A Box of Treasures

The items pictured below were found in a cardboard box in the Boulton house. My brother-in-law  Rick recalls they were taken to Reston for a "Museum Day" event where old items were displayed.  The newspapers  they were wrapped in were from 1958.  That would have been the 75th anniversary of the RM of Pipestone so that would fit.  They were quite possibly never unwrapped for the next 57 years!. I can't resist digging into treasures like that!

The paper says "Tea Set from England - Mothers

Owner - Mrs. Tom Boulton"

There are no markings on the bottom of the few pieces remaining from this set.  It is a pretty shade of blue and quite delicate china. The writing belonged to Merle Cassell Boulton, her sons tell me.  Her mother-in-law, Elsie Bushby Boulton (Mrs. Tom) left her home in England on September 11, 1913 with a trunkful of belongings, including these dishes.  I wonder how many were in the original set with only these dozen surviving for over 100 years.

We believe that this same trunk that made that voyage across the Atlantic so long ago is pictured above. In a twist of irony, the trunk made its way back across the pond a few years ago to the home of Elsie's great granddaughter Cheryl in Scotland.  It's a well traveled treasure!

"Souvenir of Brandon - Mother - 1909"

This type of glass cream pitcher seems to be called ruby flash or ruby stain and if you Google it, you will find many images of souvenirs from all over Canada and the US in this style.  Presumably this belonged to Ann Boulton, given to her by one of her five children; Herb, Thomas, Anthony, Susan or Louisa.

"Brought from England - over 200 years (old)
Belonged to grandmother of Mrs. Tom Boulton"

I am not sure which of her grandmothers this would have belonged to.  Elsie's maternal grandmother was Ann Wooler (ca 1839-1912). Elsie's mother Patience Wooler was born  in England in 1859 out of wedlock and was raised by Edward and Sarah Wooler, her grandparents.  Ann later married James Sanders and had at least 3 more children.
Elsie's paternal grandmother was Eleanor Moore Bushby (1819-1903) and she was born in Ferring, Sussex on the south coast of England.
It almost appears to be a shaving mug with the handle opposite the decoration.  There are similar ones online, even some moustache cups that look like it.  

There is a very faint stamp on the bottom of this cup that says "Made in Japan". There are many examples of this demitasse style of cup and saucer online that were handpainted at the turn of the century. 

 This little drummer boy has a piece of string holding his wings on.  The stamp on the bottom says it was made in Occupied Japan which dates it from 1947-1952, according to Kovels.

 

A Google Image search of lady with a piano brings up hundreds of figurines but none just like this one.  It makes you realize how many knickknacks there are and without the story of where it came from and who owned it, it's just another dust collector!   

The last two items in the box were beautiful beadwork, possibly done by one of the Boulton women or even by local Aboriginal ladies.  The one on the left appears to be a picture frame and I have guessed the one on the right may have held wooden matches or something else in the pouch.  "1899" is clearly beaded into the piece. Cousin Sharon tells me of a beaded purse that her Mom told her was given to the family by local Aboriginal ladies. Ann always had food to share with them and these pieces may have been their way to repay her kindness.

Any further research or information about these items would be most welcome!

Green Ledger Book

Today's blog post features a green ledger book from the Boulton house.  Although the first 29 pages of the book are missing, the first year noted in it is 1915.  

 

The Home Account for 1919 includes envelopes, patterns, groceries, gasoline and coal.  Other interesting entries include the car license on April 24 for $10.00 a tea kettle in May for $4.75 and a $5 watch in June.

 Pages 74 and 75 of the Ledger show the cash account for 1920.  January 23's entry looks to be for a Telegram - Western Home (?) for $1.28.  Munroe's, Brady's, and Drug Store show up a few times.  Some of the other interesting entries are the 50 cent Bead Bag on April 24 and $1.20 for fish on April 1st.

 Pages 192 and 193 of the ledger indicate women and men found work at the Boulton Home in the twenties.  Mrs. McDougall worked from March until November, it seems and Mr and Mrs Rae worked every day except Sunday for August and September.

The harvesting bills above were for work done by Johnny Milliken and Tony Hallick , in the twenties I assume.

Mr. D. McIver worked there in the fall of  1928 threshing, cutting, ploughing, and stooking.  The ledger shows 6 Sundays, one rain day on September 10th and three half days off in his time there. 

