"Sailors Housewife" Sewing Kit
Beige canvas sewing kit commonly called a "Sailors Housewife" which would be used by the seaman to make running repairs whilst at sea. To access the kit it is opened out flat and then it can be folded away for easy stowage.
The term "housewife" for being used to describe a sewing kit or ditty bag dates back to the mid-18th century. It is thought to have originated in Lancashire, as the port of Lancaster was one of the busiest in England during the 18th and 19th century. Sailors had to do their own mending, as well as being able to carry all their own belongings, so the small "housewifes" were perfect for their lifestyle. Many sailors came from Lancashire, and other sailors picked up the local term for the kits from them, or when they visited the port.
Details
Details
This item was donated by Geoff Lord who was President of the Busselton Historical Society in 1975 and instrumental in establishing the Museum in the Old Butter Factory Museum.
The Lord family arrived in the Busselton area in 1922 as one of the original Group settlement families at Chapman Hill/ Walsall. Maybe this Sailors Housewife was picked up from a sailor on the ship on the journey over and it certainly would have proved useful in those early years on the farm!
The Group Settlement scheme was a Western Australian/ United Kingdom government migration scheme introduced in 1921, to provide a labour force to develop agricultural land in the South West region of Western Australia, reduce unemployment in the United Kingdom and reduce dependence on food imports from interstate. Members of the Lord family have been active community members in the Busselton region since they arrived in 1922.
Busselton Historical Society
Busselton Historical Society
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