Offering two 1940s handwritten diaries by 61-year-old Eleanor L. Macrae, which provide an outstanding look at life in urban Canada during and immediately following World War II. Macrae's entries are lengthy and detailed, portraying daily life during and after the war as part of a well-off family for whom service to “King and Country” was considered a given. Inside the front cover, Macrae has noted the names of her family members who were at war: her son Donald, serving in the Royal Navy (HMS Diadem), and his two brothers serving in the Royal Canadian Navy, Bill on HMCS Penetang and John (Bubs) on HMCS Sudbury. “Damp & Cold -- threatening rain or snow. Up to shop in the morning and busy taking down Christmas tree -- went to Gwyn Cornell’s for tea with Lallie Pullen. Delighted to hear from her of Hugh having been awarded the OBE for his services in the Navy. Sis, Mont & I went to see ‘Young Mr. Pitt’ at the Gregory” (January 5, 1944). “Very happy letters from Bub & Gilly. Having a wonderful time in Victoria. Bub is to be in Vancouver working on Victory Loans and making speeches in war plants etc. Filling in his time til his ship is ready” (April 18, 1944). Despite having three family members in combat, she writes the following: “Thanksgiving Day ... Mont had planned for an all day sail but as the weather looked bad they called it off ... Had our Thanksgiving dinner. ... A very happy day & a lot to be thankful for” (October 9, 1944). The 1946-50 diary is actually a hardcover lined notebook in which she made dated entries. It begins on March 1, 1946. The entries cover the time period of March 1946 through December 1950. Macrae writes in a chronological order but entries are not made every day. Often there are gaps of several days or weeks. However, taken as a whole, they provide an excellent overview of Macrae’s life in the immediate aftermath of WWII. “Up early getting ordering, etc done. Pat & Sis looking at farms in afternoon. Had an early lunch then Mont & I off to Toronto to Gordon Wright’s wedding. Enjoyed it very much. Saw a lot of the younger relatives from Ancaster. Afterwards, Mont & I had dinner at the King Edward & came home” (March 2, 1946). “Bill & Holly married seven years ago today in Port-of-Spain Trinidad. Went over & looked after the children while H went to have her hair done. Children stayed all night with us as Holly and Bill went to the Yacht Club ball at H.M.C.S. York” (February 18, 1949). “Went to Toronto on 12:20 bus. Shopped & home with Mont. Fun prowling around with my Christmas cheque to spend! Got a new clothes dryer. The tumbler type. $1,850! Awful price but I always wanted one” (January 16,1950). At the back of the journal are four pages listing a variety of dividend cheques received. Ephemera includes transaction receipts for stock purchases, birth and death announcements, and photographs, among other things. Eleanor L. Macrae was born in 1883 in the Hamilton, Ontario, area of Canada. Through family and marriage, she was related to prominent members of Ontario’s early society. The Heritage, a large stone mansion, whose ruins now belong to the Hamilton Conservation Authority, was constructed by a direct ancestor, George Leith. The mansion eventually passed to Leith’s daughter Alma Leith, who married the grandson of a Scottish Earl, Stair Dick-Lauder. Alma Dick-Lauder wrote historical articles for the Hamilton Spectator, which were later published in book form. There is a photograph of Alma Dick-Lauder in the ephemera accompanying these journals. Macrae’s husband was Albert Montye Macrae from Oakville, Ontario, a wealthy community west of Toronto. His family was successful in business and finance, and Montye was no exception. Eleanor’s journal records a number of stock and bond transactions carried out through Macrae & Company, a brokerage firm in Toronto. The 1944 diary measures 8.5 inches by 5.5 inches, contains 365 pages, and is 100 percent complete. The cover, binding, and pages are all in good condition. The 1946-1950 diary measures 9.5 inches x 5.5 inches, is 160 pages and 95 percent complete. The cover is in fair condition, but the binding and pages are good. This group of journals and the accompanying ephemera offer a wonderful look at life for a well-off woman in the years around World War II in a prosperous community in Ontario.
