Thursday, May 7, 2015

One Year of Upper Canada Scots

This month marks the one-year anniversary of Upper Canada Scots! I want to thank everyone who stopped by to read, learn, and see what life was like for the early Scottish families settling in Galt and  what is now Southern Ontario. 

The month of May is a very busy one. Firstly, I'm moving to a new city (or rather, village) where I can more easily access and enjoy the great outdoors. Secondly, I'll be flying to Nova Scotia to present another project of mine at the Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada's national conference. I have been in the process of researching and writing a book on the types of homes constructed by some of the earliest settlers to the New World. As a result of these two potentially life-altering events, I will be placing Upper Canada Scots on a brief hiatus.

In the meantime, I would very much like to hear your suggestions about the types of posts I share on this site. More book reviews? More primary document images? More local Scottish food and festivals? Let me know in the comments below.

Until then, thank you so much for being a part of this wonderful project!

- Jennifer

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Mr. Dickson's House

View of Galt, Ontario, including Scotch church and Mr. Dixon's House
Drawing by Alice E. Brown in 1857, Currently a part of the Archives of Ontario collection
Sources
Archives of Ontario, 2014 "View of Galt..."
James Young's 1880, Reminiscences of the early history of Galt
First United Church, Cambridge "About Us"

Further Reading
Lucille H. Campey's 2005, The Scottish Pioneers of Upper Canada, 1784-1855: Glengarry and Beyond

Thursday, April 23, 2015

"Back In Pioneer Times" (Or, Semantics and the Past)

"I'm not a pilgrim! That was centuries ago!"
Jean Piaget explains, in his theory of cognitive development, that children are first able to distinguish the present from the past during the preoperational stage (ages 2-7 years old), and one past from another during the concrete operational stage (ages 7-11 years old). Knowledge of such development and learning theories are crucial for any museum education department, as well as for any adult who thinks that the past is just one amorphous blob and that "it's all the same anyway". Young museum visitors and students are able to discern various periods in time, and can associate with each differently - so help them out by being specific, and getting it right.

Much in the same way that "Upper Canada" and "Canada West" indicate certain geographical areas within specific periods of time, so to do the terms listed below. They are not all interchangeable, and should only really be used where appropriate. Oversimplifying for the sake of time or argument tends to rob historical groups of their accomplishments (for better or worse). It may also serve to confuse or mislead the person or group you're talking to - dangerous territory if you're dealing with students attempting to mentally map out a timeline.

Pioneer: A person who is among the first to explore or settle a new country or area
Settler: A person who settles in an area, typically one with no or few previous inhabitants.
Puritan: A member of a group of English Protestants of the late 16th and 17th centuries who regarded the Reformation of the Church of England under Elizabeth as incomplete and sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship.
Pilgrim: A member of a group of English Puritans fleeing religious persecution who sailed in the Mayflower (etc) and founded the colony of Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620.
Voyageur: (especially in Canada) A boatman employed by the fur companies in transporting goods and passengers to and from trading posts.
Colonial: Relating to the period of the British colonies in America before independence (1776).

To add to this, Victorians (1838-1901) for example, are not Puritans, Pilgrims, or Voyageurs, but can be pioneers or settlers depending on the place and the time. In Canada it's easy to visualize settlement as moving westward. Vancouver did not become an incorporated city until 1886 versus many Ontario towns which were founded in the early and mid-19th century, and by extension many Quebec and east coast settlements founded in the 17th and 18th centuries. So despite the 19th century being quite recent, many Victorians were the first to settle and establish many areas in the west.

As a former British colony, and as a member of the Commonwealth, we (Canadians) often denote specific periods of time in our history according to the reigning monarch. The Tudor period runs from 1485-1603; The Georgian period is often considered to span 1714-1830, and the Edwardian period from 1901-1914.

Sources
Simply Psychology 2012, "Jean Piaget"

Further Reading
TheFreeDictionary.com
The Commonwealth 2015, "Member countries"

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Pipes, Guitar, and Flute, Oh My!

