The Lowly Washerwoman

We are always researching the people at the bottom of society. Carol Jarboe, or “Maggie”, has done piles of research on these folks and is a dream to work with. Find out what labor on the bottom rung was like in the 18 century with the lowly washerwoman.
A compilation of a series of video done in 2019.
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0:00 - 9:03 Who Did The Laundry In The 18th Century?
9:03 - 20:47 No Washing Machine, No Dryer, Hit It With A Stick?
20:47 - 27:31 The Evolution Of The Washing Machine
27:31 - 39:43 Accidental Chemistry

[@townsends]

Find out more about Maggie here: parsonjohn.org

[@cbryce9243]

This was one of the most interesting and enjoyable videos you have produced as yet. Knowing the woman's jobs and their importance in keeping things running, is often ignored. Thankyou!

[@scasny]

bit off the topic, dont know what you do but you look younger

[@Yesica1993]

Carol is amazing!

[@miaokuancha2447]

A hard job for women with hard lives. Honor and respect to the ones who gave us clean clothes.

[@KairuHakubi]

It's amazing how the treatment of the poor feels so 'cruel' now, yet it was 10 times better and more helpful than what we do with them today.

[@BigboiiTone]

Thank you for your washing service

[@Tzreoaor]

Women don’t know what a hard job is. You really think washing clothes manually is hard? Grow up

[@tessat338]

Clean clothes helped limit the spread of body lice. If you change your day clothes to night clothes and hang your clothes up to air, lice have a harder time surviving, especially in the winter. The phrase "Cleanliness is next to Godliness" referred to changing one's linen, not to bathing. Most people washed regularly but didn't bathe until Saturday night. Even then, they would only have what we would call a sponge bath.

[@BigboiiTone]

@@tessat338 me the friday night smell

[@tessie7e777]

The bleaching on grass really works well. My husband’s family baptismal gown was made of cotton and quite yellow/browned, so we didn’t know what to do for my daughter to use it, till I heard this tip 26 years ago. I washed it normally, wrung it out, and placed it on our lawn. It became bright white. No one knew it wasn’t a new gown! Amazing the chemical processes these women were performing.

[@Nyx773]

Sun bleaching only works on antique fabrics. Fabrics made in the last 50+ years have chemical whiteners that will yellow with too much sun.

[@victorialazareva]

But it is chemistry

[@butchpeddlin4767]

​@@charliesmith_calling anything "real" chemistry because you think it's natural or better or something is kinda stupid.. chemistry is chemistry...

[@KingofCrusher]

@@butchpeddlin4767 Agreed. I don't like that mindset, it leads people to fall for all sorts of snake oil scams.

[@damienvalentine5043]

@@charliesmith_ How much vinegar do you put in a load of laundry? I think I'd like to try that out next laundry day.

[@jamesvatter5729]

Carol is simply amazing. Listening to her, then "Maggie", I don't know how she flips that switch. She is so good!

[@EclipseAtDusk]

The more you practice being a character, the easier & easier it becomes to embody them with minimal effort. It becomes a part of you, and a little bit of them always lives in your head at all times

[@Undomaranel]

Have you ever played pretend with a child, baby or dog? Just like that, a switch is flipped and your behavior goes onto character mode.

[@JohnZombi88]

I played the main character based on an 1830 court trial and got so deep into character it was hard to transition back to being a regular 00s kid

[@raraavis7782]

I find it almost magical. Good acting in general. It's an amazing talent, but also frightening. To know, that people can present themselves so extremely convincingly as someone/something they're not. It awes and scares me at the same time.

[@Yesica1993]

She's wonderful! I could watch an entire series like this!

[@bunnyslippers191]

In my youth, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, if something white had a stain that just wouldn't come out, Mom taught us to lay it out on the grass all day, check to see if the stain had come out, and if it hadn't leave it on the grass all night until the next morning and only take it off the grass after the dew had dried. It was amazing how well that worked. I hadn't realized the oxygen given off by the grass would do an oxygen bleach job on white clothes.

