Thomas Jordan (B.1892): Purpose and Audience
‘Most working-class autobiographies begin not with a family lineage or a birthdate but rather with an apology for their authors’ ordinariness’ (Gagnier, …
Mary Norreen Hart (b.1928): Purpose and Audience
‘for all my family especially my dear husband Ron, our lovely daughters Lindsey and Rosslyn, our supportive sons-in-law Ted and Paul and …
Guy Oates (1905 – 1987): Researching Writing Lives
In my final remarks let me read you these few lines, written many years ago, in one of my more serious moments: …
Thomas Jordan (B.1892): An Introduction
Mr. Thomas Jordan. 2 Simpasture Court, Newton Aycliffe. Co. Durham. Thomas Jordan was born in January 1892 in Birtley, County Durham …
Percy Vere (H.V.Smith) (b.1913): Reading and (Life) Writing
Percy does not focus on the reading or writing very much at all within his memoir , similarly to Edward S. Humphries. …
Mary Norreen Hart (b.1928): Home and Family [part 1]
‘We were a family of five, but sadly did not live together as a family for very long because of our financial …
George Gregory (b. 1888): Reading and Writing
I went into some detail about George’s reading habits in my previous post (Education and Schooling) but there is more to tell …
Mary Norreen Hart (b.1928): Habits and Beliefs
“The Church of Christ was a haven” For many during the 20th century, religion was a way of life. But, for many …
Percy Vere (H.V.Smith) (b.1913): Illness, Heath & Disability
The first mention of poor health in Percy’s memoir, is when appendicitis puts his marriage on hold. ‘ As on September 19th …
Margaret Watson (b.1907) War and Memory
Margaret Watson was just seven-years-old when the First World War began. By the start of the Second World War, Margaret was a …