Roberta Hewitt

Roberta (Ruby) Hewitt nee Black was born in Larne in 1904, the youngest of three daughters of a watchmaker. She grew up in Belfast and her father died when she was ten.

She left school at 14 to work in the Flax Control Board and later emigrated to Canada. She returned to Belfast for a holiday but met John Hewitt at an exhibition and they married.

She volunteered for the Nursery School Association and the Purdysburn Fever Hospital committee and was a socialist.

They lived in Belfast except for the period from 1957-1972 when they lived in Coventry. She died in 1975.

Researcher: Kelly McCaughrain

PRONI Reference for Diaries: D3838/4/2/2

Bio & Researcher's Note

Roberta Hewitt Diary Entries

28th January, 1951
I may be worse than poor mother...
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12th February, 1951
J is writing away and I don’t like to leave him and go to bed...
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5th March, 1951
I have no more energy and I feel a bit guilty about them...
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17th March, 1951
Please not the death of forgetfulness – not too soon...
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4th May, 1951
I quite enjoy my stories on the wall in flat moving photographs...
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5th June, 1951
The world and I are very middle-aged...
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20th July, 1951
A diary does give a limited view of a person...
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10th August, 1951
It is a great responsibility living with someone who must write...
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11th July, 1952
So many fires in such a small space...
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4th April, 1953
I had to say mentally – forgive me dear God...
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5th May, 1953
I feel such an utter failure at everything...
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No Date October, 1953
J and I had another row in the cottage...
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No Date June, 1954
I think a good flood or a wee volcano would do Ireland no harm...
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No Date October, 1954
I am much happier and content and have got a grip of my old self...
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12th September, 1956
All our married lives I wished he would get a job elsewhere...
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No Date December, 1958
After 24 years marriage we had our Christmas alone...
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