Rules of Engagement: Courtship and Marriage in Early Canada

Dearest Etta,

The delightful hours I have passed in your society have left an impression on my mind that is altogether indelible, and cannot be effaced even by time itself.  The frequent opportunities I have possessed, of observing the thousand acts of amiability and kindness which mark the daily tenor of your life, have ripened my feelings of affectionate regard into a passion at once ardent and sincere, until I have at length associated my hope of future happiness with the idea of you as a life partner, in them.  Believe me, dearest Etta, this is no puerile fancy, but the matured results of a long and warmly cherished admiration of your many charms of person and mind.  It is love - pure devoted love, and I feel confident that your knowledge of my character will lead you to ascribe my motives to their true source.  Might I then implore you to consult your own heart, and should this avowal of my fervent and honourable passion for you be crowned with your acceptance and approval, to grant me permission to refer the matter to your parents.  Anxiously awaiting your answer, I am, dearest Etta, Your Sincere and Faithful Lover, George Courtright.  Wednesday October 20th, 1894. 

Poor George.  He must have agonized over that letter for days, carefully crafting a marriage proposal that would convince his darling Etta of his love, commitment and suitability as a husband.  We can imagine Etta, perhaps unfolding the letter with trembling hands, reading it several times and weighing each word, each phrase.  She would likely not have been surprised by this turn of events, as it would have unfolded as part of a complex, but well understood, process for finding one's life partner.  We do not know what her answer might have been, but we can be sure that she would have measured George's proposal carefully, taking into consideration not only her own hopes, dreams and preferences, but those of her family and community.

Since Canada's earliest days of settlement, the trials of finding a spouse has been a theme consistently chronicled in diary accounts, letters and journals, providing a fascinating window into how early Canadians met, courted and married.  They help us to understand what was considered acceptable behaviour, the influence of parents and neighbours and the strategies that were necessary to navigate the sometimes treacherous social terrain.

Just what were early Canadians looking for in a mate?  Prior to the 19th century, economic considerations were a strong factor in the selection of a husband or wife.  Eventually, however, the concept of marrying for love crept into the equation, and by the early to mid-19th century, the idea of a spouse as a companion was widely accepted.  Women were encouraged to look for a man with not only good financial prospects, but also someone who would be kind, temperate and hard-working.  Men typically sought women who were even-tempered, patient and capable of engaging in intelligent conversation.

The importance of a spouse as friend is reflected in the 1854 letter of Caroline Hewlett, who commented on the broken engagement her niece Jane Price.   "From all I heard of Mr. Campbell he appeared to me from his youth, habits, and insufficiency of means, to be wholly unworthy of Jane, who ought in her husband to have have a man of equal talent with herself, a companion and friend..." 

Meeting a life partner was a long process that in many ways began in childhood.  Social gatherings that brought together people of all ages, such as religious functions, skating parties, community picnics and work bees were all opportunities for people get to know one another within their social sphere.  Parental and community approval was extremely important, as couples would depend upon the assistance and support of family and friends throughout their married lives.

Once a potential partner was identified, parental consent secured and intentions clearly stated, courtship could begin in earnest.  This was an intense period when a couple would really get to know one another, spending many hours discussing a wide range of topics, to ensure compatibility.  Engagements could last for many months, or even longer if the man required time to settle debts, secure a property or settle into reliable employment.  Once a pledge to marry was made, only very exceptional circumstances would allow the engagement to be broken, a circumstance typically met with strong family and community disapproval.

The long and considered courtship process in nineteenth century Canada, grounded as it was in family and community approval, seems to have greatly increased one's chances of a happy, or at least workable, marriage.  Someone who clearly married for love and companionship, Susanna Moodie, wrote to her sister Catherine in July 1856, after twenty-five years of marriage: "Time lengthens while he is away.  Will age never diminish my love for this man?"

Lisa Hunter

Programme Co-ordinator

Westfield Heritage Village

Come to Westfield Heritage Village on Family Day, Monday, February 18 from 12:30 - 4:00 to help celebrate a winter wedding and learn the fascinating stories of love, courtship and marriage in Early Canada.

Prepared with information from:
Noёl, Francoise, Family Life and Sociability in Upper and Lower Canada, 1790-1870.  McGill-Queen's University Press, 2003.
Young, John H.  Our Deportment: Manners, Conduct and Dress of the Most Refined Society, F. B. Dickerson and Co., Hamilton, Ontario, 1881.
Azoulay, Dan.  Hearts and Minds:  Canadian Romance at the Dawn of the Modern Era 1900-1930, University of Calgary Press, 2011.

How the Ice Cream Got its Cone

Cool, creamy, crunchy – there’s nothing like an ice cream cone to bring back memories of summer fun.  While ice cream itself has a long history, stemming back to early civilizations, serving it in cones is a relatively recent phenomenon.  Just how and when the ice cream cone was invented, however, has been the subject of an ongoing debate. 

Sources dating to the 1770s recommended serving “iced puddings” or “ice cream puddings” with small almond wafers.  These were considered “stomach settlers,” and were served at the conclusion of a meal to calm one’s digestion.  Eventually, these became little treats in their own right.  When rolled into “funnels” or cornucopias, they could be filled with creams and iced puddings.  The 1770 publication The Complete Housekeeper & Cook (Newcastle: 1770), recommended filling cornets with ice cream “as a garnish.”

An Italian confectioner working in London in the early 19^th century described baking almond wafers into “little horns” and filling them with a variety of sweet fillings, including “creams.”

In the mid-19^th century London, the production and sale of food in public, particularly ice cream, provided a steady income for many Italian families of the time.  Selling their cool treats from a cart, vendors would often serve the ice cream in a small glass, referred to as a “penny lick.”  These dishes were typically made of a thick glass with a heavy base and shallow depression on top, in which the ice cream was placed.  The customer, paying one penny, would lick the contents clean and return it to the vendor for reuse.  This presented two main challenges – the vendor couldn’t serve the ice cream fast enough, and sanitary conditions were difficult to maintain.  Penny licks were banned by 1899, due to concerns about the spread of disease, as these cups could not normally be washed between uses.

Food historians most often credit the first true ice cream cone, that is, one made specifically for ice cream, to the Italian immigrants living in Manchester in the mid-19^th century.   Seeking to speed their sales and replace the troublesome penny licks, which were often stolen or broken, they began to produce large quantities of rolled, waffle-style biscuits for serving ice cream.  It is estimated that by the turn of the 19^th century, there were nearly a thousand ice cream vendors, or “Hokey Pokey Men” in London’s Little Italy. 

The traditions and techniques associated with public ice cream vending were brought to North America through immigration, including the use of the cone.  It wasn’t until the 1904 St. Louis World’s fair, however, that ice cream cones became enormously popular, widespread and readily available.  The fair was home to more than fifty ice cream stands and a large number of waffle shops.  There are several competing versions of the story about who it was who actually rolled the nearby waffles into cones and served ice cream from them at the fair.  What is widely acknowledged, however, is that cones became so popular that, at the conclusion of the fair, companies throughout North America scrambled to produce equipment to efficiently manufacture them.  

These are the beginnings of a sweet tradition that thrives to this day.  Come to Westfield Heritage Village for the Ice Cream Festival on August 5^th and 6^th to learn more about this and other delicious traditions.

Lisa Hunter

Programme Co-ordinator

Westfield Heritage Village