Tweedsmuir History Books

The Women's Institutes of Canada started local history books in the mid 1930's at the suggestion of Lady Tweedsmuir (wife of the Governor General). While it started in Ontario the practice spread to other provinces and members of local institutes since then have contributed their memories of the mainly rural areas they lived in. I haven't included a specific link because of the wide distribution of current "books" but as local institutes continue to disband many of the books are finding their way into archives at various levels. These in turn generally have searchable databases.

 

I have the West Kent (England) Federation of WI book within living memory amongst other local interest books

 

I was pleased to find the reference to the WI books as my mother was a keen member in the UK while in her 70's and glad that the organisation had turned it's attention to national matters of interest to its members. I remember her saying she was glad it was no longer "all jam and Jerusalem" !

 

I have belonged to both the afternoon and evening WI's where I live and was priviledged to go to the trienniel meeting at Birmingham some years ago. When you've heard a few thousand women singing Jerusalem in a hall its so very emotional. I took part in many trips, events and committees over a few years, then sadly work got in the way and I had to leave. I have happy memories of my time there, and think its not that common to have both afternoon and evening sessions in the same town/village, but there is obviously a need for them.

 

"Jerusalem" was our school song so I know what you mean, even with only a hundred girls and a slightly out of tune piano it always gave me goosebumps. It's appropriate that, at least according to Billy Bragg, William Blake's poem was set to music by Hubert Parry in 1918 for a rally in support of votes for women.

 

I wonder just how many schools had Jerusalem as their school song? We did , it replaced Pioneers by Walt Whitman as ours was the 1st Technical Girls School in the Country (in Kent England)