“An Honored Place”: Gender, Work, and the Brook Family on the Western Canadian Home Front During the First World War
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“An Honored Place”: Gender, Work, and the Brook Family on the Western Canadian Home Front During the First World War A Thesis Submitted to the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts in History University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon By Michelle Brandsma © Copyright Michelle Brandsma, 2017. All rights reserved. Permission To Use In presenting this thesis/dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis/dissertation in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis/dissertation work or, in their absence, by the Head of the Department or the Dean of the College in which my thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis/dissertation or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis/dissertation. Requests for permission to copy or to make other uses of materials in this thesis/dissertation in whole or part should be addressed to: Head of the Department of History 9 Campus Drive University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A5 Canada i Abstract In June of 1916, Sidney Brook left for war, leaving his thirty-year-old pregnant wife Isabelle Brook behind in Craigmyle, Alberta. In addition to caring for their young children, she was left the responsibilities of their farm for the duration of the war. Using the correspondence this couple left behind at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, this thesis examines women’s roles on farms in the Prairie Provinces, exploring the ways in which work during the First World War was highlighted as patriotic and temporary. Women used their domestic work – knitting, sending letters and parcels, fundraising, and rationing food – to help support the war effort. Despite the fact that women often helped on farms in times of necessity – i.e. harvesting and threshing – the war brought greater numbers of women to the field. However, this work was constructed as temporary in order to maintain pre-war gender ideals. Men’s roles too were specifically defined as patriotic, particularly their work as soldiers and as farmers. Such patriotic work demonstrated their duty to the Empire and to their families. While perhaps not completely representative of all couples on prairie farms in Canada, Isabelle and Sidney Brook’s rich historical record provides insight into the lives of middle-class English-Canadian farm women as they lived on farms during this turbulent period. Building particularly on the work of historian Sarah Carter, this thesis seeks to add further understanding of prairie farm women during the First World War by closely analyzing the rich archival record of the Brook family. ii Acknowledgments This has been a long, winding road, and would not have been possible save for the many people in my life who supported me along the way. Thank you first to my supervisor, Dr. Valerie Korinek, for all of the time, patience, and direction she has given me throughout this process. This project would not have happened without her continuing support. Thank you, too, to my committee members, Dr. Lesley Biggs and Dr. Mirela David, for their comments and criticisms along the way, which helped build this project. Thank you to my external examiner, Dr. Wendy Roy, for her time in reading this thesis, and providing comments and questions that helped make this an even stronger piece of writing. Next, I would like to thank my colleagues in the History Department at the University of Saskatchewan. Thank you especially to Megan Hubert, Samuel Gillis Hogan, Erin Gallagher- Cohoon, Davis Rogers, and Colin Osmond for reading my work over, listening to my rants, encouraging me, and helping me prepare for a successful defense. You are an amazing group of people, and I am happy that through this degree I have also made lifelong friends. I am especially grateful to my parents for their support in this venture. You instilled in me an early love of learning. Growing up exploring museums certainly led me to a love of history, and I would not be here without those experiences. Your love and encouragement have meant so much to me. Thank you to each and every one of my siblings, and all of my nieces and nephews. It was a sacrifice to leave you and pursue this dream, and I miss you all every day. Finally, I would like to thank Kyle Males, who has been a constant presence throughout this long process. You have been patient and encouraging, and I could not have done this without you. Thank you for always being there for me, even when things got tough. Thank you for always being willing to be my sounding board, and listening to my anxious ramblings. I am so happy you are in my life. iii Table of Contents Permission to Use.............................................................................................................................i Abstract............................................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgments..........................................................................................................................iii Table of Contents............................................................................................................................iv Introduction......................................................................................................................................1 Chapter One: Soldiers of the Home: Domestic Work on the Home Front...............................................33 Chapter Two: Soldiers of the Field: Women’s Patriotic Farm Work in Western Canada........................53 Chapter Three: Soldiers and Breadwinners: Masculinity and Patriotism in Western Canada....................80 Conclusion...................................................................................................................................101 Appendix......................................................................................................................................106 Bibliography................................................................................................................................107 iv Introduction Speaking of “feelings”, can you explain what’s the difference since I’ve been home? Somehow I’m not the same – have been trying to solve the mystery, or diagnose the case, but am no further ahead than two days ago. Never had any trouble about writing to you before, but now – well I don’t know how to write. Physically and mentally I am not feeling the same.1 Sidney Brook, letter to Isabelle Brook from Sarcee Camp, Calgary August 20, 1916 In May 1916, Sidney Brook signed his Attestation Paper, officially enlisting with the 113th “Lethbridge Highlander” Battalion in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. In June, Sidney left his thirty-year-old pregnant wife of nine years to care for their four young boys, the oldest of whom – Gordon – was only eight years old, while he pursued his ‘patriotic duty’ overseas.2 Left alone, Isabelle Brook had to assume his role on their farm in Craigmyle, Alberta, adding Sidney’s responsibilities onto her own domestic duties. She did so gladly, explaining that although she missed him, she was “keeping up pretty well.”3 It is apparent through examining her wartime letters that she enjoyed caring for the farm. While it was not uncommon for women to take over their farms in their husbands’ absences, the First World War presented a unique situation on the prairies in western Canada. More men left for longer periods, leaving an agricultural labour crisis behind. While many men found patriotism through their work as farmers and soldiers, women across the prairies refashioned their work both within the home and on the fields to reflect the patriotic ideals of the time. This thesis explores the roles men and women played in western Canada during the First World War, confronting the mythologies surrounding women’s work, and exploring how gender 1 Glenbow Archives, Calgary, M-9076-13, Brook Family Fonds, Sidney Brook, letter to Isabelle Brook, August 20, 1916. 2 Library and Archives Canada, RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 1098 – 4, Sidney Brook, “Attestation Paper,” May 18, 1916. 3 Glenbow Archives, Calgary, M-9076-21, Brook Family Fonds, Isabelle Brook, letter to Sidney Brook, September 20, 1916. 1 roles temporarily shifted from 1914 to 1918. Extended absences took many men away from their farms, leaving their work to wives who not only had their own work, but also that of their husbands. Many people in western Canada praised women’s work as patriotic, some even claiming that it was this work that gave women the vote across the prairies in 1916.4 Meanwhile, farmers competed with soldiers for recognition as the most vital part of the war effort, particularly when they faced conscription in 1917. This thesis focuses particularly on the life of one family, the Brooks, who farmed near and lived in the town of Craigmyle, Alberta in the early twentieth century.5 For the duration of the war, Isabelle and Sidney exchanged