#52 ANCESTORS WEEK 19 - MOTHER'S DAY

Week 19: Mother's Day
Mother's Day was recently celebrated in the US and Australia in May. For this prompt It seemed like a good time to take a look at a mother in the family tree. After all, half of our ancestors were mothers! You could highlight your mother or one of the other mums in your family's history. 

Mother’s Day

Ruby Florence Briggs was born on 18 September 1917, the second daughter to Samuel Stanley and Florence May Briggs.⁠[1] 

Ruby was born in the suburb of Newtown, her eldest brother had died in a car accident two years previous. Her sister Vera was 6 years old and her brother Colin was 5 years old. 

Ruby was my mother, she died on 4th April, 1996.[⁠2] Mum lived with my family for many of her later years before moving into a small unit in the same town until her death.

My Mother was a very private woman. She rarely spoke to me of her past or family. She instilled in me a sense of family though. 

She always seemed to be making something. With four daughters she sewed clothes for us all. I remember overcoats that would have challenged a professional taylor! 

I remember dolls clothes that magically appeared at the mention of wanting a new outfit for one of them. 

Mum made all of her four daughters wedding dresses as well as the bridesmaid dresses of the accompanying sisters. When one of my bridesmaids married a couple of years after me and her wedding dressmaker let her down, Mum remade her wedding dress for her at the last minute. She looked beautiful and had a dress that actually fitted her on the day. 

I have fond memories of outfits being sewn for me to wear on special occasions. One in particular was made for a party where “Pajama” wear was required. As I was seventeen at the time, I wanted something pretty that I could also wear out in public. Mum produced the most beautiful flannelette “evening style” nightie. I remember it to this day, the flounces, the lace, but most of all the orange floral flannelette! I thought I was just the “bees knees”! 

A lot of our soft furnishings and furniture was either made or recovered or upholstered by Mum. She couldn’t leave a window un-curtained or a bed free of bedspread! To this day when I am at my sewing machine or with needle in hand I can feel her presence, guiding my stitches. Unfortunately she doesn't stop me making mistakes, because this is how we learn, but I know she feels my pain when I reach for the seam ripper to unpick a mistake!

Mum loved the act of giving. The more presents at Birthday and Christmas time the better. When in later years she no longer sewed I can remember every Christmas being encouraged to buy a new dress “her shout”! 

Like a lot of people I have many memories of my Mum and I am thankful for all of them.

________

1 Birth Certificate Transcription of Ruby Florence Briggs, 18 September 1917, NSW Birth Registration Transcription, #1917/27569

2 Personal Memory of Marcia Moon