Kidz Zone

The “Life Quilt” of Hannah and Robert Smyth

A Narrative by: Margaret H. Boyce

Hannah Elizabeth Down was only seventeen, well nearly eighteen, when she married Robert Sidney Smyth, a carpenter; on December 17th 1853 he was a wonderful twenty year old gentle young man, who she had known since they were at school together. Now that Hannah and Rob were married she was able to use all the wonderful things she had collected in her “hope” chest, since she was eleven years old.

Each and every year she had made and added more and more articles to this special wedding chest.

There were blankets, sheets, pillowcases, table cloths, towels, aprons, hankies and under garments, all neatly sewn, embroidered and lovingly packed away.

She had collected curtain material and lengths of cloth to make clothes. There were pots, pans, a kettle, cooking and baking utensils, candles and crock pots, even her Grandma’s old sewing machine.

Hannah saved everything – her crafts, needles, thread and everything her Gran had taught her, from being a young girl.

Rob had learned a lot from his father and grandfather too, he was now a wonderful carpenter and could make all kinds of things from wood, but Rob had also sailed across the ocean twice to the new world and he wished to take Hannah there too.

In March 1854 Hannah and Rob set off on the long journey across the ocean to the new world (Canada) on a tall sailing ship.

It was a dreadful journey. The ship was dark, smelly and uncomfortable and the sea was rough – very rough indeed.

Hannah couldn’t help thinking of her beloved family that she had left behind, of her parents, her 3 sisters and 2 brothers but mostly she thought of her beloved grandmother. Would she ever see them again? She even thought about Rob’s family too, of his parents, his eight brothers and his sisters, his grandparents, how she missed them all, but letters sent back and forth would help.

Here they were in the new world, on their own and thousands of miles from the old homeland, but at least Hannah was happy she had brought her ‘hope chest’ and a big box of their personal clothes and best of all Rob had brought his large box chest of work tools too.

He had his saws, planes, axes, hammers, mallets, nails and many more.

It was late spring in 1854, Hannah and Rob had worked incredibly hard to clear the ground of their 100 acre piece of land. They had chopped down trees of all sizes to use as logs to build their log cabin, to make a bed, table, chairs, shelves, chests and more tools.

Together they had dug over the ground and planted seeds, plants and little pear and apple trees. Later they were able to plant more grains, corn, barley and vegetables. Maybe they would have enough to trade.

Under the floor of their log home they had dug a hole; this was the cold cellar, to keep their food cool, dry, and safe from animals.

Rob was a good hunter, he went off all day to trap and catch animals and provide enough meat for them. In the fall they would dry, salt and smoke the meat and hang it up for the winter. The animal pelts had to be cleaned, rubbed and cured to make the fur into winter jackets, mitts, hats, rugs and bed covers.

How Hannah and Rob struggled to keep warm, they had never known such bitter cold and deep, deep snow. They both quickly learned how to use the native snow shoes and skis too.

Hannah helped Rob as much as she could during the day, working in the small fields, tending the plants, building the log house and furniture, bringing water from the stream, picking berries from the hedgerows, cutting and smoking meat, and tending to their few animals.

In the evenings, they would sit by the log fire and she would work by candle light making curtains, clothes and blankets by hand. She had to make jams, preserve fruits, pickle vegetables, make candles from bee’s wax, from the bee’s hives in the trees, and make soap in the large cast iron pan over the open fire.

Yes! Hannah and Rob had been told it would be a hard life, but neither of them knew it would be so hard, so tiring or so difficult. How they hated the thousands of insect bites and the bugs in this new land, but somehow they found the strength to carry on.

In the fall Hannah and Rob had to prepare for the winter months and the bitter cold, cutting and stacking wood, preserving food, making candles and soap, catching and drying the meat.

All this work to do and yet somehow Rob had to build a barn to keep the animals warm and safe from prowling animals. Oh how lucky Rob was when all of his neighbours and friends came around one weekend and while the ladies made stews and breads, the men had a barn raising – in one weekend the barn was built – 4 sturdy corners, 4 walls, cross beams, the A frames and finally the roof. After a great deal of friendship, laughter, eating and hand shaking the friends left and all Rob had to do was to finish the doors, the window openings with doors and the inside. What a wonderful way to help new neighbours.

The next week Rob filled his barn with straw, hay, tools, their horse, 2 cows, 4 sheep and many chickens.

Summer 1870 It is now many years later, Hannah and Rob have a cozy, warm home, a large barn with many animals, a large cold cellar full of food and ‘spring house’ built over the creek to keep the food cool in the very hot summers; and best of all, they have their children.

