Dates[]
We can guess Bertha's year of birth and other dates.
- We know that Walter and Bertha died in June after Anne was born.
- Bertha's best friend (and neighbour) had been married for 12 years and was a lot older than Bertha (Jessie was probably 28).
- Bertha was newly married (less than one year) and was used to teaching.
- She was younger than 20, Anne's age in Anne of the Island.
- She taught long enough for the students to love her as a teacher.
- She taught with Walter before she married.
- After she married, Walter helped her with the chores in the summer.
- She went to Normal School (which was like Queen's Academy) for either one or two years to become a teacher.
So 19 was her age when Anne was born. This means that she started Normal School when she was 15, studied for 1 year until age 16. And taught 2 years before she married (age 18).
1865-19=1846 Year of birth.
Breather (talk) 05:01, February 20, 2013 (UTC)
- I think it is possible. She was younger than 20 and taught more than one year... She could be 19. It was mentioned in the series that Anne's parents were very young when they married each other.
- LilyLacreag (talk) 18:38, February 20, 2013 (UTC)
Information[]
I read this book and found out the following information:
Anne was born on March 5th and was delivered by a Dr. Blake. Her hair was called orange by some of the neighbours. Anne was raised by Mrs. Thomas's eldest daughter. Anne could walk at only eight months old and could also speak. Anne was said to be abnormally tall and looked two or three years older than she should have looked throughout her childhood. They (the neighbors) also said her hair was abnormally red.
Bertha Shirley had blonde hair and grey-green eyes and a small nose and a small chin. No freckles.She was thin. She was very neat and tidy and could cook a whole meal within twenty-five minutes. Her mother died of consumption when she was nine and she was an only child. She loved English as a subject and taught it until she married. Secretly, she hated geometry and algebra, two subjects that her husband loved.
Walter Shirley had dark red hair, blue eyes, and lots of freckles and a big nose. He wasn't considered very handsome even by his wife, but she loved him anyway. He had straight, stiff, spiky hair while Anne had soft, curly hair at birth. He was unorganized unlike his wife. His mother died of consumption. He loved mathematics (especially geometry) and taught it. He loved to listen to Bertha talk, so he often listen with enthusiasm while she spoke poetry. He had very long legs (Anne's height).
Both died of fever in June, Bertha caught it from Walter and died first due to her weak immune system (weak lungs). Walter was generally healthy before, but he died after she died. Both their coffins were made by Mr. Hudson whose three children had been taught by them (Bertha's was originally a gift for the still healthy Walter). Their yellow house still had strawberries (planted by Bertha in her garden), which the neighbours talked about after the funeral.
Excerpt from Anne of the Island:You're complected (freckled) like your pa. He had red hair. But you favor your ma in your eyes and mouth.
Mrs. Thomas's first name was Joanna and was thirty-two years old before Anne was born. She became the Shirley's hired lady. Her husband's name was Bert.
Mrs. Hammond's first name was Lottie.
Anne started school when she was six and didn't even know what the alphabet was. She learned quickly although she had to work for Mrs. Hammond studying and working at the same time.Breather (talk) 04:16, February 17, 2013 (UTC)
- Wow! These informations are great. (I haven't read this book yet, it wasn't published in my country.) And because Before Green Gables is a part of AoGG series, we should add these informations to article. Thank you, Breather. : )
- LilyLacreag (talk) 09:12, February 17, 2013 (UTC)
- I've read short preview of this book and it was mentioned that Bertha taught until last June - that means wedding of Bertha and Walter was in June 1864 because she couldn't teach as a married woman. She mentioned that she lived with her father on a farm.
- LilyLacreag (talk) 23:26, February 18, 2013 (UTC)
- Her father wasn't alive because he wasn't there to take care of Anne. He probably died after she married.
- Breather (talk) 03:33, February 20, 2013 (UTC)
- I supposed it. Because he would care of Anne when Bertha and Walter died. I wrote that he had a farm - that means he was a farmer, not a minister or owner of shop. And Bertha was raised on a farm.
- LilyLacreag (talk) 18:38, February 20, 2013 (UTC)
- Have you read the book recently? I know you said you haven't before, but you sound like you know a lot about the book. Or have you read a detailed preview?
- Breather (talk) 02:50, February 21, 2013 (UTC)
- I've read only first and second chapter - you can find them on Amazon.com. I also work with informations which you wrote there. Other - my imagination. : )
- I need several facts and I can write long biography. I work with facts from the book, history, psychology and more. When you know how old is someone in 1880, you can calculate his year (or decade) of birth, you can write that he/she attended school in the age of six (historical fact), you can write that he/she was born somewhere, you can write that person was devastated after parent's death (psychology), you can write that he didn't continue with studies (if he/she worked on a farm) and more. Biographies - 80% facts and 20% imagination.
- LilyLacreag (talk) 16:20, February 21, 2013 (UTC)