With the warmer weather upon us (finally!), it's time to venture out and experience another season of festivals, events, and games in Ontario. Many of these gatherings are a great opportunity to experience and learn more about the Scottish traditions which remain vital to many communities. What can be more Scottish than bagpipes?

Thursday, April 23, 2015 starting at 7:00pm
McDougall Cottage, Cambridge
Tel: 519-624-8250
89 Grande Ave S.
N1S 2L7

New performer. Join multi-talented musician Mark Fletcher for a fabulous evening of traditional Scottish fiddle music and song. Mark performs small pipes, mandola, guitar, flute, whistles and Highland pipes. He is joined by fellow performer Drew Skuce (bodhran) for a fantastic evening of Scottish tunes. Music spanning 4 centuries, from both the Scottish Borders and the Highlands will be featured; some linked to history and historical figures and some just for the fun of the music. www.markfletcher.ca.

Admission by cash donation.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

All Aboard!

This image has nothing overtly to do with early settlement and Scottish culture, but it caught my attention enough that I thought it worth sharing. I love coming across images of home from different periods and perspectives. Galt at the start of the 20th century was absolutely bursting with potential and promise - all aboard!

Galt, Preston and Hespeler Street Railway, 1903
Sources
Waterloo Public Library, "Galt, Preston and Hespeler Street Railway"

Further Reading
Kitchener-Waterloo Street Railway 2007, "A History..."
TheRecord.com March 27, 2015 "Century-old streetcar line found under LRT construction"
The Globe and Mail 2010, "No desire for this Waterloo streetcar"
CBC February 25, 2015 "LRT construction set to close King Street in Kitchener in March"

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Cover Girl

A few weeks ago I found out that I made the cover of the 2015 Black Creek Pioneer Village Guidebook, and I'll be honest, I was quite excited. It's fun to think that my smiley profile and berlin work might help encourage people to learn more about history in Ontario. (Berlin work is a style of needlepoint which incorporated the bright new colours of yarn being developed from aniline dyes. Stitching into canvas meant that the pieces were also more durable and could be shown off by the lady who stitched them. The pattern and colours I was using came from a pattern created in 1852, and was for the top of an ottoman - we turned it into a cushion instead for the gift shop.)

I'm (not so secretly) proud of my hair that day.
Visiting an historical village is an excellent way to gain knowledge and understanding of a previous era, or, of another culture. You are allowed the opportunity to walk through buildings decorated and filled with consumer goods/tools/furnishings/foods etc. and talk with interpreters on the importance of those items, and how they were used. You often get to see interpreters and skilled tradespeople at work. Blacksmiths, printers, tinsmiths, and millers are eager to show you how things were done in a particular period. Not only that, you also get to see what the women were up to: baking, running households, spinning wool, doing needlework, or overseeing the Inn. These examples of course come from Black Creek, which represents an 1860s rural village, but variations can be applied to other sites.

What I think visitors have to be aware of before they visit any historical village, is how it came into being, when, and what the interpretive method/goals of the institution are. To use Black Creek as an example, I'll answer these questions and demonstrate their importance.

The 1860s "village" is an assemblage of buildings relocated there from throughout Southern Ontario. Their movement to the site just north of Toronto was spurred on by the rise (and excitement) of historical awareness and funding during Canada's Centennial (1967), as well as an availability of undevelopable land (Hurricane Hazel did not hesitate to show in 1954 that the area was in a massive floodplain). Classic nostalgia for a pre-war era informed the village's creators and their inclusion, placement, and interpretation of buildings. The Victorians are, after all, the originators of the nuclear family, and the cementers of gender-roles. Black Creek Pioneer Village is lucky to have so many original buildings - other sites that interpret older periods of history must rely on reconstructions. No rural village would be complete without the farm, and Black Creek's farm buildings are the only ones that are original to the site (ie. never been moved). That being said, farms were generally hundreds of acres large, and wouldn't have had so many neighbours, so close. Here's a map of the village to give you a better idea.