[@malleusmaleficarum6004]

That's interesting, did it always get the stain out, or were there some stains that it just didn't work on? I think I might give it a try when I have some extra time. How did you get the grass stains out when you were done lol

[@madamedent]

​@@malleusmaleficarum6004Longer, uncut grass helps keep the garment off the dirt below, and uncut grass won't bleed its juice unless you crush it, so just lay the whites out gently. if you do get a stain, you can wash it with vinegar or lemon juice (or spray the spot with vinegar, lay it in the sun again until bleached out, then rinse the fabric and dry on the line).

[@malleusmaleficarum6004]

@@madamedent I know, I was only joking. Someone would pretty much have to step on the clothes and really drive them into the grass for it to stain.

[@TheDovesNest]

I used to do this with my children's baby clothes when they would have blow-outs! Before washing, I would rinse and leave it out in the sunshine for a few hours. The sunshine is the best bleach!

[@raraavis7782]

Good reminder. I'm about to pack my summer clothes away for the cooler months and I have a white spf50 sports shirt, that has a fruit stain, that won't come out. Love that shirt for bike rides/hiking in summer and they're not cheap. Sadly, there's only so much, you can do to microfiber, as opposed to cotton/linen. Maybe sun/grass bleaching will do the trick!

[@teejin669]

Man Carol is an amazing presenter. I thought this video was 3 times shorter than it was. I hope to see her in the channel more if possible

[@xChimkin]

acting lil

[@MorbinNecrim86]

Love how we get not just the practical process but also the science behind it

[@omalleyshepherd2936]

This was amazing! Do more! Tailors, coopers, carpenters, bricklayers, leather workers, clerks, chemists or apothecaries, doctors, or maybe do one on colonial medicine!

[@lucasgondreau7880]

He might’ve done the others, but I know he did medicine/apothecaries!: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4iVq36LaN2hfs0si=SKGx2-U2PYWxXVu7

[@elizabethclaiborne6461]

Those are educated people who are well documented. Laundresses are largely ignored cause women.

[@omalleyshepherd2936]

@@elizabethclaiborne6461 You are partly correct. Bricklayers, carpenters, coopers, tailors, etc were assuredly NOT educated. Clerks, chemists, and doctors were educated, perhaps even went to university. Laundresses were ignored because they were women, their work was to a degree a luxury and not in terribly high regard, and because anyone could do it. That said, this segment was amazing, not because a woman was the main topic or character so to speak, but because she was engaging and knowledgeable. Had some other woman done it, it might not have been as well attended.

[@elizabethclaiborne6461]

Most of those people you list had some math and reading. Educated in 1750 does not mean university, it means about third grade. Basic literacy, enough to leave business records and actually do the work. We know what tailors, for example, did, there’s a gigantic swath of KZbin channels for tailors and mantua makers. The crap jobs done by very poor women don’t have records. The way the research was done is described in the video, I shouldn’t have to explain it to you. You do understand that tailors, mantua makers, and carpenters do math? And write bills?

[@elizabethclaiborne6461]

Craftspeople/ artisans are very different from laborers. Washing is the womens ditch digging.

[@lakrids-pibe]

Hans Christian Andersen was the son of a washerwoman. The danish author and storyteller came from a modest background. His father was a shoemaker, but he wasn't around. Hans Christian grew up in a time when all children got a school education. EVERYBODY, even the children of a washerwoman learned to read and write. Hans Christian was spotted as a child with special talents, so he also got a secondary education, the so called latin school. Mass schooling was introduced in Denmark with the Schools Acts of 1814.

[@raraavis7782]

That's interesting to know. I somehow assumed, that these things didn't really start to happen before the beginning of the 20th century. After all, it would have been hard for children in rural places, to even get to school in many cases (especially in winter), if they could even be spared from farmwork. Do you know, if that was more of an offer, extended to those willing, or was attendance compulsory?

[@sd-ch2cq]

Schools existed in Europe before the time of Napoleon but they didn't have exams for the teachers (anybody could call themselves a teacher), children of different ages all sat together (wasn't separated into 'years'), and it was paid for by the parents instead of the state. So poor children would be severely hampered in their education.

[@toscadonna]

My poor grandma had to wash, wring, and put up to dry, diapers, linens, and clothes for 5 babies and 2 adults by hand. Then the next day, she had to iron everything, because nothing was wrinkle free back then. She worked SO hard. Everything was made from scratch back then, too.

