Now! Then! 2025! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

There is now a washerwoman living at Hull, whose name is Betty Jackson, a native of Scotland. She is a twin, and was brought into the world by the Caesarean operation after the death of her mother, her father also being dead. She was married at the age of 12, and had a child before she was 13. She had 28 children by one husband, 19 of whom are, or have been, in his Majesty’s service. She is now about 60 years of age, very healthy and active, and often washes from two o’clock in the morning till ten at night. Is not this woman entitled to a pension from his Majesty, as much as any other of his veterans?

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

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Original

There is now a washer-woman living at Hull, whose name is Betty Jackson, a native of Scotland. She is a twin, and was brought into the world by the Cæsarean operation, after the death of her mother, her father also being dead. She was married at the age of twelve, and had a child before she was thirteen. She had twenty-eight children by one husband, nineteen of whom are, or have been, in his Majesty’s service. She is now about sixty years of age, very healthy and active, and often washes from two o’clock in the morning till ten at night. Quere, is not this woman entitled to a pension from his Majesty, as much as any other of his veterans?

126 words.

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• Caesarean section (2) ·
• Child marriage (1) ·
• George III (1738-1820) (17), ruled 1760-1820 ·
• 📌Kingston upon Hull (69) ·
• Old age (3) ·
• Pension (2) ·
• Scotland (37) ·
• Teenage pregnancy (2) ·
• Washing (1) ·

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