The finished product: A 22" square pillow that sold in the
Black Creek Pioneer Village gift shop, 2012.
Knowing these things brings out a more critical eye in the visitor. Black Creek isn't so much of a village as it is an (amazing!) outdoor museum with a collection of historic buildings and artefacts. The interpreters and their demonstrations help to create a story which often ends up nostalgizing the lives of those from the past - which is ok for a family outing on a Sunday afternoon so long as you realize there's more to the story.

Thinking of my time as a costumed interpreter reminds me of the many and varied interactions I've had with visitors. My favourite visitor of all time was an American gentleman who asked "what Confederation was all about anyway". My historic heart leapt. For the next 20 minutes we chatted about the formation of Canada in the kitchen of a house built before Confederation was even an idea. One of my proudest accomplishments was finishing this piece of berlin work in under three months using only daylight or oil lamps for light. The awkward always follows the good, however, so I would be remiss if I didn't include the following: Remember that interpreters and historic site staff are not automatons, or props, or seals. They go home at the end of the day, have feelings, get hot wearing seven layers of clothing in July, and want to teach rather than simply entertain. They are people. Best of all, they're well educated people (who are often volunteers) that are there for you! They want to answer your questions, teach you something new, dispel myths, and inspire you to learn more. As you venture out this spring/summer to historic villages and sites in your area, or beyond, remember to acknowledge the interpreters that bring that site to life. If you ask nicely, they might even pose for your own photos.

Sources
The Canadian Encyclopedia Online, "Confederation"
Black Creek Pioneer Village, Homepage

Further Reading
American Needlepoint Guild 2000, "Berlin Work"

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Henry Stephens on Sheep

Henry Stephens is the author of the immensely popular Book of the Farm. Published in 1844, it enjoyed numerous re-prints and again became a highly sought after farming guide in the 21st century after being highlighted in BBC's Victorian Farm. Stephens himself was a Scot who studied chemistry, mathematics and agriculture in Dundee and in Edinburgh, and later went on to apprentice on a farm for several years. A tour of the continent allowed Stephens to compare methods and technologies, of which there seemed to be new ones every day. In the end, financial difficulties forced him away from farm management, and toward writing. He published a series of articles and books before his death in 1874 at the age of 79.

The following excerpts come from the edited version of Stephens' work produced by Alex Langlands of "Victorian Farm" fame. 

The Shepherd
His duty is to undertake the entire management of the sheep; and when he bestows the pains he should on his flock, he has little leisure for any other work. His time is occupied from early dawn, when he should be among his flock before they rise from their lair, and during the whole day, to the evening, when they again lie down for the night. To inspect a large flock at least three times a day, over extensive bounds, implies a walking to fatigue. Besides this daily exercise, he has to attend to the feeding of the young sheep on turnips in winter, the lambing of the ewes in spring, the washing and shearing of the fleece in summer, and the bathing of the flock in autumn. And, over and above these major operations, there are minor ones of weaning, milking, drafting and marking, at appointed times; not to omit the unwearied attention to be bestowed, for a time, on the whole flock, to evade the attacks of insects. (20)

By-Products of Sheep
The sheep is one of the most useful, and therefore one of the most valuable, of our domestic animals; it not only supports our life by its nutritious flesh, but clothes our bodies with its comfortable wool. All writers on diet have agreed in describing mutton as the most valuable of articles of human food. But the products of sheep are not merely useful to man, they also promote his luxuries. The skin of sheep is made into leather and, when so manufactured with the fleece on, makes comfortable mats for the doors of our rooms, and rugs for our carriages. For this purpose the best skins are selected, and covered with the longest and most beautiful fleece. Tanned sheepskin is used in bookbinding. (65-66)

Sources
Alex Langlands' 2011 edited and abridged Book of the Farm (I'm quite partial to my own copy of this book, as I had it signed by Ruth Goodman after attending a lecture by her in Waterloo, Ontario in 2011)
Henry Stephens' 1844 Book of the Farm

Further Reading
The Guardian, "TV show turns long out-of-print farming manual into hot seller"

I'd like to thank Caroline Bendiner for contributing to Sheep Month here on Upper Canada Scots. If you missed her three-part series on wool in the 19th century, simply scroll down or click on March 2015 in the archives. I'd also like to thank everyone who visited this blog in the last month - who knew sheep would be so popular a topic? If there's another aspect of colonial life that you'd like me to focus on, just let me know in the comments below. Happy March!