[@SpeakShibboleth]

My grandmother washed her clothes in the river her house backed up to. She had a mangle and a big copper kettle in a shed. It was fun to turn the handle and watch the murky water run out. For whatever reason, those are my favorite memories of her. Working together to achieve something worthwhile, though i don't doubt i was more of a hindrance than a help.

[@f.goossens8118]

I love this video, Carol is a wealth of information and tells it well. In 1960s Scotland, I still remember going to the "Steamie" with my Granny. This was a communal laundry place, aptly named! It had huge copper boilers and enormous wringers. As children, my sister and I sat on the wide windowsill eating boiled sweets and listening to the women gossip. Not the 18th C of course, but it might show just how long communal washing of clothes and bedding lasted in some parts of the world, and yes, how it was always the women who did that work.

[@f.goossens8118]

PS I also still remember Mum using green household soap on the collar and cuffs of Dad's shirts before soaking them overnight for the wash.

[@ParsonJohnMaggie]

Thanks for the info in your comment. ❤

[@VespasianJudea]

If you’ve ever seen the film Ever After with Drew Berrymore and Angelica Huston (a retelling of Cinderella but without magic), then you know the depth of Angelica Huston’s character(the stepmother) losing her status as a noblewoman and becoming a wash woman. Good movie, I highly suggest watching it.

[@crouchwritinggallery]

One of my favorites!

[@LolaBathory]

Such a good one!!

[@VespasianJudea]

@@crouchwritinggallery Yeah for sure.

[@VespasianJudea]

@@LolaBathory It’s a classic to me.

[@RhaegarTargaryen1st]

Yes, but she was management. 😉

[@eatbolt42]

I remember when this was first uploaded. I was disappointed it wasn't a cooking video but I watched the first part anyway. It turned out to be one of my favorite Townsends series and the one I always recommend to people. It was also the beginning of my favorite rule-of-thumb when it comes to KZbin history channels, "The more boring-sounding the title, the more interesting the content." I think mostly because they usually cover topics I know nothing about so the experience of watching them satisfies the basic reason I watch this content in the first place: To learn something. Plus Maggie is entertaining and hilarious. Can't beat that combo.

[@mathiasgreyjoy1611]

You remember when this was first uploaded? You mean like 2 hours ago?

[@mynamejeff3545]

@@mathiasgreyjoy1611 They uploaded the first part of this video as a stand-alone a few years ago

[@ljb8157]

​@@mathiasgreyjoy1611this whole thing was uploaded years ago. It's a re-upload. It's still great though!

[@ljb8157]

Did you watch the Maggie Delaney Story? This video used to be my favorite... until I watched her whole indentured servant story. It's a little over an hour long and it's fantastic!

[@ElizabethJones-pv3sj]

Thankyou for confirming I wasn't crazy that this was the exact same video over again. I saw it was a new video and wondered if they had got Carole back to explain it again, but then I couldn't notice anything new.

[@hayleighsanders1228]

My great-great grandmother was a washerwoman in Victorian England. She would leave her five children on a street corner and work from dawn until late at night washing clothes. She died at 32 from pneumonia. Her name was Mary Roper. I can't imagine how hard her life was.

[@normanshadow1]

God bless Mary Roper!❤

[@JustinHitt]

Great blueing explanation. That's probably why toothpaste tends to be blue. Teeth don't become less yellow but seem more white.

[@thebusybee957]

Same with purple shampoo! 😊

[@ljb8157]

I NEVER get tired of Maggie (Carole)! She's my favorite... character(?) On this channel. She's absolutely fantastic! Please give us more Maggie (Carole)! And yes.. I've watched her tell her whole story... multiple times. Even my kids enjoy listening to her!

[@DamianReloaded]

This was so interesting. On one hand, it makes you have a renewed appreciation for all the comfort we have today for essentially everything that was once this complicated. On the other hand, it makes you appreciate more the incredible hard work people had to put into everything just to stay alive. This lady's impression of a 17-18 century washerwoman works just like a time machine. As I watched the video, I was transported to a frontier settlement, and I imagined myself on a sunny Sunday, perhaps bringing something from another town on my donkey-drawn cart. I would try to find a way to stay there for a while, to have a chance relax, have social interaction and enjoy the day.

[@nancybochsler8947]

My great great great grandmother was listed as a laundress on the 1850 St. Louis, MO census so this video was so informational to me! Thank you!

