Baby boys

[keyholekate]

Thank you Arry. . .but I dont think it means this relating to the tale I read. In the book I read it says:Fire in Halton."One of the worst fires in Halton occured in the early hours of Monday April 25th 1932 in a shop/house on the High Street in between the grocery shop of Fred Killerby and the Halton co-op shop. Joseph Connell was a grocer,confectioner and automatic machine traveller and his wife Ellen usually looked after the shop when he was away.He opened his shop as normal on Sunday morning and closed at 9.30pm.He said that he remembered turning off the electric fire in the shop and made sure the children were fed and safe in bed.He and his wife made their way by car at 10pm to Staincross near Barnsley to show a nurse that their three month old baby Keith had been "shortened".The car broke down but they managed to continue by bus to their destination.They talked with the nurse until 1am and decided to stay until daylight before leaving back for Halton where they arrived home at 8am .The three young children Elizabeth Ellen aged 11,Margaret Annie aged 8 and Alfred aged 3 had been left alone in the house.Some clothes caught fire on the radiator in the closed shop and the fire took hold quickly at 2.30 am.The children perished in the fire."I still haven't found the answer. But what was so urgent in getting a baby shortened ? Travelling all that way at night too? Im stumped on this one.But thanks for replying Arry.

[Crazy Jane]

My first thought had been some similar context to shortening in cooking, which i guess ties in with the fire but otherwise would probably be pretty unpleasant if it meant something.From the article though the 'shortened' baby wasn't in the fire, so i'm not sure at all.

[Arry Awk]

keyholekate wrote: Thank you Arry. . .but I dont think it means this relating to the tale I read. In the book I read it says:Fire in Halton."One of the worst fires in Halton occured in the early hours of Monday April 25th 1932 in a shop/house on the High Street in between the grocery shop of Fred Killerby and the Halton co-op shop. Joseph Connell was a grocer,confectioner and automatic machine traveller and his wife Ellen usually looked after the shop when he was away.He opened his shop as normal on Sunday morning and closed at 9.30pm.He said that he remembered turning off the electric fire in the shop and made sure the children were fed and safe in bed.He and his wife made their way by car at 10pm to Staincross near Barnsley to show a nurse that their three month old baby Keith had been "shortened".The car broke down but they managed to continue by bus to their destination.They talked with the nurse until 1am and decided to stay until daylight before leaving back for Halton where they arrived home at 8am .The three young children Elizabeth Ellen aged 11,Margaret Annie aged 8 and Alfred aged 3 had been left alone in the house.Some clothes caught fire on the radiator in the closed shop and the fire took hold quickly at 2.30 am.The children perished in the fire."I still haven't found the answer. But what was so urgent in getting a baby shortened ? Travelling all that way at night too? Im stumped on this one.But thanks for replying Arry. Hi agen KK!Tragic story but people used to leave their kids alone in the houseregularly while they went for a pint! Still do,I suppose!However,I wonder if the 'shortening' meant circumcision?altho it's a heck of along way to take the poor lad to have afollow up examination. Mebbe the op was done privately?perhaps, we'll never know.

[Crazy Jane]

If i remember later, i'll ask my next door neighbour (born 1926) when i go over, he might know the useage.

[keyholekate]

Yes Arry. . I was thinking that too.Yes people did leave children alone but the parents were found guilty of negligence and it says there was much discussion that the parents had left them for too long a period.The children were buried at Harehills cemetary where 2000 people lined the route.The service was conducted by Rev A Murray and there were flowers from Halton School.Joe Connell collapsed at the graveside.How sad for those parents.Crazy Jane that will be the ideal person to ask . . .hopefully : )I just cant understand why they had to travel all that way at 10pm at night to show the nurse he had been shortened. . . what was so urgent that she needed to see. . .couldnt she have been told by phone?

[Crazy Jane]

Neighbour said circumcision as soon as i mentioned 'shortened', without me giving him any cues, so i guess that's probably what it meant.Maybe by show they meant some kind of check up, but it still seems very odd for that time of night.

[Keg]

Hate to admit in public but..... there are pics of both me and me brother in what looks like a white dress. He is 46 i'm nearly 44) when we were still babies- we seemed to sitting up under our on steam but not walking.I think it's some sort of christening gown made by my nana. Never dressed as a girl since.... honest!

[keyholekate]

Crazy Jane wrote: Neighbour said circumcision as soon as i mentioned 'shortened', without me giving him any cues, so i guess that's probably what it meant.Maybe by show they meant some kind of check up, but it still seems very odd for that time of night. Thank you for asking him Crazy Jane.It must be that ,well it could only be that . Maybe the baby was not well and they had to see the nurse.

[keyholekate]

Keg wrote: Hate to admit in public but..... there are pics of both me and me brother in what looks like a white dress. He is 46 i'm nearly 44) when we were still babies- we seemed to sitting up under our on steam but not walking.I think it's some sort of christening gown made by my nana. Never dressed as a girl since.... honest! Keg. . Baby boys wore nighties even in the 80's. They were like flannelette with a belt tied at the back.Seems strange now.