Spinsters’ Club

1915

The Club is first mentioned in February 1915 when their contribution of 12 pairs of hand-knitted socks and 4 pairs of mittens for the war effort was acknowledged in the newspaper. By this time their efforts had already reached a New Zealand soldier in Cairo. Sergeant Henry Frederick Roy Messenger wrote a note of thanks which was published in the New Zealand Times:

‘As I am in the hospital at the present time recovering from an operation, these gifts arrived as quite a happy New Year’s gift, the scarf and pipe being requisitioned into immediate use; the cap, I hope, will be of good use when we eventually strike a cold climate. The only means I have of tracing the very thoughtfully friends is by a card inserted bearing the inscription ‘Best wishes from ‘The Spinsters’ Club Wellington, 17/11/’14.’

(Henry Messenger died at Gallipoli on 22nd August 1915).

In August 1915, the Club were selling flowers on the streets in order to raise money to purchase more wool to knit with and gifts for soldiers. Quite the challenge to obtain stock in the middle of a Wellington winter. Their focus was soldiers who had no relatives in New Zealand.

The social column in the Free Lance commended the girls’ efforts:

‘If the boys who receive the gifts could only realise that the spinsters are young and pretty girls, they would be very much amused. I daresay they picture them as grey-haired ladies with nothing much else to do. These spinsters are young busy women, who spare hours are devoted to “good deeds”.’

The Club continued their work after the war and to support invalid soldiers.

Reference:

https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7186141

Paperspast

Members of the Spinsters Club knitting socks for World War I soldiers. Shows a group of women in Wellington. From left: Miss Daisy Isaacs, Mrs V Gray, Dora Levi (later Mrs Stephenson), Mrs L M Hyams, Miss M Lyons, Miss Eileen Driscoll, Mrs I McIntyre, Mrs A McKillop. .

Reference:

Zachariah, Joseph, 1867-1965. Members of the Spinsters Club knitting socks for World War I soldiers - Photograph taken by Joseph Zachariah. Hyams, Peggy (Miss) : Photographs. Ref: 1/2-030986-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23100855