Montreal Gazette, 29 December 1911
Realty Review Vol 1 Montreal, Friday, December 29, 1911 No 315
Preparing his new year’s resolutions
Ps – If you have not done business with us during 1911, it is your loss. Be sure you get in on some of our properties in 1912.
Real Estate Carrick Limited
Phone Main 300
155 Notre Dame Street West
Buffalo Evening News, 21 Jul 1930
Modern Etiquette
Q. When at a dinner should one ever comment on the food?
A. No, unless it is a few words of praise, and then it should be very brief.
Q. When one has received an apology, what should he do?
A. Merely respond with a polite acknowledgement, showing that the acceptance is genuine.
Q. May a man wear sports clothes at any other time than for sports?
A. In the country he may wear them to very informal affairs, but in the city, never.
Grand Forks Herald 20 December 1918
Shrimp Salad
Recipe – 1 can shrimp, ½ teaspoon red pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 lemons, 1 dozen capers, 1 slice of onion.
Method – soak the shrimp in ice water 15 minutes, drain, dry on towel, remove veins and break into pieces. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the shrimp, add the seasoning, and toss about lightly to mix well. Mix with mayonnaise dressing to which is added onion (If liked); arrange in a bowl lined with crisp lettuce, place a large spoonful of mayonnaise on top, and garnish with capers. Serve with slices of lemon.
Cranberry Gelatin
Two and one-half tablespoons gelatin, ½ cup boiling water, ¼ cup cold water, 1 ½ cups cranberry juice, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup sorghum or syrup, 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
The Yonkers Gazette, 29 Apr 1871
Wednesday – John Coffey was brought up on warrant before Justice Baird, charged with obtaining groceries from Michael Dexhermer, Spring Street, under false pretenses. The prosecutor did not appear and the prisoner was therefore discharged. William Mulvaney, a tramp, was charged with drunkenness and committed for 45 days. Michael Desmond, butcher, Washington street, was charged by Mary A Cuddy, of Clinton Street, with having assaulted her. The defendant called upon the complainant for the settlement of an outstanding account, when an altercation ensued about something he had said about the complainant. Mrs. Cuddy alleges that Mr. Desmond struck her without provocation. The defendant was held in $500 bail to answer.
I have this list of birth and death certificates that I have been meaning to order for so long. I had started last year with part of the list, and just this week ordered some more. There will be at least another order to go.
I ordered the death certificates for Charles and Mary Ann Squelch and for Thomas Squelch. I have gone through them now and want to share what they tell me, and what they don’t. First to the negative. I was really hoping for more information on their birthday (for Charles) and parentage (Charles and Mary Ann), which sadly did not happen.
First in the list to talk about is Charles Squelch, who died 11 February 1904. He was an engine driver at the works, according to the list. Is this the Denbro Works in Soho? No idea. But that was certainly located near where Charles lived. His address is listed as 64 Wellhead Lane.
I google mapped the address, and there are no buildings on the site. The housing in the area, which looks like it was up around at the time when Charles and his wife Mary Ann lived there, is all row housing. The houses actually look like they might have been fairly new at the time, maybe less that 20 years old.
64 Wellhead Lane would be the plot on the corner of the street – Wellhead and Oscott Road.
Charles’ daughter Ada Davis was present at the death, and reported it for the death certificate. Her address is listed as 25 Aston Lane in Handsworth. This was the house she lived in with her husband Charles Samuel Davis.
Charles’ cause of death was chronic nephritis – which is a kidney infection.
A year later, Mary Ann Squelch (nee Smith), Charles’ wife died. She died in her home. Her cause of death as “senile decay.” Her rank or profession was widow of Charles Squelch. Long live the patriarchy. Her daughter Emily Fountaine was present at the death, and it is indicated that she lived with her mother.
Emily married William Fountaine, who was a Welshman. Family narrative said that for a time Emily and William lived with Ada Davis and family. This could have been after the death of Mary Ann Squelch. The Fountaine’s had three children, who were born in Handsworth (another bunch of certificates to get!). The emigrated to Australia. [See here for more about their daughter Gladys – https://gilliandr.wordpress.com/2023/05/22/wedding-of-gladys-jones-and-harry-higgins-toowoomba-1929/]
And finally, the death certificate for Charles Squelch’s father. I already knew a bit about him from the newspaper account of his death [see: https://gilliandr.wordpress.com/2021/04/01/manslaughter-of-thomas-squelch-1863/]. I was hoping there might be more. Sadly no.
It should be noted that from the newspaper accounts Thomas was attacked on Christmas 1862, but he seems to have lingered 47 days according to the death certificate. He died in hospital, which is unusual for the period. Most people died at home.
The hospital he was at was the General Hospital in Birmingham. According to Wikipedia, it was located at this time on Hospital Street (I know, obvious). The hospital moved in 1897 to Steelhouse Lane, and the site became a bus depot, and is now the home of Centro House (Transport for Headquarters for West Midlands). According to the newspaper accounts Thomas Squelch lived on upper Hospital Street, so he was living near where he was taken for medical aid.
Because his death was manslaughter the person reporting it was a part of the court system, the coroner. Personal information is even less here than other death certificates because of the cause of his death. All that is said about the decedent is that he was 59, and a toolmaker.
Montreal Daily Star, 27 Mar 1936
My Garden
A window-box upon a sill,
Of blue and red and green,
I smell and smell and take my fill –
This garden scarcely seen.
The buds so shy and quiet – still
Amidst the waving green;
But brave they are, and grow they will,
When summer suns are seen.
A window-box upon a sill,
It’s telling me, I ween;
Look up, and out and grow, until
Beauty in life you glean
Gertrude Boon Rilance
Montreal Gazette, 21 Jan 1942
Recipe for Mince Meat Pies
7 medium cooking apples
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups mincemeat
1 9-inch baked pastry shell
7 maraschino cherries
Pare apples; core; place in casserole. Mix sugar, cinnamon, water, lemon juice; pour over apples. Bake in hot oven (400 degrees F). 45 minutes or until tender. Combine mincemeat with ½ cup syrup in casserole. Line pastry shell with ¾ cup mincemeat. Stuff apples with ¾ cup mincemeat; arrange in pastry shell. Fill spaces between apples with remaining mincemeat. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees F) 20 minutes. Garnish with cherries.
Gilliandr's Blog 
Decoration around the house, 1890
The Marion Star, 3 Feb 1890
Around the house
New and attractive notions in fancy work and decorative knickknacks
Harlequin patchwork is a new thing, and far more artistic than the “crazy” patchwork that has had such a run. The foundation is a width of black satin, on to which every kind of device is applique, such as diamonds, octagons, squares, anchors, scrolls – in fact, any shape you like. These are first carefully cut out in paper and then the material, whatever it may be – silk, velvet, plush or brocade – is put over the paper, with the edges well and neatly turned in. The devices are tacked on to the satin quite carelessly, and then worked in any fancy stitch, like crazy patchwork. This harlequin patchwork, if properly treated, will make many pretty things.
Very pretty embroidery in colored silks and gold thread work is done on butcher blue linen. Ivory yellow linen furnishes one of the best backgrounds for fine embroidery either in silk or bullion threads.
A string bag of quaint design is of satin, blue and white stripes being sewn together to make the bag; all round it hange silver and copper bells, and it is suspended by cords.
One of the prettiest of new sachets is composed of white satin, folded to form two pockets inside, and merely bound round with cord. The decoration makes it noticeable. The background of satin on the front side is painted with graduated shades of warm brown, and on this are scattered a few sweet peas done in an artistic style.
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