Tara McFadden (Belfast

Roberta in Portstewart 1933. John Hewitt Society

The one thing people should know about Roberta is that she came from a workingclass background. I was interested in Roberta Hewitt’s comments about her life before she started writing the diary.

In the first three years of keeping a diary, she didn’t talk about her past very much and it was more focused on day-to-day life. However, I thought that the few mentions she did make to her past were insights into ordinary life in Belfast in the early 20th century.

Her working-class background also provides context for understanding her experience of voluntary work. At the end of 1950, she wrote:

“By virtue of J.’s job & knowlege [sic] he is meeting on committees & publicly the middle class, I ditto on committees, they accept you on a level, but not socially…” 68 Selected Quotes from Roberta Hewitt’s 1947-50 Diary:

“At some stage my father became an alcolic [sic] & we were in great poverty. He died about 1915.” (p.2)

“I went to office work at the age of 14 during the war & got into Flax Control Board. then [sic] after war Blackstaff Spg. Co. with Peggy.” (p.2)

“I am a bit disappointed not to have heard anything about my going everyday to School FOR PAY. I suppose it is because I have had nothing but an elementary education. The committee, I presume, took it for granted that I had a secondary education. I feel a bit ashamed of the fact, that is foolish of me, but I would have liked an education.”(p.36)

68 Roberta Hewitt's 1947-1950 Diary (D3838/4/2/1): p.522

Roberta's birth certificate. PRONI: D3838/1/1/1

Today it is healed I know it doesn't matter about these snobs really - if they think less of me, they are less in themselves.” (p.44)

“I used to get 1d. on Sat. & usually bought ½d. bar of chocolate on Sat. & ½d. of Imperial mints for school on Monday…” (p.115-16)

“I remember when the ‘Wireless’ came first & I had a cat’s whisker radio made by my young man Norman Walley then the Broadcasting station in London was called 2.L.O. & then after when we though [sic] anyone was trying to put on airs we said of them‘They were awfully 2.L.O.’” (p.177) “I remember again walking to work with Peggy & talking about who we would like to marry. Peg. was romantic & always said I knocked the bottom out of romance but I said & meant‘I would like to marry an Author & I could put up with all the queernesses he would have so long as he could write & I would look after him.’ I thought it was something really in the sky – like a Fairy Prince […]” (p.520)