[@SorrellSorrell]

Not too long ago we had washer men and washer women in India even now in some rural areas, where they would take cloths near a river and slam cloths on the huge rocks and the cloths always turned out really clean. It is a tough job for sure.I did my laundry manually up until last few years, It's a valuable skill to have especially while travelling.

[@ankitsinha2559]

I am from india and was literally thinking about the same thing. Washing clothes on river/ponds bank is pretty common still today in rural India.

[@grizz6150]

Living history at it's finest excellent presentation Maggie ' thank you Maggie and John.

[@tessat338]

You can see why the housewife's chore list ran: Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday, Mend on Wednesday, Churn on Thursday, Clean on Friday, Bake on Saturday, Rest on Sunday. You wore your best clothes on Sunday so washing them on Monday made sure that they stayed nice and stains didn't set. Iron the day after washing. Mend the clean clothes and put them away. Take all the cream that has settled out over the past three days, skim it and make butter. Do a general cleaning on Friday to get the house ready for company. Get the baking done on Saturday in the clean kitchen and have the fresh bread ready for Sunday dinner. This was in addition to ALL THE OTHER house and farm work that had to be done on a DAILY basis, like milking, cooking, washing dishes, etc., along with looking after children, usually while pregnant. My husband's aunt says that her mother, my husband's grandmother, made a pie every day of her life while living on a ranch 50 years ago. Maggie is doing what was called the "rough work."

[@clogs4956]

I still have an Reckitts Blue Bag which my grandma (born 1884) left unused in the pantry back in the 1960s. She used isinglass, too, and insisted on hand washing rather than use the machine my dad, her son, bought. Hello from the UK!

[@beau-urns]

Maggie is a marvellous character and she plays it so well. She’s also so knowledgeable

[@EclipseAtDusk]

Oh this is gonna be a delightful watch. I frequent the local ren faire every summer, and one of my favorite shows that I make sure to see every time, is the Washing Well Wenches. I always leave that show with my face hurting from laughing so much. I’d always wondered what the real story behind washer women was, and here y’all come ready to give us exactly that!

[@briannawalker4793]

Yes!! The Washing Well Wenches are truly spectacular and do a great job of blending comedy, a bit of history, and a staggering amount of Everclear xD

[@Prismatic_Pixie]

I watched Townsend in 360p for the first time today and I'm not going back; it looks like a fun made-for-TV documentary from the 2000s! You literally just need the transitions to adbreaks and it would be a genuine 1-hour documentary hahaha! 😂❤

[@JohnZombi88]

360p gang for everything rise up

[@mialemon6186]

This is hilarious, ngl. 😂

[@naomiparsons1652]

I work in a 18th century period house museum in northern England, I also talk about our dolly legs and posser with visitors, love how despite the distance the names and processes are the same. Some great info in this video for me to talk about with visitors x

[@KimberlyInSoCal310]

What a fantastic video! I loved Carol's "Maggie" character, and all the information Carol had on the history of her character and everything to do with laundry. She is a fantastic storyteller! It's fascinating and makes it easy to that while things have become automated these days so much remains the same as far as the chemicals and processes for cleaning and bleaching clothing. I had some very vintage linens that had yellowed over time and did everything including adding borax to my wash formula, to using bluing and laying the linens on the grass to get them white - and it worked!

[@ah5721]

Borax is a fabric softener and helps with hard water

[@LisaG442]

This is absolutely fantastic. This woman has done very in depth research and her presentation is very believable, I can almost see myself back in time listening. History preserved. I will never complain about doing laundry again.

[@SmallGreenPlanetoid]

Graphic designer here. To explain the blueing in more contemporary terms: mixing light is not like mixing paint. With paint, everyone knows if you mix blue and yellow you get green. But light works differently. You might know that video monitors/screens of all types work by mixing different intensities of red, green, and blue light. This is why you have the "RGB" settings on your monitor when you're trying to calibrate the color. In RGB light mixing, you can combine red, green, and blue light together at equal intensities to get white light. If you vary the intensities of the RGB lights, you get different colors. For yellow, you mix red light with an equal intensity of green light, while omitting the blue light entirely. If you add blue light, the yellow will turn to white. See where this is going? So with the blueing, you're essentially adding microscopic blue particles that reflect blue light. When that light combines with the yellow light being reflected off the fabric, it appears white to our eyes.

