Name/TitleFruit Straining Bag

About this objectAn old, muslin Coleman's flour bag. On the front is printed 'Colman's Self-Rising Flour', 'For pastry, cakes etc.', 'Carrow Works, Norwich', '6 lb net'. On the back is printed a number of wartime recipes. The bag was used by Mrs Wilding who lived in the Crowe Street Cottages, for straining fruits to make jelly.

Ingrid Garbett, Research Volunteer:
The bag can be dated to between 1940-1945, due to the wartime recipes. The place of origin was Colmans Carrow factory, which was purchased in 1814 by Jeremiah Colman, a flour miller, as a going flour and mustard making concern at Stoke Holy Cross near Norwich. Best known for mustard, the company made flour, starch, laundry blue and cornflour and was moved to its present position in Carrow, Norwich between 1856-1862. Various male family members continued to run and expand the company until it became a private limited company in 1896 and one of the largest employers in Norwich employing over 2000 people. In 1914 Colman was the city’s most affluent business and exceptional employer. Their philanthropic approach pioneered health and welfare schemes, educational programmes, sports clubs and a canteen in a time when such were not commonplace. The company was adversely affected in both World War I and II, the factory being burnt down in the second war. It seems therefore fortuitous to be in possession of a flour bag from that era. Colmans has developed and expanded through various takeovers and mergers since then. It is still known today as a mustard and condiment producer, having been demerged and become part of Unilever in 1995.

Emily Wilding was born Emily Rice on 20 November 1900 in Woolpit. Her life at Abbots Hall started in 1922 when she became the resident cook. It is known that she arrived in her new post with her own cookery book that is part of the museum’s collection and is marked on the flyleaf E.M. Rice, June 1921. As part of her role she supervised a parlour maid, a house maid and an in-between maid. She cooked for the Longe family who owned the Hall and its farm, as well as their guests. In 1929 Emily Rice married the estate’s horseman Fred Wilding, becoming his second wife and mother to step children Ken and Len. Fred’s first wife had died in 1914 after Ken’s birth. Emily joined the family in Seabreeze Cottage which they occupied as a tied house. Emily thinks they moved to Crowe Street in 1936 so that she could run the dairy at the back of the Cottage providing; milk, cream and butter for the Hall and for sale in the town. In addition to running the dairy and a busy household, Emily also provided accommodation to billeted soldiers and land army girls at various times during the war.

A Fruit Straining Bag was used to strain juice out of cooked fruit. With the addition of sugar the juice could then be turned into jelly to be spread on bread or as a sweetener to other puddings.

MakerColmans

Place MadeCarrow Works, Norwich

Medium and MaterialsMuslin

Inscription and MarksPrinted with the Colman's logo and 'Colman's Self-raising flour for pastry, cakes etc. 6LB NET COLMANS'

On the back are printed a few wartime recipes.

Measurements360 mm x 200 mm

Object numberSTMEA:78.A.28.2

Copyright LicenceAttribution - Non-commercial (cc)