Letter, Uncle Jones to Barry and Stewart Jones, Received 15 June 1942
Description
- Creators
- Jones, ON, Author
- Jones, Barry; Jones, Stewart, Recipient
- Media Type
- Image
- Text
- Item Type
- Correspondence
- Description
- A single page (front and back) handwritten letter from O.N. Jones to his nephews Barry and Stewart. In it, he describes the hobbies and interests of his son and the effects of rationing and air-raids on their community in Liverpool.
Liverpool served as a vital port during the Second World War. Its docks never closed despite being targeted by repeated bombing raids.
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
- 3 Brenda Crescent.
Thornton
Liverpool 23
Whit Monday
(Very wet.)
Dear Boys,
I heard from Daddy the other day that you were going to write to me. I wonder whether you have and the letter hasn’t arrived yet. Anyhow I’ve not written very many letters to you and so, here goes.
I expect your both growing up like Martin who is now nearly as tall as Sam. He goes to Merchant Taylor’s School Crosby and is very good at drawing and painting. He has gone on his bicycle today to Southport and if it is fine I expect he’ll go for a row on the lake. He’s a good swimmer and can row quite a bit. He also likes going to the pictures as often as ever he can. Do you? He is going to keep rabbits to help with the meat ration
(2)
And I grow all the vegetables we need in my garden and allotment and we have six hens. They are laying well but some have been broody lately. Do you know what we do with them then? We put them in a small coop with a wire-netting bottom for three days with just a little water to drink. It cures them and they soon start to lay eggs again. So you can see we have plenty of food even if we are rationed. The people next door have a goat, two pigs about 20 hens and twelve rabbits – almost a farm isn’t it?
Grandma and Gpa Jones came to stay with us at Easter and we were pleased to see them because they had not been to stay with us before on account of air-raids. We haven’t had many raids for a long time and so they thought they would risk it. We all had a nice time together.
Well, send me a line when you can find the time. (Almost poetry isn’t it Barry?) Auntie [Ewen?] and Martin and I send you both our love.
Please give our kind regards to Mr and Mrs Pate and family. Yours affes. Uncle ox.
- Date of Original
- June 15, 1942
- Subject(s)
- Personal Name(s)
- Jones, O.N ; Jones, Barry ; Jones, Stewart
- Local identifier
- 2017AM001.051
- Collection
- E. Ann McRae Personal Collection
- Language of Item
- English
- Geographic Coverage
-
-
Ontario, Canada
Latitude: 43.1334 Longitude: -80.26636 -
England, United Kingdom
Latitude: 53.41058 Longitude: -2.97794
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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, Uncle Jones to Barry and Stewart Jones, Received 15 June 1942. E. Ann McRae Personal Collection, Item No. 2017AM001.051
- 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
