She Was Aye Workin': Memories of Tenement Women in Edinburgh and Glasgow

by Helen Clark, Elizabeth Carnegie

Exploring the previously hidden lives of the women who raised families and made ends meet in Scotland's crowded urban tenements, this book draws on memories of the first half of the 20th century that evoke living conditions unimaginable today. It is an eloquent tribute to stamina, management skills, and moral strength in the face of poor housing and relentless poverty. This book contains material not previously published on taboo subjects such as sexual awareness and domestic violence, and it explains the social context that regulated women's behavior.

Genres: History, Scotland

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

About the author

Helen Clark was the Special Projects Manager at City of Edinburgh Museums and Galleries until her retirement in 2011.

Reviews

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this for its historical perspective, and thoroughly enjoyed the read. Covering the period from the very late 1800s to the 1940s, this book gave me an idea what it was like to live in Edinburgh and Glasgow at that time.

[Fionnuala · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books like this. It was one of my charity shop finds and it's precisely the kind of thing I look for when I'm rummaging around in them. Focusing on a highly specific aspect of history, this book goes into brilliant detail about the lives of tenement women in the first half of the twentieth century. It's an oral history project, so the words come from the subjects themselves and is supplemented by context from the editor.

The layout is very effective, grouping related testimony together in chapters beginning at childhood and moving all through the main events of life: adolescence, dating, hobbies, schooling, marriage, children, death, etc. It also has sections dealing with particular challenges, such as illness, poverty, and domestic violence. Through the entire project the women emerge as effective figures for navigating this very different world; at times shocking, heartbreaking, and hilarious, this is a real tribute to the women of our past. So often left out of the wider narrative, books like these do an excellent job in filling the gap.

[David Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

A personable look at Scotland's biggest cities in the 1st half of the 20th century. For most it was bleak and impoverished, living in overcrowded tenements, struggling from week to week just to keep a roof over your head; really quite a departure from our standards of living today. Yet somehow, the nostalgia shines through strongest from the many varied accounts of life in Glasgow and Edinburgh. There's a great pride in those who not only survived but prospered in years to follow. As authentic as you can get, a real account of Scottish life for those of you trying to understand the life of your Grandparents and how it differs to modern times.

[Camilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was nae bother getting a dance. 'Are you dancing? 'Are you asking?' 'If you're dancing then I'm asking.' 'Well if you're asking then I'm dancing', that was the opening line.

[Colette Coen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about life in the tenements. Had more of an Edinburgh, Church of Scotland slant than a Glasgow Catholic one. Good research material and evocative photographs.

[Tito Quiling, Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few months ago, I picked up three books detailing housing progress and urban growth in the British Isles from early 19th century, to the Edwardian Years, and all the way to the 2010s. While these titles focused on a macro-level analysis of how the citizens managed to get around the constant changes because of government restrictions as well as the effect of numerous wars on cities, most of the chapters had a rather quick look at their domestic lives, and in particular as to who was keeping the house and their members in check under the trying times.

Elizabeth Carnegie's book initially attempts to investigate the conditions of the women living in the tenements of early 20th century cities in Scotland, specifically Glasgow and Edinburgh. Tenements were the band-aid solution to the quick growth of urban population, where its inhabitants share spaces with little to no proper ventilation, sharp corners and lack of privacy. However, under these conditions, the lives of women were shaped by the taboos and the virtues of the times which does not enable them to become open with their family members, even of the same gender. One commends how the accounts in this book took an exhaustive collation, but the thesis to underline the similarities of living in these cities was lost along the way.

[Frauke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful insight into tenement life in Glasgow's slums/working class housing up to the 1950s. Using quotes from women interviewed. Fascinating!

[Rachella Sinclair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah yes - more poverty porn.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book - drew me to visit a tenement house Glasgow for visualization.