Interview with Mrs Chrisrtine Watterson of Ballarobin, Grenaby, about her childhood and rural life
Audio Player:
Date(s): 5 May 1951
Creator(s): Manx Museum
Scope & Content: Manx Folk Life Survey sound recording of Mrs Christine Watterson, aged 84, of Ballarobin, with B.R.S. Megaw and Mary Quilliam. Mrs Watterson talks about her childhood, schooldays and family; she mentions spinning yarn; she only saw wool being spun as there was no flax growing in her time, and very little in her mother’s time; talks about housing; one house being the oldest slate-house in the parish of Malew called Ballarobin, its inhabitants were Mrs Watterson’s in-laws; thatched houses and how she was born in a thatched house belonging to a Castletown man called Taggart.
She describes Tom Taggart with several anecdotes; Juan Helse who was from a different branch of the Wattersons and was a crofter; churning and the use of a waterwheel to churn butter using a dam and sluice on the farm at Moaney Moar; the Killips living lower down in Moaney Mooar; her great uncle Juan, a handloom weaver from Sulby Bridge and the patterns he would weave and colours of fabric woven, bedding and dress materials.
She talks about her father driving a horse and cart to visit her great uncle Juan near Sulby Bridge; walking to Douglas by St Marks’s and The Braaid to Castletown; mother not able to walk; the recent death of her older brother; and great uncle Juan, the brother of her maternal grandmother. She returns to the subject of the slate-house Ballarobin; size and building materials used; how the Manx language was used by her parents when they didn't want the children to know what they were talking about; Mr Leece and Mrs Comish.
Christine recalls Grenaby school and the invalid schoolmaster John Kinrade who taught navigation; the start time for lessons; punishment with a ruler for talking in lessons or throwing keys at naughty children; Bible lessons, sums, grammar and geography and singing lessons given by Kinrade’s sister; taking money to school for the lessons and fire quarterly; school was not compulsory; number of pupils; time of holidays; harvest; bringing own lunch; being teased by boys; the big school at Ballamodha; working in the home after school; the school hours; Mr Kinvig.
Her father working at Foxdale lead mines and how he was crippled with rheumatism; she and her brother working the farm; that she was Skelly before marrying; talks about her parents' deaths; describes the funeral samplers made by her in silk; husband’s family William Taggart and Anne Taggart; her parents Edward Skelly and Margaret Skelly. She describes her father’s working day; shift work at the mines; food taken; older brother Joe who came back to work on the farm; times work began; wages; men working at the mine; the way to work along the road to Solomon’s Corner, the Killea and the Mountain roads; the poor pay.
She talks about the work of the dyer and a female spinner and the fine wool spun from the sheep fleece; meeting the dyer at Solomon’s Corner; the dyed black yarn that Mrs Watterson made, ‘a big lovely wrap’; wool carding; the absence of Loaghtan sheep; the knitting of stockings for men mixing black and white wools; and how she continues to knit.
Administration / Biographical History: This recording was made for the Manx Folk Life Survey.
Basil Richardson Stanley Megaw was director of the Manx Museum, 1940-1957 (1913-2002).
Mary Quilliam was a Manx Folk Life Survey recorder.
Language: English
Extent: 31 min. 2 sec.
Item name: magnetic tape
Collection: Sound Archive
Level: ITEM
ID number: SA 0059
Access conditions: All reasonable attempt has been made by Manx National Heritage to trace and request permission (where needed) from the copyright holder(s) in this sound recording. If however you think you are a rights holder then please contact Manx National Heritage.
Subject tags : #UOSH, #UOSHManxFolkLifeSurvey