The Family from One End Street
Encyclopedia
The Family From One End Street, written and illustrated by Eve Garnett
, is an English
children's book. Set in Otwell, a town resembling Lewes, it was published in 1937 by Frederick Muller
. It won a Carnegie Medal
for best children's book that same year, despite competition which included J. R. R. Tolkien
's The Hobbit
. At the time, it was regarded as innovative and groundbreaking for its portrayal of a working-class family in a genre dominated by middle-class stories.
Recent reprints of the book have been published by the British publishers, Penguin Books
, via their Puffin
imprint; indeed, the book first appeared as a Puffin as far back as 1942, only one year after the very first Puffin books appeared. In 2007 it was selected by judges of the CILIP Carnegie Medal for children's literature as one of the ten most important children's novels of the past 70 years.
Two sequels were published: Further Adventures of the Family from One End Street
in 1956 and Holiday at the Dew Drop Inn
in 1962.
river. Its other name is Otwell-on-the-Ouse. Its description closely resembles Lewes where the authoress lived.
Josiah Ruggles works for Otwell council as a dustman, and his wife Rosie takes in washing. They have seven children, so life is hard, but they are a happy family.
, Lily Rose tries to help her mother by ironing some of the laundry her mother does for clients. Unfortunately, she uses a too-hot iron for a petticoat
of artificial silk
, which shrinks, and her mother is furious as the garment belonged to one of her most trusted customers, Mrs. Beaseley.
The next morning, Mrs. Ruggles takes Lily Rose to Mrs Beaseley's house to explain what has happened. Fortunately, Mrs. Beaseley is amused, as she has made similar mistakes when she was a child.
points out that Mr. Ruggles has filled the scholarship paperwork out incorrectly: instead of seven children, he stated that he had only one child. After correcting the paperwork, they get a larger scholarship.
The week before school opens, Kate is invited on an outing to the seaside by one of her school friends, and manages to lose her new school hat to the incoming tide. She cannot ask her family for another, as she wasn't supposed to be wearing it on the picnic, nor does she have enough money to buy one. Two local boys, Bill and his brother Ted, tell her where she can pick mushrooms and sell them for a shilling
a pound.
Unfortunately, they are not wild mushrooms but cultivated ones, and the farmer catches Kate with a basket of his mushrooms. He asks her if she's stolen mushrooms before and she tearfully tells him how she found out about them. The farmer believes her, and is understanding enough to give her a basket of mushrooms to sell. After Kate goes back home, a surprise awaits her in a parcel: the hat she had lost at sea during the Salthaven (i.e. Newhaven, Sussex) outing has been recovered by a friend of the Watkins!
, where Henry’s father, a foreman, is employed. Though they consider him too young to join and accuse him of spying, Jim begs for his acceptance.
The next Saturday, Jim embarks on a real adventure. As a hail
storm begins, he follows a friendly little dog into a drain pipe
around a wharf
’s barge
-loading area for shelter; the dog escapes but Jim, who has fallen asleep in the pipe, is carried off to the seaport Salthaven, when the pipes are loaded onto a barge.
Jim relates his story to Mr. Watkins about being a stowaway
. To Jim’s surprise, Watkins says he was also a gang member when he was young, and sends him off home.
When the Lawrences return, they drive away without checking the back seat, and John does not awaken until they've driven some miles. Instead of turning around and taking him home, they invite him to their son's birthday party, and promise to send a telegram to his family in order to let the Ruggles know that John is safe.
Aside from a slight mishap with the shower, John enjoys the party. There is a huge coffee-chocolate cake, and games. The Lawrences send John home on the bus with several parcels of leftover goodies from the festivities.
fan, spends his fourpence allowance at the local Majestic Theater to see cartoons. One week, he goes to the theater, only to find that the next Symphony is due in a fortnight. He sneaks inside the empty building and hides in the orchestra pit, where he soon falls asleep; several hours later, several cinema musicians find him. Jo explains to them why he sneaked in, and the men give him sixpence for the show, and a warning not to do it again.
for the great Cart-Horse Parade in Regent's Park
, but cannot afford it. One week, he and his co-worker find an envelope
with £41
in one of the dustbins on their route. They turn the money in to the police, and a week later, the rightful owner gives him a reward of £2, which he uses to take his family to the Cart-Horse Parade.
