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Mr Alfred G |
| Interview Number: 366 |
| Other Interview Material |
| Sex: |
| M |
| Year Of Birth: |
| 1894 |
| Place of Residence: |
| London |
| Family: |
| 13 children, 5 brothers, 3 sisters + AG survived. 6th in birth order. Brought up very rough and ready, very tough. Mother responsible for discipline. Respect for parents who had to struggle. Mother-in-law had 22 children. |
| Marriage: |
| Married in 1919. 1 son - army, police then taxi driver and 1 daughter. |
| Housing: |
| Born in Silver Street, Stepney now built over, (there was also Gold St, Pearl St, Brilliant St). Moved at 8 years to larger house in Gold St which was posh part of Stepney where he remained. Reference to large landowners like Mercers Company who had large pool of workers to maintain property. |
| Education: |
| Started at 4 at Dempsey St school run by School Board for London. Learnt shorthand there. Left at 14. Brother truanted form school and was sent to Industrial School in Manchester. Jewish children went to their own schools - a lot of anti-Semitism around. |
| Parents' Work History: |
| Father was a City carman, drove 3 horses. Details of work. Great grandfather used to change horses for the Eastern District mail, grandfather also a cabman. Family of horse lovers. Cab drivers licensed by police at Guildhall. Mother was a cigar maker. |
| Work History: |
| From early years contributed to family income - selling papers, bits of metal, working in dairy. Bought small items to sell from Hounsditch warehouse. From 15, was family shoemaker, repairing boots for fireman at Whitechapel. First job as bootmaker's apprentice . After a year went back into selling then had to do army service. Became an experienced cab man at 27/- week but mended shoes at same time for workhouse and hospital. Ended up as boiler man in Post Office. Chair of Carmen's Union. Brother (the ex-truant) was Haig's chauffeur in WW1. |
| Final Occupation: |
| Shoemaker |
| Political Affiliation: |
| Father not interested in politics, nor AG. Father-in-law was Assistant Secretary to Disraeli, belonged to Primrose League. |
| Religious Background: |
| C of E Sunday school. Sang in choir. Temperance meetings Memories of Salvation Army and War Cry and General Booth speaking at Whitechapel. Many small missions in area. Large temperance meetings. Did not go to church after leaving school. |
| Occupational Class: |
| Skilled Manual |
| Leisure Activities: |
| Annual month hop-picking in Kent, pheasants caught with maize and horsehair. No toys. Boxing clubs. Children's choir at People's Palace. Assembly Hall at Mile End run by Charringtons. Brady Clubs for Jewish girls. AG played mouthorgan. Music hall with Harry Lauder and Marie Lloyd. Bank holiday outings to Greenwich. Sunday school outings run by Shaftsbury Society. Mother sang Irish songs in local theatre and at home. Played in Victoria Park and Tower Gardens and later went there with friends. Reared pigeons and fished in canal. First bicycle at 14. Sunday night family parties. Gambling in the street - banker, faro, street corner betting and protection money. Lord Mayor's Show. |
| Health / Childbirth: |
| High incidence of TB in tailoring trade. Dr Jelly in Bethnal Green known as the 'tuppeny doctor' |
| Miscellaneous: |
| A fascinating interview full of information and anecdotes. Extensive information on running of household and childrearing and social class. Maternal grandfather had a pub in Whitechapel which became a synagogue. East End very lively at night, pubs, shops open until midnight. Pawn shops and money lenders. Jack Dooley and prize fighting. Women seen as prostitutes if wore make-up. Babies were buried between legs of adults by funeral directors to save money. AG mixed with a lot of Jewish people and understood Yiddish. Arrival of Russian Jews, found work by Jewish organisation in Leman Street. Description of kosher slaughter houses. Rowton House seen as 'poor man's hotel'. Plagues of rats. East End markets and Mile End workhouse. Mutual help among families. Children from institutions marked out by Derby tweed suits. |
| Number of pages in Transcript: |
| 162 |