Monday, March 23, 2015

Start to Finish

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sheep-farming/
Detail from Lewis Parker's Upper Canada
Detail of Lewis Parker's Upper Canada, showing sheep being washed, sheared and released to frolic while the fleece is washed, dried, carded, and spun. Visit the Canadian Encyclopedia, "Sheep Farming".

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Wool in the 19th Century - Part Three

Ontario’s early history of sheep and wool is less about any financial benefits and more about basic survival in harsh, isolated, and extreme environments.  Many newly arrived settlers in the 18th and early 19th centuries were unaware of the extremes in climate in this area. Autumns could bring unexpected frost during the night, freezing many livestock to death.  Settlers had to fear other predators attacking their sheep and livestock: foxes, minx, weasels, and wolves would find their way into animal barns and make a meal of the farmers’ livestock.  Winter brought even colder temperatures, and hungrier predators.

From the 18th century to the first few decades of the 19th century, many early settlers were working with wool solely to clothe themselves rather than for business purposes.  The entire wool production process was very time consuming, and a couple would be lucky to make enough socks to keep their feet warm during their first winter on their land, let alone make sweaters and cloaks.

As early settlers arrived on their properties, the task of creating a farm and home for their family took precedence over spinning an entire wardrobe’s worth of wool.  Time may not allow for much at all to be spun.  About 5 hours of spinning can produce enough yarn to make a pair of socks.  This does not include the shearing, cleaning, carding, and eventual knitting to make the socks.  After the first few years on their farm, a family would probably have produced enough wool to live on, and would be at a point where they can sell or trade any surplus of woollen goods with other neighbours in need.

By the 1830s, the image of the early settler woman sitting in her cabin and spinning wool on the spinning wheel becomes increasingly obsolete.  Early settlers moved up from their tiny cabins to established farm houses, and availability of goods made spinning their own wool less of a necessity for survival.  At this point, it becomes more of a hobby for those that could afford the leisure time.  Spinning thus becomes a nostalgic image of early settlers and their struggle to clothe themselves warmly for the harsh winters.  To this day, nothing can beat a nice home spun woollen toque, mitts, or scarf.

This three-part series "Wool in the 19th Century" was written by Caroline Bendiner, Culture Coordinator for the Township of King.  She has a BA in history from Queen's University and a post graduate certificate in Cultural Site Management from Centennial College. Caroline has a strong passion for history and sharing history with the public.

Monday, March 16, 2015

The Sheep Advocate

"Sheep Farming in Canada
Taken from the Colonial Advocate, Thursday, June 3, 1824. Published by W. L. Mackenzie, Bookseller, Queenston, Upper Canada.

We were called on some business conected with our private affairs, to York, in the early part of May last, and wishing to take the head of lake Ontario in our way, on our journey home, we returned in that direction, and meeting with indifferent weather on Flamboro' mountain, we sent the innkeeper's boy back with the horses, and made up our mind to rest for the night, and enjoy the pleasure of a chat about local improvements, with our esteemed acquaintance, Mr Alexander Brown, of East Flamboro'. Disappointment is the lot of man, and so it fared with us, for Mr. Brown whose plain, sound, Scotch judgement, (as Mr. Wilberforce would call it) is held in much respect by his neighbours, was absent acting as umpire upon some dispute which had occured between two of them in regard to a property. Mrs. B. however, prepared a comfortable cup of tea, and when her husband resturned, we informed him that, next day we would desire his opinion on a subject, o which he was well qualified to give correct information, viz. The rearing of sheep. Accordingly, next morning we proposed our queries, nearly in the order in which they are now arranged. Mr. Brown's answers we give entire adding nothing, and we conceive their publication in every paper in the Colonies, would be a benefit conferred on the country. We will in future numbers, consider the Canada woolen manufacture; it is a most important branch of our domestic industry, even now; and, be it remembered, it is also the principal, and favourite manufacture of old England.
Cheviot ewe with lamb

Question 1. Do you improve your land by keeping sheep, or is it rendered poorer?

