Joe's Autograph Album 1919 to 1932
Joe Williamson was Barry's father and lived in Hull from 1901 to 1981. From leaving school at the age of 14 he spent the whole of his working life at Jackson's bakery. By the time he reached
retirement at the age of 66, he had become their Production Manager at the largest bread and confectionery business in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire.
The Autograph Album was given to him by three young women on Valentine's day in 1919 when Joe was 18 years old. His collection of entries took the form of little poems (aphorisms, maxims and ditties) as well as the beautiful works of art shown below, all done by friends. On the 8th of January 1932, Barry's 19-year-old future mother Doris made what became the final entry in the album, going on to marry Joe on the 12th August 1933.
retirement at the age of 66, he had become their Production Manager at the largest bread and confectionery business in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire.
The Autograph Album was given to him by three young women on Valentine's day in 1919 when Joe was 18 years old. His collection of entries took the form of little poems (aphorisms, maxims and ditties) as well as the beautiful works of art shown below, all done by friends. On the 8th of January 1932, Barry's 19-year-old future mother Doris made what became the final entry in the album, going on to marry Joe on the 12th August 1933.
THE ENTRIES IN JOSEPH WILLIAMSON’S AUTOGRAPH ALBUM
The front Page dedication was made on Valentine’s Day 1919.
Joe was 18 years old!
From Edith, Kitty and Mary
To Joe with Best Wishes
All the following entries were made between 1919 and 1923
After thoughts are always best
God made man first
But woman was an after thought
Three ways of spreading news:
Tell-a-gram
Tell-a-phone
Tell-a-woman
Here’s to the man that rocks his child
The child he rocks alone
There’s many a man rocks another man’s child
When he thinks he’s rocking his own
A Baker’s Motto:
I knead thee, O, I need thee
Good little girls should love their brothers
But I so good have grown
That I love other girlies’ brothers
Better than my own
Tis hard to smile when all the while
You feel a load of care
Tis hard to laugh at idle chaff
With thoughts that are elsewhere
Tis hard to keep in countenance
When hope and friends depart
For oft behind a smiling face
Conceals a broken heart
I love the rose, the red red rose
I love the hawthorn tree
I love the sweet forget-me-nots
Far better, I love thee
Little lumps of fat meat
Little drops of blood
All boiled up together
Makes the old black pudd
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
To get the poor girl a dress
When she got there
The cupboard was bare
So was the poor girl, I guess
Mary had a little watch
She swallowed it one day
And now she is taking Beecham Pills
To pass the time away
It is easy enough to be pleasant
When life goes by with a song
But the man worthwhile
Is the man with a smile
When everything goes dead wrong
If speaking of a person’s faults
Pray don’t forget your own
Remember those with homes of glass
Should never throw a stone
If you have nothing else to do
Than talk of those who sin
Remember to look at home
And from that point begin
When the Golden Sun is shining
And your mind from care is free
And of others you are thinking
Will you sometimes think of me
Here's health to those who are far away
Here’s wealth to those who are nigh
If drinking beer would fetch them back
I’d drink the Hull Brewery dry
A fish can swim for miles and miles
But the d----d thing never sweats
A Recipe for Making Love:
1. A shady tree
2. A small seat
3. 2 ozs heat
4. A few side glances
5. 4 ozs cheek
6. 2 fetching smiles
7. 4 words
8. Hands well squeezed
9. 2 lips pressed against 2 lips
10. Mix well for 2 hours and serve hot with chocolate and cream.
Remember this and bear in mind
A faithful lover is hard to find
Don’t change the old love for the new
I love you just the same as ever
If separation be our loss
Dearest to me, forget-me-not
It’s not the paint and powder
That makes the fellow stare
It's not the way you smile
Or the way you do your hair
It's not the ruby lips
That makes a fellow want to kiss
It's your eyes
Poor Uncle Ben was the meanest of men
He would never let go of a dollar
He had a wart at the back of his neck
That he used for a stud for his collar
Mary had a little lamb
As well a little bear
I have many times seen Mary’s lamb
But I have never seen her bear
If I were but a tiny rose
I’d cut myself in two
My petals I would give to others
My heart I’d give to you
Money buys almost everything
In this most crowded mart
But all the money in the world
Won’t buy the love of a mother’s heart
A boy stood on the tram lines
The driver rang his bell
The car went on to Newland
And the boy went to H---
Some albums are red
And some are green
But in Africa
All bums are black
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife
His ox thou shall not slaughter
But thank the Lord it does not say
Thou shall not covet his daughter
Mary had a little lamb
Its feet as black as soot
And into Mary’s bread and jam
It put its sooty foot
A Bachelor’s Toast:
The happiest hours I spent in my life
Were in the arms of another man’s wife
(My mother’s)
A Button:
A little event which often comes off
Tis dog’s delight to bark and bite
And little birds to sing
But all that little flies can do
Is to ---- on every thing
Smile awhile and
While you smile
Another smiles
And then there’s miles and miles of smiles
And life’s worthwhile because you smile
There was an old man of Perth
Born on the day of his birth
He was married they say
On his wife’s wedding day
And died on the last day on earth
Doris made this entry on 8 January 1932.