, the venue for the Cart Horse Parade, where they meet the family members who have entered their horse in the competition. The horse, 'Bernard Shaw', takes first place, and the families climb into the cart in order to participate in the parade.
, sundae
s and orchestra music, and must rush off to the train station. They make it just in time, and as the train pulls out, Mr. Ruggle's brother plays The End of a Perfect Day on his mouth organ
.
Eve Garnett
Eve Garnett was an English author and illustrator. She was educated at two schools in Devon and at the Alice Ottley School in Worcester...
, is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
children's book. Set in Otwell, a town resembling Lewes, it was published in 1937 by Frederick Muller
Frederick Muller
Frederick Muller was a sailor serving in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.-Biography:...
. It won a Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
for best children's book that same year, despite competition which included J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
. At the time, it was regarded as innovative and groundbreaking for its portrayal of a working-class family in a genre dominated by middle-class stories.
Recent reprints of the book have been published by the British publishers, Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
, via their Puffin
Puffin Books
Puffin Books is the children's imprint of British publishers Penguin Books. Since the 1960s it has been the largest publisher of children's books in the UK and much of the English-speaking world.-Early history:...
imprint; indeed, the book first appeared as a Puffin as far back as 1942, only one year after the very first Puffin books appeared. In 2007 it was selected by judges of the CILIP Carnegie Medal for children's literature as one of the ten most important children's novels of the past 70 years.
Two sequels were published: Further Adventures of the Family from One End Street
Further Adventures of the Family from One End Street
Further Adventures of the Family from One End Street is the sequel to The Family from One End Street, an English children's book. Eve Garnett originally wrote this book shortly after the previous instalment had been published in 1937, and it is clearly claimed at one point to be set in 1938, but...
in 1956 and Holiday at the Dew Drop Inn
Holiday at the Dew Drop Inn
Holiday at the Dew Drop Inn is the third and final book in the series initiated by The Family from One End Street and continued with the long-delayed Further Adventures of the Family from One End Street . Eve Garnett wrote it as a period piece, probably set in 1938...
in 1962.
Characters
- Mr. Josiah Ruggles, a dustman
- Mrs. Rosie Ruggles, a washerwomanWasherwomanWasherwoman may refer to:* Alternanthera caracasana, a plant* a woman working in washing* The Irish Washerwoman, a traditional and well known Irish jig...
; wife of Mr. Ruggles - Their children: William, Margaret Rose (aka Peggy), Jo (after his father), James and John (the twinTwinA twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
s), Kate and Lily Rose - Reverend Theobald, the VicarVicarIn the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
, who helps the Ruggles choose the names of their offspring. - Mrs. Theobald, the Vicar's wife, who assists in the provision of clothes for the Ruggles' newborn.
- Mrs. Beaseley, a well-trusted client of Mrs. Ruggles' services.
- Miss Patricia Watkins, Kate's school friend.
- Mr. Watkins, Patricia's father, the owner of a nearby newspaper and tobacco shop.
- Mr. Sid Watkins, Patricia's uncle.
- Mrs. Watkins, Mr. Watkins' sister-in-lawSister-in-lawA sister-in-law is the sister of one's spouse, the wife of one's sibling, or sometimes the wife of one's spouse's sibling...
. - Bill and Ted, two brothers from whose advice Kate tries to earn money from mushroom collecting.
- Mr. Henry Oates, the leader (and "Captain") of the Black Hand Gang.
- Mr. Henry Lawrence, the owner of the grey car that John hides in to shelter out hail.
- Mrs. Lawrence, his wife.
- Peter Lawrence, their son.
- The Fierce One, a guest at the birthday party to which John is invited.
- Mrs. Mullet, Mrs. Ruggles' friend.
- Mr. George Bird, Mr. Ruggles' working partner.
- Albert Bird, George's father.
- Mrs. Hare, the cleaner at the Majestic Cinema.
- Mr. Hare, her husband.
- Miss Clements, Jo Ruggles Jr.'s teacher.
- Charlie Ruggles, Mr. Ruggles' London brother.
- Mr. Short, the author whose money goes into the hands of Mr. Ruggles and Mr. Bird.
- Mr. Walter Wilkins, journalist for the Otwell GazetteGazetteA gazette is a public journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.In English- and French-speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name Gazette since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers bear the name The Gazette.Gazette is a loanword from the...
