What is a spinster?
By Chelsie Vandaveer
September 5, 2003
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Killer Picks: Wollemi Pine, greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century—>Click here.
Women's Safari Jacket, Reversible Cotton Travel Skirt, Leather Travel Tote—>Click here.
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Women have pretty much always been considered responsible for clothing the members of the family, a task both tedious and drawn out. Plant fibers—flax and nettle—or animal hair—wool and horsehair—had to be cleaned, combed, spun, woven, dyed, and then sewn into shirts, pants,
dresses, cloaks, and jackets.
But it was not quite that simple. Women also had to make towels, sheets, curtains, rugs, quilts, and any other fabric needed around the house. If a mother had daughters, the tasks could be divided, or if she had friends they might get-together to do the dyeing or quilting. If she was talented and made beautiful fabrics or could tat fine lace, she could bring extra income into her household. The average family wore very boring, simple clothing.
According to the 1889 Century Unabridged Dictionary, a spinster was an unmarried woman. The term was at one time a legal designation for all unmarried women regardless of social status.
If a woman did not marry she was expected to voluntarily occupy her time spinning wool, flax, or other fibers into thread. It was a duty performed while living with other relatives.
If she was unfortunate and had no living relatives, or none that would take her in, or could not find a position as a servant, then she was left with little choice and many resorted to crime. If she was arrested, she was considered a "woman of an evil life or character" and sent to a corrections institution commonly called a spin-house. Having not voluntarily spun thread, but used her time getting into mischief, she then spun thread while in the custody of the courts.
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading:
What palm produces ivory? Weird Plants - May 13, 2004
What was nettle cloth? Plants that Changed History - June 10, 2003
What is lint? What's in a Name? - April 25, 2003
What does flax need to create fine fibers? Weird Plants - April 24, 2003
What was the tree-wool of India? Plants that Changed History - February 19, 2002
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Gardens Alive! -$20 off—>Click here.
Michigan Bulb -$20 off—>Click here.
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Wollemi Pine
National Geographic®
Exclusively from National Geographic, this survivor from the age of the dinosaurs is one of the greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century. The Wollemi pine is one of the world's oldest and rarest tree species, belonging to a 200-million-year-old plant family thought to have been extinct for more than two million years.
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Previously known only from fossil records, it was presumed extinct until a single tree was found in the Wollemi National Park, Australia, in 1994. Subsequent research discovered 100 adult trees that have survived in a single canyon in this wild and rugged area.
Click here to view canyon, trees and fossil record.
You can assist in the conservation effort and enjoy the unique opportunity to ensure the continued survival of this rare species by giving the tree as a gift or growing your own. Suitable for indoor container gardening or as a landscape tree in certain areas of the U.S.
Comes with a care manual with the full story about the discovery and fascinating history of the Wollemi pine. Comes in a copper-colored container and will be approximately 10''H when shipped. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these plants will fund ongoing conservation research.
Click here to get your Wollemi Pine and assist in the conservation effort.
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National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic®
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