Answer. Sheep do not hurt a farm, the pasture need not be long if it is clear; sheep do well enough in summer, though kept on very indifferent pasture. I do not conceive from my experience that sheep improve a farm.

Question 2. What breed of sheep thrive best in Upper Canada?

Answer. I believe the common sheep of the country, the Cheviot breed do, but I would prefer the Liecestershire breed, if they could be easily kept, as being a much heavier sheep, and affording a much greater quantity of wool, and either I consider more advantageous than the full blooded merino. I have the full blooded merino, its wool is too fine, and does not suit the machinery in use in the country, neither will this sheep stand the winter like the Cheviot breed of sheep.

The merino breed crossed with the Cheviot, if kept carefully during the winter, are better adapted for this climate, and their wool being of an intermediate quality, between the former and the latter, is far better suited to our domestic manufacture.

Question 3. When should the rams be allowed to go to the ewes?

Answer. From my experience, not before the 15th or 24th of November, because the ewes if not very full in condition, will not nurse or attend their lambs. In this case, the lambing time will be from the 5th to the 24th of April, (a sheep going 5 months) and at this period, the season is becoming daily milder, so as not to chill the lambs, and there is generally grass enough come up to form a great proportion of sheeps' food. If the sheep lamb in February or March, we have little chance of succeding in saving the lambs, ten or eleven out of twelve die, the grass not being grown, and the weather being too cold.

Question 4. In your knowledge, and with good management, your ewes being sixty, and taking one year with another, how many lambs wil you have each season?

Answer. I should expect sixty lambs; some of the ewes will be barren, others will have two lambs, and perhaps a few lambs may die.

Question 5. What is your general method of managing flocks of sheep during the winter?

Answer. During the winter season, I keep my ewes of two years old and upwards, with my wethers, in a body apart by themselves, and give them plenty of good hay, but not red clover hay, which is not good for them. I have sheds for them at night; when the weather is stormy, and the snow deep, they are kept in these sheds in the day time; but only in such cases, as it is of the utmost importance to sheep to have freedom, when the weather renders it at all possible.

The sping lambs, and the wether sheep, I keep apart by themselves in a comfortable place, giving them, besides good hay, occasionally a little grain, oats, pease or maize are good, I do not think much of buck-wheat, but though I have not had much experience of oil-cake, I know that its mixture with wheat, or bran, will answer well. I give all my sheep salt, once a week, two quarts serve 100 sheep.

Question 6. Do you think it advantages to let the spring lambs breed the first year?

Answer. I do not. In small flocks it cannot be prevented, but I would advise, where large flocks are kept, that the lambs be weaned about the lasy of July, or beginning of August, and then kept seperated from the rest of the flock, until the following spring, and that in no case the rams be let amongst them. Sheep which are then prevented from bearing lambs the first year, become much better and stronger, they greatly improve the stock, &c by weaning the lambs as above. They are no worse, and it gives the ewe time to get in better order to stand our long winters.

Question 7. How ought sheep to be kept in the summer?

Answer. I should say, in the open field, or in a large space; sheep kept very close together at night, become unhealthy.

Question 8. Are sheep liable to many disorders in this country?

