What the five birds said, by the Hon Miss Alton

Hi all, I'm looking for some help in finding out about a book that an old Aunt has given me. The title is as per the thread, it is undated and I don't seem able to find it on any searches.

She gave me a copy of Old Father Christmas by Mrs Mack at the same time, so I'm assuming, maybe wrongly, that the Five Birds book is of a similar age. Sadly she is not able to tell me anything at all about the books.

I'd be grateful for any help. Many thanks.

 

Interesting!

This link may be of interest. It says the company was dissolved in 1897, which should mean that your darling little book was printed then or prior.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sockl_and_Nathan

 

Here is a Worldcat record showing that some libraries hold a book with that title, and by that publisher... but the author is listed as Maud Gertrude Satterthwaite. (One thing I wondered was whether Satterthwaite was her married name and perhaps her maiden name was Alton?)

http://www.worldcat.org/title/what-the-five-birds-said/oclc/644114591

 

Gotta watch out when them birds start talking

 

I think it's interesting that the illustrations shows a little girl lounging on a scallop shell reminiscent of Venus rising from the sea. Those Victorians were subtly risqué.

 

Do you think the illustrations are by a Miss Alton?

 

I bet the Owl ended up asking WHOOO dunnit?
(Sorry, I just felt 12 again for a moment)

 

I found that Satterthwaite was probably a married name. Here is a newspaper notice from 1955 about the estates of some people who had died.
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40728/page/1492/data.pdf

It lists Francis Edmund Sheridan Satterthwaite. In the third column Maud Gertrude Satterthwaite was listed in parentheses which means she was a "personal representative." She could have been some other relation besides wife, but I'm thinking she was probably his wife.

So one question is still whether the Honourable Miss Alton and Gertrude Satterthwaite were the same person.

 

Quite possible... Is there any story in the book, or is it all illustrations?

 

The term "personal representative" of an estate is the official way to refer to the legal administrator on behalf of the deceased. This Maud Gertrude might be the widow or might be another relation.

 

It's poetry according to World Cat.

 

Okay, I don't see that in the link I posted. Although I did see other books by her that were poetry.

It seems possible, then, that she was both poet and artist.

 

It's 16 pages with about a 50/50 poems to drawings ratio, which is just about right for me.

 

Well, the English Probate records say that Maud Gertrude Satterthwaite was a spinster, so she wasn't his wife. Could be a sister or a daughter. He was born in 1892, so if Maud Gertrude was his daughter, she would not have been around to write poetry circa 1900.

 

What is a "Spinster"? - I picture a person spinning fibre on a spinning wheel.

 

I'm wondering whether we're following the wrong Satterthwaite family - or the wrong generation of the right family. The Francis who died in 1955 did have a sister Maud Gertrude, but she was only 1 year older than he was. Definitely not old enough to be a poet circa 1900.

Their mother was Mary Gertrude, but I haven't found a maiden name for her yet.

Doesn't "The Honorable" mean that "Hon. Miss Alton" was the child of a minor peer?

 

An adult unmarried woman - and yes the origin of the term does relate to the usual occupation of such women back in the day.

 

Which back then...could have meant a 22 year old !!!