Life Aboard Immigrant Ships

[SGould40]

Hi All,

I have made a fantastic discovery. Through my research and facebook, I have met and become best friends with my 2nd cousin on my mothers side (our mothers' mother's were sisters from Russia). I was doing some digging for her, on her father's family and discovered that they came to Canada on the RMS Melita, arriving Aug 22, 1909, sailing from Liverpool to Quebec City.

HMMM... that sounded familiar.... So I looked through my tree, my father's mother also arrived at Quebec City on Aug 22, 1909 aboard the RMS Melita. WOW.... Her Grandfather and my Grandmother were on the same freakin ship on the same sailing. What a wild coincidence. =D>

So here's the question that has come up. Her grandfather's family was from was from Suffolk England. My grandmother's family was all from Edinburgh Scotland. I'm curious if they could have met each other. What were relations like between the Scottish and English in 1909. Would they have inteermingled, or would there have been a proverbial 'line drawn in the sand' between them. What about the children, he would have been 12, she would have been 9, whould they have possibly played together, or were girls and boys kept apart.

Thanks for any insight.
Cheers from Canada
Steve

[Hibee]

Hi Steve

Here is my grandmother's account of her voyage from Edinburgh to Australia, in 1911. It has several mentions of the Scots/English thing.

http://3heads.blogspot.com

Hibee

[paddyscar]

That's a wonderful account, Hibee. Thanks for letting us in on it.

Frances

[johnniegarve]

R.L.Stevenson's "The Amateur Emigrant", a trip from the Clyde to the US, a great read. Available online.

[Elwyn 1]

You are lucky to have such a detailed and perceptive description of the journey.

To answer your question about the relations between the Scottish and English in 1909, in my opinion they would be much as they are to this day, mostly friendly rivalry. There were plenty of Scots marrying English people at that time. (Several of my ancestors did). I am also quite sure the children would all have played together on the ship.

[SGould40]

Thanks for the responses folks. I appreciate the insight.

Hibee, thanks so much for that wonderful diary. Very interesting. I had to chuckle while reading it, I could hear my own Scottish grandmother quoting exactly what she paid for everything.

I've read the first couple chapters of 'The Amateur Immigrant". I will finish it later today. It's a bit difficult to read, so slow going. Thanks.

Cheers from Canada
Steve

[sheilajim]

Hi Hildee,

What a wonderful account of your grandmother's voyage. =D> While reading it, it almost seemed to me that I was with her on her trip or wished to be in spite of the lack of conveniences. It is also an account of a time gone by. Every place that she went was an adventure, not like today when every city seems to have a monotonous sameness. She must have been quite a woman. I was so disappointed when her story abruptly ended.

[Roving Lad]

Hi Hibee,
Just got round to reading your grandmothers account of her voyage, very interesting indeed. Going back to 1911 it must have been a real cultural shock for anyone from Scotland to see these far off places. We tend to take travel for granted now!
Reason for me saying this is that my own grandmother from Paisley only went to England for the first time in 1962.Born in 1903 she would be almost sixty by then. Imagine it would have had to be by train or bus, flying would have been out of the question for obvious financial reasons. That was the one and only time she left her native country.
Remember her complaints on her homecoming after two weeks. "It's awfy faur, the breids nae guid, cannae get a decent cuppa tea because the waters no the same as oors. Oh, and they talk awfy funny ". Grandpa as usual just sat there and shook his head.
Thanks for the story
Roving Lad