Letter, Ken to Barry and Stewart Jones, 8 May 1942
Description
- Creators
- Ken, Author
- Jones, Barry; Jones, Stewart, Recipient
- Media Type
- Image
- Text
- Item Type
- Correspondence
- Description
- A four-page (last page double sided) handwritten letter from Ken, presumably a schoolmate of Barry and Stewart Jones. In the letter, he describes his new school located in Bartonville, Ontario, and their daily routines. He also discusses his research on submarines, the games he’s been playing and encourages both Barry and Stewart to pass his letter around to their classmates.
The letter was 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
- R.R. 1 Batonville Ont.,
c/o W.A. Harris
May 8, 1942.
Dear Barry and Stewart;
The name of our new school is Salt Fleet S.S. #5. It has four rooms of about 50 pupils in each room an 200 in all four. There are 20 pupils in grade 8 alone. With only six boys, Mort, Art, Jim, Hugh, Alvin and myself. The school supplies your books pencils and ink etc. the library has whole shelf with books just about warfaring planes and warships etc. I read a story on a submarine of Japan. It was only 18’ long carried 2 torpedoes, 3 men, can submerge 1800’ andhascarries enoughpowerfuel to go 600 miles 1 way or 1200 two ways. It has the fastest speed of any sub, 65 knots. It is run by a 2 diesel Engine of 400 horse-power. The Captain stands up in the conning tower which is about 8’ high and snoops around for Br. Ships of war but are usually a little cross eyed or see double. Each torpedo has enough strength to sink a fair sized ship. Britons they don’t count on
(2)
Pg. 2
Swiftness in the war but on longness and power no one is copying this submarine.
Well I guess its about time to save a little paperandstart a new paragraph. We have two ball teams at school Keith is on one side me the other. The game we played yesterday was 3 to 0 for my team. I forget the exact score the day before but our side won. In the yesterdays game Keith was the only one who hit the ball flying but was put out at first base.
Our teacher is well p in her 50ties. Her name is Miss Wilson she teaches grades six, seven, and eight. As she has been there longer than anyother teacher and is older she is the principal too.
In our opening exercis
es we make a long line half way across the school grounds and march in and cram into a small hall for 200 children. Then we sing God Save The King, and very good –morning Miss Wilson. + [illegible] march in to our
(3)
Pg. 3
Room which is as big as our school on SS No 8. Then she readsfromthe Bible and we say the Lorde prayer. Then pull out our spelling books and study them. Arith, Recess, Comp and Gram, Noon. The rest has different subjects like I used to at Howells School. We have Art on Thurs. after dinner till Recess. Manual Training Friday from Noon till 4.
To-day we are having a real thunder storm it has rained since the middle of the night until now 11 oclock.
Speaking for Keith too I would sooner be back at Howells School. Even though it is nice here, a Meodarized road to ride to school on ¼ of mile distance, larger school grounds basement we you put your bicycle to get [illegible] on by a 100 or so more unless you move it now and again. If you ever saw some of the bicycles that go down there you would faint plenty of them and most of them ready to drop to pieces. There is a railroad track about ½ of a mile from here
(4)
Pg 4.
Last night we played a game called kick the can. You choose someone to be It then set a can out on the ground some body kicks it not It but someone else. They kick as hard and as far as they can because as soon as he has kicked it all the rest run and hide before It has the can back in the spot where it was kicked from. If It sees you before you are hid or after It touches the can and says 1, 2, 3 on so and so. Who ever it is It sees has to come and stand somewhere near the can. Then someone that has not been seen is supposed to try and and kick the can before It can touch 1,2,3, on him or her. Suppose It caught someone and forgot to say 1,2,3, on him or her then whoever it was that he didn’t touch on could run and kick the can and everyone what had been caught would be freed.
Well I guess you will tired of my continuous blabber so I will close
(5)
Pg 5
Wishing I were back out the old homestead SS No 8
With Best of love
Ken
PS. If you wish to take it to school you may because I am afraid I cannot find the time to write a letter to all the pupils. You can also tell those who get letters from me to pass them around to everybody. Do not forget several pupils promised to [illegible] so
So Long for now
Some scribble eh! - Date of Original
- May 8, 1942
- Subject(s)
- Personal Name(s)
- Jones, Barry ; Jones, Stewart
- Local identifier
- 2017AM001.047
- Collection
- E. Ann McRae Personal Collection
- Language of Item
- English
- Geographic Coverage
-
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Ontario, Canada
Latitude: 43.23583 Longitude: -79.80694 -
Ontario, Canada
Latitude: 43.1334 Longitude: -80.26636
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- Copyright Statement
- Copyright status unknown. Responsibility for determining the copyright status and any use rests exclusively with the user.
- Recommended Citation
- Letter, Ken to Barry and Stewart Jones, 8 May 1942. E. Ann McRae Personal Collection, Item No. 2017AM001.047
- 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
