History society enjoy talk on ‘The Soldiers Wives of Yesteryear’

THE Shepshed History Society enjoyed a very entertaining talk in February, given by Mel Wilson and Dave Holden, their topic being ‘The Soldiers Wives of Yesteryear’

Mel dressed in a primitive dress that was fashionable in the early 1800’s and posing as a military wife explained to the society how her husband having joined up with the militia, decided to join him abroad on the battle front.

So along with her baby son and living in a primitive tent crammed with many other people, Mel went on to describe her daily chores which included nursing the wounded as well as many other hardships they had to endure. Then when one husband died it was normal for these hardworking women to move onto the next one.

As Mel spoke, Dave Holden dressed as a Coldstream guard and being one of her husbands from the same era and carrying a musket, broke in and explained in detail all about the horrific conditions they had to endure on the battle front and also the methods of fighting that was experienced during these very cruel conflicts.

The term ‘pin money’ apparently derives from poor women in days of old trying to make their garments last for as long as possible, because instead of buttons, they would buy pins when they had spare coins put by so that when their figures changed due to pregnancy or malnutrition for example, they could alter their clothing to fit.

The March meeting will be a talk by Stephen Hartley on ‘The Rise and Fall of the English Castles’.