She married Joe on 12 August 1933
Table spoons are clumsy things
Tea spoons are much neater
Sugar spoons are very neat
But moonlight spoons are sweeter
On the Last Page
By hook or by crook
I’ll be the last in the book
By pen or by quill
I’ll be d----- if you will
Comments
Among the appreciative comments we have received so far are the following:
John Foster, an old and valued friend, wrote from County Cork: "Thank you for this gorgeous material. The very stuff I am trying to aspire to in journals, commonplace books and, more recently, books of flakes of my memory. Your find, sadly, illustrates just how much we have lost."
Rebecca and Kevin, invaluable designers of our MagBazTravels website, wrote from the Isle of Skye: "Thanks for sharing the album. What a special memento. We thoroughly enjoyed paging through it."
The front Page dedication was made on Valentine’s Day 1919.
Joe was 18 years old!
From Edith, Kitty and Mary
To Joe with Best Wishes
All the following entries were made between 1919 and 1923
After thoughts are always best
God made man first
But woman was an after thought
Three ways of spreading news:
Tell-a-gram
Tell-a-phone
Tell-a-woman
Here’s to the man that rocks his child
The child he rocks alone
There’s many a man rocks another man’s child
When he thinks he’s rocking his own
A Baker’s Motto:
I knead thee, O, I need thee
Good little girls should love their brothers
But I so good have grown
That I love other girlies’ brothers
Better than my own
Tis hard to smile when all the while
You feel a load of care
Tis hard to laugh at idle chaff
With thoughts that are elsewhere
Tis hard to keep in countenance
When hope and friends depart
For oft behind a smiling face
Conceals a broken heart
I love the rose, the red red rose
I love the hawthorn tree
I love the sweet forget-me-nots
Far better, I love thee
Little lumps of fat meat
Little drops of blood
All boiled up together
Makes the old black pudd
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
To get the poor girl a dress
When she got there
The cupboard was bare
So was the poor girl, I guess
Mary had a little watch
She swallowed it one day
And now she is taking Beecham Pills
To pass the time away
It is easy enough to be pleasant
When life goes by with a song
But the man worthwhile
Is the man with a smile
When everything goes dead wrong
If speaking of a person’s faults
Pray don’t forget your own
Remember those with homes of glass
Should never throw a stone
If you have nothing else to do
Than talk of those who sin
Remember to look at home
And from that point begin
When the Golden Sun is shining
And your mind from care is free
And of others you are thinking
Will you sometimes think of me
Here's health to those who are far away
Here’s wealth to those who are nigh
If drinking beer would fetch them back
I’d drink the Hull Brewery dry
A fish can swim for miles and miles
But the d----d thing never sweats
A Recipe for Making Love:
1. A shady tree
2. A small seat
3. 2 ozs heat
4. A few side glances
5. 4 ozs cheek
6. 2 fetching smiles
7. 4 words
8. Hands well squeezed
9. 2 lips pressed against 2 lips
10. Mix well for 2 hours and serve hot with chocolate and cream.
Remember this and bear in mind
A faithful lover is hard to find
Don’t change the old love for the new
I love you just the same as ever
If separation be our loss
Dearest to me, forget-me-not
It’s not the paint and powder
That makes the fellow stare
It's not the way you smile
Or the way you do your hair
It's not the ruby lips
That makes a fellow want to kiss
It's your eyes
Poor Uncle Ben was the meanest of men
He would never let go of a dollar
He had a wart at the back of his neck
That he used for a stud for his collar
Mary had a little lamb
As well a little bear
I have many times seen Mary’s lamb
But I have never seen her bear
If I were but a tiny rose
I’d cut myself in two
My petals I would give to others
My heart I’d give to you
Money buys almost everything
In this most crowded mart
But all the money in the world
Won’t buy the love of a mother’s heart
A boy stood on the tram lines
The driver rang his bell
The car went on to Newland
And the boy went to H---
Some albums are red
And some are green
But in Africa
All bums are black
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife
His ox thou shall not slaughter
But thank the Lord it does not say
Thou shall not covet his daughter
Mary had a little lamb
Its feet as black as soot
And into Mary’s bread and jam
It put its sooty foot
A Bachelor’s Toast:
The happiest hours I spent in my life
Were in the arms of another man’s wife
(My mother’s)
A Button:
A little event which often comes off
Tis dog’s delight to bark and bite
And little birds to sing
But all that little flies can do
Is to ---- on every thing
Smile awhile and
While you smile
Another smiles
And then there’s miles and miles of smiles
And life’s worthwhile because you smile
There was an old man of Perth
Born on the day of his birth
He was married they say
On his wife’s wedding day
And died on the last day on earth
Doris made this entry on 8 January 1932.
She married Joe on 12 August 1933
Table spoons are clumsy things
Tea spoons are much neater
Sugar spoons are very neat
But moonlight spoons are sweeter
On the Last Page
By hook or by crook
I’ll be the last in the book
By pen or by quill
I’ll be d----- if you will
Comments
Among the appreciative comments we have received so far are the following:
John Foster, an old and valued friend, wrote from County Cork: "Thank you for this gorgeous material. The very stuff I am trying to aspire to in journals, commonplace books and, more recently, books of flakes of my memory. Your find, sadly, illustrates just how much we have lost."
Rebecca and Kevin, invaluable designers of our MagBazTravels website, wrote from the Isle of Skye: "Thanks for sharing the album. What a special memento. We thoroughly enjoyed paging through it."