1911 Picture

[Greensleeves]

Grandmother's clothing almost looks like a uniform - quite magisterial, or the sort of thing a church deacon or a teacher  might wear.

[Ruskie]

Grandmother's clothing almost looks like a uniform - quite magisterial, or the sort of thing a church deacon or a teacher  might wear.

Yes it does doesn't it? 

[Greensleeves]

Interestingly I read earlier that until about the 1980s the deacons in the Church of Scotland were all women... but my thinking here of course is influenced by the fact that three of us, with no evidence whatsoever, think that this photo was taken in Scotland!

[Ruskie]

I hope that this hasn't influenced my thinking:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20609141_308796,00.html

 

[Greensleeves]

I can see the influence there, Ruskie!   I wonder whether the grandmother is dressed in a way to reflect her background - the fact that she is a good and honourable woman - to show that her little illegitimate grandchild is loved and is of a good background. I say this because I remember a parallel situation in my own family where the father and mother dressed in their very best to show that they were respectable and that they accepted  the child.

[Ruskie]

I think you might have hit the nail on the head greensleeves. I did think that she is projecting the image of a very conservative grandmother accepting her illegitimate grandchild. You always think that in those times the daughter and child may have been shunned, but it obviousy wasn't the case here and illegitimacy was probably accepted more than we are led to believe.

Rory really needs to find out if that photo has any identifying marks or names.

[Greensleeves]

I agree Ruskie - I don't think that illegitimacy was quite such a stigma as it was in our young days; but nevertheless there was the need to show that a fatherless child was particularly cared for and loved by the elders of the family, to show that he or she was accepted and embraced by the family.

[shanghaipanda]

Grandmother's clothing almost looks like a uniform - quite magisterial, or the sort of thing a church deacon or a teacher  might wear.

Is that a cross on the chair  - possibly a church connection

[cazza59]

Grandmother's clothing almost looks like a uniform - quite magisterial, or the sort of thing a church deacon or a teacher  might wear.

Yes it does doesn't it? 

or a matron perhaps....