What a marvelous record of day to day living almost 100 years ago! 

Ann Boulton's Indulgences

Ann Boulton is pictured above with her granddaughters Edna and Ida circa 1916.  She was the matriarch of the Boultons in Manitoba and her ability to build her household from the ground up is amazing to me. The family moved from Ontario in 1892 to begin their life farming near Reston.   Recent cleaning out of her farm home has unearthed the bills and receipts that tell the story of these early days.   They seem to have purchased just about everything on credit and saved the receipts for the paid notes. I don't really know the total cost of some of these items but I am glad that some of their hard earned money was spent on entertainment and ways to make a pioneer woman's life easier.  I'm also glad they weren't thrown out after all these years! 

On June 2, 1903, the Boultons made a deal to pay sixty dollars by the first day of November to purchase a Doherty Organ like the one pictured below on an account with A.H. McLaren.  It appears to have cost them $62 on the first of December to pay this note off. Two dollars would have been the interest, I assume.  Randy recalls it sitting on the front veranda for many years .

March 24, 1897, from R.J. Hulow, Ann H. Boulton purchased a Singer Sewing Machine Number 18767984 in Style  "U.S.A. bak". This website indicates this machine was manufactured in 1874.  I remember Uncle Frank showing it to me years ago and he said he could still get it to work!  Five dollars was due on the machine on June 1, 1897 and the fine print states if this is not paid, the machine must be returned.  As owner of 160 acres of land, she must have been considered a good risk.  

The receipt above is toward the purchase of a washing machine in 1911, I think.  Many of the bills from this period don't use the 0 when writing the year so it may be 1901.  The signature appears to be from McMurchy Brothers.  

Ann's granddaughter Mary (Boulton) Milliken wrote the following description of clothes washing in 1984 for the RM Of Albert History Book Reflections of Time.

Clothes were washed in a hand machine, the handle of which attached to a dolly inside the tub.  When the handle was pushed back and forth, it swished the clothes around in the soap and water.  Two attached, hand turned rollers wrang the water from the clothes.  Water was heated on a boiler on the stove and soap was handmade from lard and lye.  

Although not necessarily an indulgence, this note for the Cream Separator like the one below was important for everyday life.  There is a website here with lots of information on separators.

  

The bill from G.S. Munroe Company from July 26, 1910 was made out to Miss Boulton.  I presume this would be Susan.  She got 13 (yards?) of gingham for $1.30, 5 more yards for 55 cents, sateen , ribbon, cuff buttons and collar buttons for a grand total of $2.95.  The sewing machine would have been put to use to make the clothing for the family.  

It is so hard to imagine life in the Boulton household over 100 years ago but these scraps of paper bring it closer!

Farm Machinery Purchases

The Boulton family left the Brockville, Ontario area in 1892 and headed west for the open land in Manitoba.  They were farmers there but would have likely not brought much with them and had many purchases to make.  Some of these receipts have survived well over 100 years and give an interesting glimpse back in time.

This note, dated November 1894, was for a $105.00 Mower and Rake from Frost and Wood in Winnipeg, perhaps somewhat like the one pictured below.

  

In Septmebr of 1893, Benjamin bought a No 7 Plow and Breaker Board from the Cockshutt Plow Company from Winnipeg.  This payment was for $25 and the interest rate was 8%.  

In the spring of 1898, this note is for a Massey-Harris 15 shoe drill. Besides being signed by Thomas, his mother Ann's signature is underneath.  Benjamin died unexpectedly in 1898 and his will was in probate for many years after, finally being settled in 1902.  

This payment was on an 8 foot Ideal Binder to the Deering Harvester Company likely similar to the one pictured below.  

This would be for the 8 furrow Junior Engine Gang Plow that was purchased to use with the Hart Parr tractor.  The $52 freight bill from Winnipeg to Reston on this plow is recorded in the bill below. 

The Boulton Brothers must have felt optimistic in 1912 as in October there is also a note from the J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company for 40/62 Sep. Gilss Stkr, #2 Nghr & Wagon Loader, 150 X 8 X 5 Rub Ber .  I assume this is harvesting equipment of some type.  Any help with figuring out these words would be most welcome!