Answer. The worst disorder to which sheep are here liable, is cold; most commonly caused by over early shearing and washing. I disapprove of washing before shearing, in general, as it is made a frolic of; sheep are handled too roughly and are apt to get hurt. The best time for shearing, if the weather is not too cold, is early in June. I entirely disapprove of shearing at an earlier period. By this time the new wool is some grown, the sheep therefore can be easier shorn, and it will thereafter feel comfortable. An objection has been raised by many, that the new wool is shorn and intermixed with the old, and that my that means, the wool is injured in the carding machine. From my experience in this country, I can say that I have always shorn my sheep late, and that the carders have assured me that no better wool to work than mine has ever passed through their hands. I have had 15 years experience in Britain before  came to this country; and in the last five years before I emigrated, I aided and assisted in shearing 25,000 sheep, yet I never heard a complaint of this nature made. I know of no other disorder generally affecting sheep in Canada, unless sometimes blindness - The cure in this case is to let blood in a small vein in the hollow below the eye, and let the blood run into the eye.

Question 9. Do you think the risk in keeping sheep is so great here as in Britain?

Answer. I should say, no. As regards disorders, there are much fewer natural deaths; the risk in winter is less. But wolves, though unknown in Britain, are very destructive to flocks in most places in this province, I conceive the bounty offered for their destruction to be a measure of general utility. There is little risk of losing sheep in winter, if they are duly attended to.

Question 10. Have you any other remark of importance to make concerning the improvement of sheep?

Answer. To improve the stock, I would draw off some of my oldest ewes and weakest lambs and dispose of them to some one having a smaller stock who could tend them better. The old ewes may be known by looking in their mouths to see if all their teeth are in good order. If any of the teeth are lost, or become very long and sharp, I would put them away, unless in a rare instance of a very good ewe. In all stocks, change the rams occasionally.

Question 11. You have, doubtless, from your long experience, a correct idea of the profits to be derived from the keeping of sheep flocks; state your opinion on the subject?

Answer. I average about 3 lbs of wool yearly from each sheep. The expense of keeping sheep, taking one with another throughout the year, I calculate at about a dollar a head. Ewes will do to keep 9 or 10 years, or till their mouths get very bad, so as that they cannot eat; but wethers, if they are fat, should be killed at 4 or 5 years, as they never will be so good food after that age. Even at the price which wool now fetches in the best settled part of the province, I should say that it would pay the expenses and risk of keeping the sheep. By keeping on the stock of wether lambs, and selling the old wethers fat in the spring or early in the summer at 4 or 5 years, there is a profit; 5 or 6 dollars has in many cases been paid, (the fleece being on;) the average price is about a guinea.

In a flock of 100 sheep, and allowing for all accidents, I should suppose 40 lambs to be the increase yearly; Iike enough a half would prove to be rams - Twenty wethers could thus be sold every year, and the stock would still be on the increase. This gives a profit of twenty guineas, besides an increase of twenty ewe lambs in one year, after paying all expenses and trouble. The profit is indeed much greater than this, but I have conceived it best to be under, rather than over the truth. I think that sheep are the most profitable stock a farmer can keep in this country, for such as have farms that will permit the keeping of them."

We informed Mr. Brown that we would publish his observations in an early paper, to which he agreed; indeed, we have made it a rule that what we obtain of information, in private, we never shall make public, using our informant's name, without his consent. We now took our leave of this worthy and opulent farmer and his family, and descended the mountain, fully enjoying the beautiful, interesting, and varied scenery, which the grand amphitheatre around Burlington Bay presents, thinking, all the while, upon the bonny highland hills, sheep cots, and green knowes of our native Scotland, and lifting merrily one of those songs of the inimitable Ramsay, which we had first heard sung amidst the echoes of our native glens and heather mountains, (and which our readers, if in cheerful mood, may find the pretty pastoral, "the Gentle Shepherd.") We soon reached the valley by the narrow craggy road least travelled, and in rather better than an hour found ourselves in the busy little village of Coote's Paradise, better know by its other name, Dundas."

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Wool in the 19th Century - Part Two

Dyeing wool is a step that can take place either before or after the actual spinning process.  Early settlers in Ontario were dyeing their wool predominately to hide the dirt and filth on their clothes from their intense agricultural work.  They may not necessarily have an abundance of clothing, so to dye their one or two dresses brown would make going to church on Sundays less embarrassing because any dirt would be less noticeable.

