Motherhood, Loss and The First World War
RESEARCHING shetland women and mothers in World War One
In finding out about the effects of World War One on Shetland women, I've already come across many poignant artefacts and objects that carry great meaning. We typically find out about history from books or from formal historical records. These sources only tell some of the story however - saved and treasured personal objects can reveal much about people and their lives.
The first image here is a badge of the Queen Mary Needlework Guild that belonged to Miss. Gray from Bressay, Shetland. This Guild industriously made knitted and sewn garments for soldiers and sailors throughout the war. Miss Gray was a member of the Bressay branch of the Guild, volunteering her time and skill to make much needed garments. Miss Gray never married, but spent her whole life with her family in Bressay. The war meant the loss of a whole section of the male population, and this would have been keenly felt in Shetland where women had greatly outnumbered men even before the war. Shetland women had always had to be resilient, and many never married but sustained themselves through their knitting or other forms of work. An undeniable and long-lasting affect of World War One however is the many marriages and births that would never be.
The second image (below) is a ring engraved with ‘Arras’ which belonged to Private Karl Manson (1897 - 1917). He left his home in Lerwick only three days after finishing school to embark on Army training. After only months of training, Karl Manson was killed by sniper at the battle of Arras aged just 19. This ring was found on Karl’s fallen body on the battlefield and returned to his mother, who kept it safe it along with other poignant objects from Karl’s life.
Through objects and their origins, journeyings and preservation, we can trace stories which reflect both larger political events and peoples’ individual personal histories. In my talk about Motherhood, Loss at the First World War on 22nd November at Bressay Heritage Centre, I’ll be tracing some stories of Shetland women and mothers through objects, including those here, and hope to reveal some of the untold ways a World War impacted their island lives.
Sources: Shetland Archives, ‘Private Karl Manson’, Laurie Goodlad, 60 North Magazine, Winter 2015. .
This evening on 22nd November will be part of ‘Motherhood, Loss and The First World War’ project, a centenary commemoration project led by Big Ideas and funded by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), with a National Lottery grant from Big Lottery Fund to work in Home Nations.
