Julia's Christening #2, baby clothes, diapers & more

Hello Poldark fans

My last blog was about Julia's second christening party and the foods that were served.  This time I thought it would be interesting to learn about the preparations for the baby, ie the gowns, bedgowns, diapers, cloths, and more.

In this time period there were no pre-made clothes to buy, nor disposable diapers so it was the mother, or if you could afford to hire women to sew, to make what was needed before the baby was born.

The fabrics of the 1700s would be linen and wool.  Cotton was very expensive and had to be imported from India.  Linen and wool were manufactured in Britain.

The class divide was evident by the choice of color.  The poor children would wear practical linen of colored cloth while the gentry would wear white, which was so popular at the end of the 18th century. In the current series there is a picture of Demelza holding Julia as a toddler and she is dressed in blue or purple rough linen or wool dress. Sorry I cannot legally provide the photo!

According to the Workwoman's Guide, London, 1838, "the following articles are necessary to be prepared for an infant's first dress, and are equally applicable to the poor as well as the rich, though the quality of materials, of course, must differ."

shirts 12-18, flannel bands 2-4 (swaddling band to protect the umbilical stump), flannel caps 2-3, night-caps 6-12, day-caps 3-6, napkins (diapers in dozens) 4-6, pilchers 4-6 (diaper cover), pinafores 6-12, bedgowns 4-6, first day-gowns 3-4, night-flannels 3-4, day-flannels 3-4, flannel cloak 1-2, flannel shawl 2-3, robes 4-6, petticoats 4-6, socks 4-8, hood 1,  cloak or pelisse 1.  One wonders if anyone actually had this quantity but when you realize how difficult it was to do laundry, these numbers were needed. Flannel meant wool.  Today flannel is mostly cotton.

This inventory also mentions lending linen for the poor that included shifts, caps, petticoats, sheets, etc for the mother.  Think of the poor... what must they have done?  Done without I imagine.

Did you know that the word diaper means a linen or cotton fabric that is woven in a diamond pattern and was used for infant diapers and thus how diapers were named.

 Historic reenactors often involve their children, so there are patterns available.  I purchased an infant pattern from Kannik's Korner and decided to make up the newborn gown.  I swear my babies were never this small!

 This is a pattern created from an original gown meant to be used by historic reenactors who take their children to reenactments and of course they too have to be properly dressed.

Other garments for the baby and explains how to make and tie diapers.

This is the gown from the pattern. Almost entirely sewn by hand.  I used a nice weight cotton I had on hand but it would have been made from linen.  The neck has a draw string and the sleeves an interesting cuff.  The cap is an under cap, a baby would have worn at least two.

Maternity Ensemble, 1780-1795; Britain; Cotton quilted to linen backing and cotton batting, reproduction shift. This ensemble consists of a jacket, petticoat, and a vest worn under the jacket. The sleeveless vest, which has adjustable lacings at the center back, expands the waist size for use during pregnancy. The jacket can also be worn without the vest. © 2013 The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Found on Pinterest

Found on Pinterest 1790s

Baby coat, found on Pinterest..late 1700s

This scarce pair of 18th century child’s shoes incorporates the pointed toe and tongue found in fashionable women's styles, combined with the flat heel suitable for a child. It is not clear from the cut whether these shoes would have been worn by a boy or a girl, but the bright color is more suggestive of feminine dress.(Met Museum) Found on Pinterest

Angélique-Marguerite du Coudray was a famous 18th century midwife and designed this mannequin to teach midwife trainees about delivering babies. Louis XV learned of her expertise and asked her to set up courses throughout France. From 1759-1779 she traveled the country with her mannequin and published her Abrégé de l’Art des accouchements (Abridged Art of Child Delivery).This is French but still an amazing teaching tool!  Perhaps there was something similar in England? Found on Pinterest

This was also found on Pinterest.  Can you guess what it is?  It is for expressing mother's milk!  No pumps back then but you could manage to relieve swollen breasts and perhaps save?  I do not know if it was saved like it is today.

(From Demelza)

Then the party began to break up.  Before any grown-ups left, Zacky Martin “scholar” of the neighborhood and father of Jinny, got up and said a little piece about what a brave time they had had, one and all, and how they’d all eaten enough to last’em a week and drunk enough to last ‘em a fortnight and danced enough to last ‘em a month.  And how ‘twas only fitty there and then to say thank you kindly for a handsome day and all the generosity, to Captain Poldark and Mistress Poldark, and Miss Verity Poldark, and to wish long life and prosperity to them and theirs, not forgetting Miss Julia, and might she grow up a pride to her father and mother as he was sure she would, and that was all he had to say except to thank you kindly again and good night.

Ross had them all served with a stiff glass of brandy and treacle.  When they had drunk it, he said, “Your good wishes are of great value to me.  I want Julia to grow up in this countryside as a daughter of mine and as a friend of yours.  I want the land to be a part of her inheritance and friendship her earning from it.  I give you our good wishes for the health and happiness of all your children, and may we all see a prosperous county and better times together.”

There was a rapturous cheer.

Unfortunately, it was not to be.....

No recipes this time, I didn't think gruel could be jazzed up enough anyone would want to eat it : )

Bonny Wise, I am
Inspired by Poldark 

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