Every Sunday they go to church, to meet their friends and neighbours, and catch up with the local news. After Sunday dinner, in the evenings, they have a musical get together or go to a local concert. Often Rob would attend a town meeting. Once a month Rob and Hannah take the horse and cart into town to buy, sell or trade their goods. Rob takes the grain to the mill to be ground into flour, then he visits the tannery or the buckle factory to buy pieces for the harness or reins, then on to the blacksmith to have new shoes put on the horse, and finally he visits the barber to have his hair cut and a shave.

Hannah goes off to the woollen mill to have her newly spun wool woven into cloth. She visits the milliner for a new hat and the tailor to pick up Rob’s new pants. Finally she visits the general store to pick up candles, spices, salt, beans, coffee, tea and sugar.

She needs some thread and some flour sacks to make their work clothes. As they drive home out of the small town they pass many new factories, a piano factory, an organ factory, a clock factory, two new furniture factories and the hotel. How the town has grown, there will be a lot of work for everyone soon.

One day Hannah decided to make a quilt – it would be a “life quilt”, the story of Rob’s and her struggle to make a new life in the new world and something for their children to enjoy.

Hannah and Rob have five beautiful children, they are the jewels in Rob’s life and Hannah says they are her five diamonds. What more could they both wish for?

Elizabeth Anne is now 15 years old, she was born in February 1855, when Hannah was 20 years old, a lovely quiet young lady with brown hair and brown/green eyes. Elizabeth always loves to help her Mom to cook and work in the home. She is always at her mom’s side and in the evenings she is there to learn to sew, to knit, to crochet and do embroidery. Now she’s making her own ‘hope’ chest.

Their second girl, Mary Alice is a lively 13 year old, and was born in April 1856 with red hair, hazel eyes and a quick temper, yet Mary loves to be outside with the animals, to ride the horse and helping her dad on the farm. Mary is the tomboy of the family.

When Hannah was 24 years old, Victoria Helen was born September 1859, and is known as the quiet, blond and very musical treasure. She quickly learned to play the piano, to cook, knit and sew. Victoria just loves to help in the home and be with Mom, soon she too will be starting to fill a hope chest.

At last in November 1862, Rob got the son he had wished for, Robert John, a bright, cheerful boy who has quickly grown up, he’s a great help to his dad on the farm at all times and Rob noticed that Robert Junior is becoming a good carpenter too. He will be a great help to the family.

Then to Rob’s great delight in June 1865, his second son, that he named Charles Thomas arrived, although this little boy very nearly died, Charles is now growing into a strong, healthy boy who loves the outdoors. Charles spends his days running through fields, picking berries for Mom and playing with Ben, the old dog. He too plays the piano well; his Mom is a good teacher.

Rob and Hannah have always made sure they have enough money to send their children to school in the village and to pay the doctor if they were sick. Their children have learned to read, to write and do math, using chalk on their slates. In the fall they all help to bring in the crops, pick the pears and apples, the vegetables, pick berries, to preserve and pickle them, it is a busy, but good time of the year for them all.

They even carve pumpkins and dress up for Halloween and mom makes pumpkin pie. But they all enjoy Christmas the best, cutting down the tree, putting homemade candles, stars, balls and gingerbread on it, making spiced cake, plum pudding and preparing the turkey, yet most of all they wait for Santa to bring sweet treats, wood toys, cloth dolls, and clothes, and to visit their friends to sing carols.

All these fun times will be on the “life quilt”, all the crafts her Grandma had done with her, and the embroidery crochet, cross stitching, lace making, knitting and sewing, and the crafts she has learned with her friends, the weaving, spinning, beadwork and rug hooking.

In 1871 Rob decided to give Hannah a special gift for her birthday, for all the years they had worked together.

Rob, his friends and neighbours have just finished building the family a new house, a large clapboard house with 4 bedrooms, a parlour, a dining room, a kitchen and 2 fireplaces. Now she can hang their “life quilt” on the kitchen wall for all to enjoy.

The farm, the house, the animals, life with Rob, their family, are all very dear to Hannah, but Hannah’s greatest treasures are her five children – Elizabeth, Mary, Victoria, Robert and little Charles – these are the diamonds in her life.

The life quilt is a tribute to them all, to their hard and difficult struggle but now their happy, cheerful lives together in the new world, Canada.

The End

Kids Zone

The “Life Quilt” of Hannah and Robert Smyth