. - Mrs. "Nosey Parker" Smith, a neighbour of the Ruggles.
- Mrs. Charlie Ruggles (aka Auntie Ivy), Mr. Ruggles' sister-in-law.
- Mrs. Mabel Perkins, Auntie Ivy's sister.
- Leslie Perkins, a cabinetCabinet (furniture)A cabinet is usually a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors or drawers for storing miscellaneous items. Some cabinets stand alone while others are built into a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood or, now increasingly, of synthetic...
carpenterCarpenterA carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
, and Mabel's husband. - Their children: Anthony Perkins (aged 7) and Pamela Perkins (aged 9).
- Charlie Ruggles' children: May and Doris (twins, aged 10), Franklin (aged 9) and Elfred (aged 6).
- Mr. and Mrs. Buckle, Uncle Charlie's neighbours. Mr. Buckle is a retired coalCoalCoal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
-cartCartA cart is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people...
driver.
Plot
The Ruggles live at No. 1 One End Street in the heart of the fictional town of Otwell, located on the OuseOuse
Ouse may refer to:*the town of Ouse, Tasmania, Australiaand in the United Kingdom to:*the River Ouse, Yorkshire*The River Ouse, Sussex*The Ouse, an estuary on Shapinsay, in the Orkney Islands*The River Great Ouse in East Anglia...
river. Its other name is Otwell-on-the-Ouse. Its description closely resembles Lewes where the authoress lived.
Josiah Ruggles works for Otwell council as a dustman, and his wife Rosie takes in washing. They have seven children, so life is hard, but they are a happy family.
Lily Rose's ironing incident
Lily Rose comes home early after a pipe has burst at school, and being a Girl GuideGirlguiding UK
Girlguiding UK is the national Guiding organisation of the United Kingdom. Guiding began in the UK in 1910 after Robert Baden-Powell asked his sister Agnes to start a group especially for girls that would be run along similar lines to Scouting for Boys. The Guide Association was a founder member of...
, Lily Rose tries to help her mother by ironing some of the laundry her mother does for clients. Unfortunately, she uses a too-hot iron for a petticoat
Petticoat
A petticoat or underskirt is an article of clothing for women; specifically an undergarment to be worn under a skirt or a dress. The petticoat is a separate garment hanging from the waist ....
of artificial silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
, which shrinks, and her mother is furious as the garment belonged to one of her most trusted customers, Mrs. Beaseley.
The next morning, Mrs. Ruggles takes Lily Rose to Mrs Beaseley's house to explain what has happened. Fortunately, Mrs. Beaseley is amused, as she has made similar mistakes when she was a child.
Kate’s summer
Kate has passed her 'eleven plus' examinations with flying colors, but her parents are concerned, as they believe that they cannot afford the extra school expenses this will incur. Mrs. Beaseley’s cookCook (profession)
A cook is a person who prepares food for consumption. In Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Canada this profession requires government approval ....
points out that Mr. Ruggles has filled the scholarship paperwork out incorrectly: instead of seven children, he stated that he had only one child. After correcting the paperwork, they get a larger scholarship.
The week before school opens, Kate is invited on an outing to the seaside by one of her school friends, and manages to lose her new school hat to the incoming tide. She cannot ask her family for another, as she wasn't supposed to be wearing it on the picnic, nor does she have enough money to buy one. Two local boys, Bill and his brother Ted, tell her where she can pick mushrooms and sell them for a shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
a pound.
Unfortunately, they are not wild mushrooms but cultivated ones, and the farmer catches Kate with a basket of his mushrooms. He asks her if she's stolen mushrooms before and she tearfully tells him how she found out about them. The farmer believes her, and is understanding enough to give her a basket of mushrooms to sell. After Kate goes back home, a surprise awaits her in a parcel: the hat she had lost at sea during the Salthaven (i.e. Newhaven, Sussex) outing has been recovered by a friend of the Watkins!
Jim and the Black Hands
Jim, the older and more ambitious of the Ruggles twins, decides he wants an adventure of his own, but is captured by a local gang. A twelve-year-old named Henry Oates heads this gang, whose members call themselves Black Hands. The gang meets every Saturday, in an old lime kiln or at the gasworksGasworks
A gasworks or gas house is a factory for the manufacture of gas. The use of natural gas has made many redundant in the developed world, however they are often still used for storage.- Early gasworks :...