Skeins of black walnut dyed wool
One of the most popular local dyes used in Ontario is mad from the shell of a black walnut.  Black walnut trees are native to Ontario.  In fact, many of the Pennsylvania-Dutch settlers that arrived in Ontario c.1790s-1830s believed black walnut trees to be a sign of fertility of the land, and would make their settlements near any growth.  This theory is explained in The Trail of the Black Walnut by G. Elmore Reaman, where the migration of the Pennsylvanian-Dutch from American to early Canada can be traced by the growth of black walnut trees throughout southern Ontario.  The black walnut itself can make a fantastic, and very intense, brown.  Perfect for masking any dirt!  After boiling the shells in hot water, you strain the water, and place the wool in the dye bath.  After sitting for just a few hours, you can get a fantastic brown dyed fabric!

This three-part series "Wool in the 19th Century" was written by Caroline Bendiner, Culture Coordinator for the Township of King.  She has a BA in history from Queen's University and a post graduate certificate in Cultural Site Management from Centennial College. Caroline has a strong passion for history and sharing history with the public.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Sheep Shearing

Have a look at how sheep shearing is done in this clip from the BBC's Edwardian Farm:
 

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Wool in the 19th Century - Part One

Spinning Wool at Black Creek Pioneer Village
in Toronto, Ontario
One of the most iconic images of the early settler period of Ontario is that of a pioneer woman sitting in her tiny log cabin spinning wool.

The process of turning fleece into wool is simple, yet takes a lot of practice to truly perfect.  The first step is to shear the sheep; normally done once, sometimes twice, a year in the early spring.  This allows the sheep to be comfortable during the summer weather, while growing back their wool to maintain warmth through cooler seasons.

The next step is to clean the fleece.  To make the cleaning process more efficient, some would pick it apart first, removing any overly matted bits or large clumps of dirt or excrement.  How do you clean fleece?  You can literally place it in a tub of cold water with minimal soap.  Hot water can threaten the fibres and too much soap can remove some of the natural oils (lanolin) that even to this day we can separate and harness for other purposes (hand lotions, soaps).  Having some of the natural oils on the wool also makes it easier to spin.  Some settlers may change the water once or twice to remove as much of the dirt as possible.  

Traditional Sheep Shears
Once the fleece is clean, and before spinning it, it is integral to card the wool.  This involves using two brushes (carders) and brushing the wool in opposite directions.  The fibres that create the wool become straight after they’re carded, and the wool becomes easier to control when spinning.

Spinning wool is essentially the twisting of the fibres at a rapid pace to connect them and link them into one whole string.  The thickness and consistency of that string is all dependent on the spinner.  An early settler spinning wool to make socks for their children may not care so much for the consistently and quality of the string as someone spinning for a business.  It is completely possible to spin several strings together to create a thicker yarn.

This three-part series "Wool in the 19th Century" was written by Caroline Bendiner, Culture Coordinator for the Township of King. She has a BA in history from Queen's University and a post graduate certificate in Cultural Site Management from Centennial College. Caroline has a strong passion for history and sharing history with the public.

Monday, March 2, 2015

Sheep Facts

"Sheep have excellent peripheral vision. Their large, rectangular pupils allow them to see almost 360 degrees. In fact, they can see behind themselves without turning their heads!"

Learn more, at 25 Surprising Facts About Sheep.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Special Announcement!

http://www.scottish-blackface.co.uk/
Scottish Blackface Sheep
Each post during the month of March will be dedicated to sheep in Upper Canada/Canada West - who kept them, how many, which breeds were preferred, and of course their many uses.

Why sheep? Why not?

As a special bonus this month I've teamed up with fellow colleague and wool aficionado Caroline Bendiner. She's prepared guest blog posts on early 19th century methods of turning fleece into wool, as well as where you can see these methods being used today.

For March there will also be a number of extra posts related to sheep facts. Never again will you come face to face with an Ovis aries and not know that while it may have four stomachs, it has no top front teeth.

Don't forget to check back often, and of course feel free to comment - let's show our guest blogger some love!