UNMARRIED MEN

wini · Post by **wini** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:49 am

Nina & Ina

Doesn't it frustrate you that you come to a DEAD end?
I just think I'm getting somewhere and then I strike the SINGLES.

Joette,
You are very lucky that they all married. Especially if thay had offspring.

My lot are all C of S or Free Church which you would think would have made them Puritanical but obviously not.
I'm afraid that even at my age I am far to naive and gullible

wini

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 5:00 am

well, wini,

My gg uncle who died of syphallis was a Catholic...

Nina

wini · Post by **wini** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 5:10 am

Nina,

I'm not going to comment any more, I can see it getting me into trouble

:lowinil:

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 5:19 am

Right enough wini,

Talking about it got me into trouble with my mum!

Nina

David Flint · Post by **David Flint** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:04 pm

A belated contribution but this is a poem composed by Janet Reid (1777-1854) of Carnock, Fife, that she had printed as a broadside and sold on the streets at a halfpenny or a penny - she sold this copy in Bridge of Allan in 1843:

FOR BACHELORS

Bachelors, we all must understand,
Must surely be afraid to take a young Lady by the hand.
Bachelors must surely think much of their money,
That they are afraid to make a young Lady their honey.
If any man wishes to live comfortable through life,
He will take some pleasant young woman for his wife.
God said it was not good for man to be alone,
But that surely Bachelors never yet has known.
God said he would make for man a help that was meet,
But that help Bachelors never does seek.
I hope good people will understand,
That there is many a pleasant young Lady in the land.
A Bachelor for a young Lady might have a good seat,
And to take home a young Lady they need not be very far beat.
I have set the young Ladies now on a plan,
To try for themselves to get a young man.
A long time have kings been on the throne,
But now that time for Bachelors has gone.
It will be a long time ere ever we will have a king again:
I hope good luck with the Ladies all that time will remain,
I hope Gentlemen and Ladies will live a religious life,
And married or unmarried, I hope they will never live in strife,
For in our country there is many a pleasant wife.
Married or unmarried we contented should be,
For many alterations we every year do see.
Time with every one is wearing away;
There will be neither marrying nor giving in marriage at the last day.
People’s minds are ready to be full of vanity,
But neither rich nor poor can death defy.
Both young and old, rich and poor,
Must some day or night come to a dying hour.

(By) Janet Reid, Carnock, Fifeshire
Printed in the Stirling Observer Office

Queen Victoria had been crowned in 1837. The "plan" she mentions was set out in another poem "For Young Ladies" which I can add if anyone is interested. Janet Reid never married so might have been a little biased!
David

wini · Post by **wini** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 11:23 am

What an interesting lady Janet Reid must have been
I am always surprised, probably wrongly to come across strongly independent women in a time I always thought of as Patriarchal.

I would be inerested in her plan "For young Ladies"
Do you know what her background was David??

wini

David Flint · Post by **David Flint** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 4:20 pm

Hi Wini,
Yes, Janet Reid was a remarkable woman. She never went to school and never learnt to write but she was taught to read by a friend when young. She earned her living from childhood as a farm labourer until she was too old at 60. She then found that she could compose 'poetry' at a moment's notice and dictated her poems to her neighbours and had them printed as broadsides on single slips of paper. She travelled around the Lowland towns selling them on the streets from 1839 and settled in Bridge of Allan in 1844 where there were many ready customers taking the waters at the spa. She died there in 1854. She was very religious and probably quite an awkward character but she spoke out on things she felt strongly about. She wrote three poems on this subject 'For Young Ladies', 'For Ladies and Gentlemen' and 'On Bachelors' so I will quote both the other two poems because they are surprising:

FOR YOUNG LADIES

Now, as Queen Victoria the Crown has got,
Young ladies to choose their husbands should have a vote.
If any young woman a man does conceit,
With that she cannot be very far beat.
By a post letter she may let him know:
If he be a civil man he'll never prove her foe.
If she be a woman that he does not choose,
He can just send back a letter of refuse.
If she be one that he can marry,
To let her know I hope he will not tarry.
Our female sex was in the first transgression;
For that we must make a fair confession.
Woman now sits at the top of the tree,
In our nation we may fairly see.
Although we were the first that made man to sin,
For all this, the promise to us did first begin.
Women were first at our Saviour’s grave:
Both men and women should well behave.
We should always remember what our sins our Saviour cost;
Had it not been our blessed Saviour we should all have been lost.
It is a great sign of a Christian mind,
When husband and wife to each other are kind.
I have seen three Kings upon the throne,
Now Queen Victoria is comed on;
A religious Queen I hope she will be —
But it is not much of her reign I am likely to see.
I hope that she with her subjects will be kind to the heathen nation;
To part with money to send the Gospel they'll not count it a vexation.
Man at first was made of dust,
And unto that man and woman return they must.

FOR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

Young ladies we may all understand,
Have their freedom in our Scottish land.
Woman now, at this day, is at the head of our nation,
A young lady about a gentleman need not be in vexation.
I think a lady in love would never do better,
Than send the gentleman a civil letter.
If the gentleman does no good, he’ll do no ill —
A handsome lady’s market he will never spill.
Every one knows how their own shoes does them bind,
And to keep a lady’s secret, a gentleman will be inclined.
It is a long time since love did begin,
And we all know that true love is no sin.
There’s many a man does not know whose heart he has a keeping,
Although he did know about that, he will not be speaking,
I hope no young man will prove a woman’s foe,
If ever he comes for to know.
If he can’t return love again,
He will let no person ken.
We know how it was with Jacob of old —
True love by no person should be told.
What more is a woman than a man;
But she always tries to hide her love if she can.
Many a woman on her marriage day,
Her heart could go another way.
But it is not the fashion for women in our land,
To reveal their love to a man, as we do understand.
But this fashion in our land should be done away,
And women for a partner in life, should get something to say.
They have their part in marriage up for to hold;
I think to speak or write they should be bold.
Although marriage is only for this life,
True love will make many a pleasant wife.
It’s a pity any woman should be married against her mind;
Sometimes to marry another a bride is inclined.

But I think she was a bit naive about relations between the sexes - and some of what she points out still holds - or has yet to come about don't you think?!
David