, where Henry’s father, a foreman, is employed. Though they consider him too young to join and accuse him of spying, Jim begs for his acceptance.
The next Saturday, Jim embarks on a real adventure. As a hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...
storm begins, he follows a friendly little dog into a drain pipe
Pipe (material)
A pipe is a tubular section or hollow cylinder, usually but not necessarily of circular cross-section, used mainly to convey substances which can flow — liquids and gases , slurries, powders, masses of small solids...
around a wharf
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
’s barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
-loading area for shelter; the dog escapes but Jim, who has fallen asleep in the pipe, is carried off to the seaport Salthaven, when the pipes are loaded onto a barge.
Jim relates his story to Mr. Watkins about being a stowaway
Stowaway
A stowaway is a person who secretly boards a vehicle, such as an aircraft, bus, ship, cargo truck or train, to travel without paying and without being detected....
. To Jim’s surprise, Watkins says he was also a gang member when he was young, and sends him off home.
John and the Lawrences
John, the younger twin, is a car fan and regularly visits Otwell Castle’s car park, in the hope of finding visitors who will pay him to mind their car. A couple called the Lawrences arrive at the castle, and allow him to 'mind' their car. The same rainstorm which sends Jim into the pipe on the wharf for shelter catches John, and he climbs into the car for shelter.When the Lawrences return, they drive away without checking the back seat, and John does not awaken until they've driven some miles. Instead of turning around and taking him home, they invite him to their son's birthday party, and promise to send a telegram to his family in order to let the Ruggles know that John is safe.
Aside from a slight mishap with the shower, John enjoys the party. There is a huge coffee-chocolate cake, and games. The Lawrences send John home on the bus with several parcels of leftover goodies from the festivities.
The Baby Show
William, the youngest Ruggles child, is entered in the Annual Baby Show, but the family is concerned as he is a late teether. He wins his age category (6–12 months), yet a slightly older competitor wins the Grand Challenge Cup as he has teeth. The Ruggles return home only to find that William now has a tooth!Jo and the Majestic
Jo Ruggles Jr., a Mickey MouseMickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
fan, spends his fourpence allowance at the local Majestic Theater to see cartoons. One week, he goes to the theater, only to find that the next Symphony is due in a fortnight. He sneaks inside the empty building and hides in the orchestra pit, where he soon falls asleep; several hours later, several cinema musicians find him. Jo explains to them why he sneaked in, and the men give him sixpence for the show, and a warning not to do it again.
Mr. Ruggles' discovery
Mr. Ruggles has always wanted to take his family to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for the great Cart-Horse Parade in Regent's Park
Regent's Park
Regent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the north-western part of central London, partly in the City of Westminster and partly in the London Borough of Camden...
, but cannot afford it. One week, he and his co-worker find an envelope
Envelope
An envelope is a common packaging item, usually made of thin flat material. It is designed to contain a flat object, such as a letter or card....
with £41
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
in one of the dustbins on their route. They turn the money in to the police, and a week later, the rightful owner gives him a reward of £2, which he uses to take his family to the Cart-Horse Parade.
At Regent's Park
The Ruggles travel to Regent's ParkRegent's Park
Regent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the north-western part of central London, partly in the City of Westminster and partly in the London Borough of Camden...
, the venue for the Cart Horse Parade, where they meet the family members who have entered their horse in the competition. The horse, 'Bernard Shaw', takes first place, and the families climb into the cart in order to participate in the parade.
A Perfect Day ends
The Ruggles spend the afternoon at a "Posh" tea shop while Charlie is stabling his horse. They spend longer than they realize amidst the delights of ice creamIce cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
, sundae
Sundae
The sundae is an ice cream dessert. It typically consists of a scoop of ice cream topped with sauce or syrup, and in some cases other toppings including chopped nuts, sprinkles, whipped cream, or maraschino cherries.-History:...
s and orchestra music, and must rush off to the train station. They make it just in time, and as the train pulls out, Mr. Ruggle's brother plays The End of a Perfect Day on his mouth organ
Mouth organ
A mouth organ is a generic term for free reed aerophone with one or more air chambers fitted with a free reed.Though it spans many traditions, it is played universally the same way by the musician placing their lips over a chamber or holes in the instrument, and blowing or sucking air to create a...
.
Editions
- ISBN 0-14-030007-4 (Puffin, UK, late 1980s reprint)