Tommy’s War: A First World War Diary 1913–1918

Monday, 6 January

Cleaned the range tonight, including the flues. Dirty job. Agnes washed the floor after. Wee man still sneezing. Wee man got a new frock.

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Tuesday, 7 January

Lit the kitchen fire this morning, but it was a failure. Called at the factor and cussed him, so the men put a new ‘whirly’ on today.

(#ulink_e4dd2750-bfba-542e-be93-9368602297f6) 13 public houses in Ward 21 (Govanhill).

(#ulink_fbce79ba-ab5a-5be5-9258-f357a07a310d) 19 licensed grocers.

(#ulink_7f61f52f-ab63-5fab-9220-a7fe541aec3f) Population 35,082. Municipal electors 7,813.

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Wednesday, 8 January

Knocked the kitchen blind down, so had to knock it back up again. We are going to flit.

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Thursday, 9 January

Agnes out in forenoon looking for a new house. Out again after tea time to see one in 14 Morgan Street. I was not out. Agnes doing a washing tonight. I minded wee Magintey.

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Friday, 10 January

Cold east wind today. Factor here in afternoon to see about a house we wanted. Agnes ironed tonight, I cleaned the brass rail and jelly pan.

Saturday, 11 JANUARY

Cold disman day of sleet and rain. We went househunting in afternoon but didn’t find a good enough house.

Sunday, 12 January

Rain and snow all day long. Went and saw Dr Gardiner at 5 p.m. and made him my doctor, to fulfil the requirements of the law.

(#ulink_4c12b04c-2b68-55f7-afab-48e630ad4b71) Agnes not very well today.

Monday, 13 January

Went and saw the factor at 5.30 and booked a new house at 14 Morgan Street, 2 up left.

(#ulink_fef6635a-bd52-58ae-81d8-3e17c0122df0) Got my boots mended today for a bob. Nobody came tonight to cheer our loneliness.

Tuesday, 14 January

Horrid cold frosty day. Not out at night. Youth up today putting a board up at our window.

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Anderston Library reading room.

Wednesday, 15 January

Went to library tonight for my usual volume of sermons.

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Friday, 17 January

Lifted the room carpet tonight and the waxcloth around thereof.

(#ulink_b3abb7f8-8aa4-5255-a3bd-1075f8eda6c0) Agnes did a big ironing.

Tuesday, 21 January

Agnes met me at 170 Ingram Street

(#ulink_d6c016de-fa52-5747-9dd7-6eab2aa132b3) and we went to Brig’ton.

(#ulink_4a8aaebc-d7e6-500f-af07-4a70279e7202) Sam and Nellie and the weans

(#ulink_81fb5b36-4eb3-5135-b9d7-dc9924af43ad) there. Got home at 11.40. Got the keys to our new house in the letter box.

Thomas and his family – and indeed everyone in the United Kingdom until 14 February 1971 – used a monetary system based on pounds, shillings and pence. A pound was worth 20 shillings, and a shilling or ‘bob’ was worth 12 pence. The sum of one pound, three shillings and sixpence was written as £1 3s 6d, with the letters ‘s’ and ‘d’ derived from Latin. Sums of money were also given in shillings, with a ‘solidus’ (forward slash) after the number of shillings, such as 3/6 (three shillings and sixpence) or 30/- (thirty shillings, with the hyphen used to indicate that there were no pennies).

Thomas’ wallet and Agnes’ purse would have held farthings (there were four farthings to a penny), half-pennies, pennies, three-penny bits, sixpences or ‘tanners’, shillings, florins (two-shilling pieces) and half-crowns (worth 2/6). They would also have notes valued at 10/- and £1 and, on rare occasions, £5 and £10. In broad terms, we can multiply any prices mentioned by Thomas by 83 to arrive at a modern equivalent.

Wednesday, 22 January

Took a turn up to our new house in the morning. Mr Gordon up at night and fitted up kitchen and room gas in our new mansion.

(#ulink_4cf30992-e311-547a-9ecb-74cfa7b1af92) All the Ibrox crowd up. Mr McCort did the whitewashing for 30 pennies.

(#ulink_d3a5da4c-d376-5f56-873b-dd9387bff198) Bought three new mantles for 9 pence. Heavy snow at night.

Thursday, 23 January

Got away today at 11 a.m. to flit myself and family. Called in at Bow’s Emporium

(#ulink_48f41364-e2b6-547d-8bf9-8da1ae3916b2) and arranged for a man to fit in the room grate. Went up to the new house in afternoon and whitewashed the kitchen press and bunker. The flitting starts tonight. To help we had Sam and Donald, Mr McCort, Mrs and Miss Gordon and Josephine.

(#ulink_12dc01ec-1f48-545a-be73-ef4b03ecba2c) We ceased operations at 10.30 and had supper.