everyone my love - - And lots + lots to yourselves
Mummy
Letter from Joan Merklejohn
Copley Farm,
Pattingham
Dear Barry + Stewart,
You will be surprised to find my letter enclosed in Mummy’s. I have been ill in a nursing home + Mummy very kindly asked me to come + stay with her for a little while until I was well enough to go home + do my house-work. Frank has stayed here several nights + gone by the Pattingham bus to the school every day. It was dark when he left here in the morning.
There is a Dutch soldier here – he is having a holiday + he likes coming to help + gets a bit of shooting – he shot two rabbits today. When he heard that Mr. Churchill had flown home from Bermuda, George (that’s the Dutch soldier – it isn’t his real name)
(2)
didn’t know where it was so I pointed it out to him on your globe – it is marked very clearly on it.
Daddy rescued a little dog from a rabbit trap on Saturday + it has stayed here ever since. Nobody knows who it belongs to – its black + white.
Its snowing hard now + looks like being a really deep snow. Daddyhasis in London today at a meeting + we are wondering if the snow will prevent the trains running.
You boys will have a grand time when it snows – tobogganing + snow-balling. You are lucky being in Canada. Frank + I send our love to you both
Joan. - Date of Original
- April 5, 1942
- Subject(s)
- Personal Name(s)
- Jones, Margaret ; Merklejohn, Joan ; Jones, Barry ; Jones, Stewart
- Local identifier
- 2017AM001.045
- Collection
- E. Ann McRae Personal Collection
- Language of Item
- English
- Copyright Statement
- Copyright status unknown. Responsibility for determining the copyright status and any use rests exclusively with the user.
- Recommended Citation
- Letter, Margaret Jones [enclosed letter Joan Merklejohn] to Barry and Stewart Jones, 5 April 1942. E. Ann McRae Personal Collection, Item No. 2017AM001.045
- Terms of Use
- The information and images provided are for personal research only and are not to be used for commercial purposes. Use of this information should include the credit "provided by Ann McRae"
- Contact
- County of Brant Public LibraryEmail:digitalhistory@brant.ca
Website:
Agency street/mail address:County of Brant Public Library (Paris Branch)
12 William Street
Paris, ON
N3L 1K7 | @brantlibrary
![Letter, Margaret Jones [enclosed letter Joan Merklejohn] to Barry and Stewart Jones, 5 April 1942](https://images.ourontario.ca/Partners/cbpl/CBPL003507931.jpg)
