Interviews of Granny Blacklock

In track 1 (DG48/1/1/1) of 2, Ian Blacklock interviews his grandmother, Granny Blacklock, who recently turned 100. Granny Blacklock looks back on her life, recalling her early childhood at Parton, her father was an estate worker at Parton House, and Corsock. After her father died, Granny Blacklock’s mother worked for many years doing the laundry at Corsock House. Granny Blacklock recalled going to school in the village, bare feet in summer and clogs in winter and of using a slate for her schoolwork initially.

Granny Blacklock also recalls here time in service, remembering, for instance, when she worked for Mr Bell at Auchendolly at the time of the Boer War. He had a sheep ranch in Rhodesia and would share the news each morning with the staff, telling them that he could be ruined if the war went against him. She also talks about cycling and would often travel from Threave to Garlieston for dances – the main form of entertainment at that time. She recalled one employer who would send her out to clean the upper windows with only a rope tied round her waist for safety. Recalling that this was a time when skirts were worn to the ankle, which must have added to the danger. Sharing further memories of Corsock, Granny Blacklock recalled St Andrew’s church (at the bottom of the village) which was later renovated and made into a house. Towards the end of the track, she remarks that she has had a very busy life and talks about the recent celebrations for her 100th birthday.

In the second interview (DG48/1/1/3) Ian Blacklock and his granny talk more about her life. She recalls that she was married at 40 and that the minister came to the house to perform the ceremony. Prior to that, Granny Blacklock had spend her working life in domestic service, mostly in England. She revisits some of the recollections she related in track 1 of this interview, adding interesting details or clarifications. Among the memories she shares, she talks about going to the poor house with Mr Bell (the minister she worked for in Manchester) and about being quite close to Queen Victoria when the queen opened the Manchester ship canal (1894). When asked about wages, she recalls that she had no idea how much she would be paid when she left one job, after 6 months. On checking, she found she had been paid 6 sovereigns and felt herself to be rich. She also refers to Kings Grange, the estate where she worked for Mrs Gladstone and met her husband, her brother’s penny farthing bike and the death of both her brother and mother to tuberculosis.