[@TheVioletMaze]

The products she uses completely shocked me. Amazing video!

[@sevenproxies4255]

I use a lot of essence of vinegar and soda for cleaning things at home, like soaking bedsheets in it before laundry, but also to deep clean counter tops, sinks, the procelain of the toilet and washbasin etc. In my experience it performs a lot better than many detergents. Essence of vinegar especially is really good at removing odors of any kind. Also, I some times use soda if I ever get stained teeth. Soda acts as an abrasive that can polish a tooth, but is softer than the tooth enamel so it's not likely to damage the tooth itself but only grinds away the stain. I was inspired to do it when I did some soda blasting to strip paint from an aluminium surface. Sand blasting wouldn't have worked because aluminium is too soft to withstand sandblasting and so the surface would have gotten pitted and ruined. But soda blasting strips the paint while leaving aluminium unharmed and it does the same with teeth (although you'd rub or brush it over teeth rather than sodablasting your mouth of course 😄)

[@Just_Sara]

Really Carol/Maggie is my favorite, I can listen to her explain this stuff all day. SO fascinating! I can't imagine how cracked washerwomen's hands were from the daily water and lye and hard labor...

[@Yesica1993]

I have very dry / sensitive skin, especially my hands, so I was thinking of that as well. I am sure their hands bled, as well. Such hard lives people had. They would see our modern washers / dryers and probably cry. I know I would.

[@toscadonna]

At least they had lard, tallow, whale grease, and bear grease for moisturizers back then. They’re the absolute best.

[@coffeehubby]

At the hospital I work at the housekeepers are still referred to as lowly when compared to doctors and nurses. People pay lip service to equality but their real attitudes show over time. But without good workers like the lady in this video we all would be in trouble.

[@leonardticsay8046]

What do you expect? It’s a job with a low barrier to entry. Even in a utopian society those workers are going to be treated as such. It will always be lip service towards equity because it’s unobtainable.

[@WhoDidIKill]

​@leonardticsay8046 equality of outcome, yeah sure, but equality of opportunity and basic respect for people is a good thing to aim for, so maybe chill with the cynicism.

[@margaretbarclay-laughton2086]

What people often forget is that without the people who washed the laundry, cleaned the toilets or scrubbed dishes or floors. Hospitals,big houses, hotels and other places would grind to a halt.

[@evelynkorjack2126]

a robert silverburg story "the world inside" where EVERYONE in cities live inside self contained high rises. the man who maintains the very high tech waste processing, and lives just as luxuriously as everyone else, is always shunned, even though the society is supposed to be equal

[@Time_Is_Left]

@@leonardticsay8046. Reactionary thinkers have always viewed the world as you do. The parity achieved to this point (to the degree that it’s been achieved at all) was once said to be unobtainable. But sure. Maybe you’re special and just so happen to be correct.

[@xerofelix7090]

I love how the basics of cleaning are still the same today as they were then. Chemical, Aggitation, and Time. Brilliant and so interesting!

[@firenter]

Nice to see this compilation again, Maggie's such a great character!

[@itsjustgary407_7]

This is definitely one of those jobs, like the blacksmith, where the work stops when your body stops.

[@studyspodreaming7628]

She's an amazing person to give a story and a voice to women who were so downtrodden!

[@RowBearToe]

17:30 rice starch - when I was in the Marines and stationed in Japan, it was very popular to have our uniforms done by the laundry ladies and have rice starch put in them. Made out uniforms stuff and sharp.

[@KanetsidohiKanotoush]

I'm from south América, and a little over 60s, I remember when I was a child, before washing machines, many women from the poorer neighborhoods around us used to wash stuff by hand I used to think how miserable that work it could be, even more in winter but I met many of those women because of my mom work at the church, and they didn't share my point of view, it was hard work yes, but it gave them an honest way to help their families have a better life

[@Yesica1993]

I only recently discovered this channel. I have missed so much. Better late than never, as the old saying goes. Despite being 50+, I am ashamed to say that I know so little of this history. Thank you for preserving it. It's so important. I especially love learning about the daily lives of ordinary people. I can't relate to the lives of kings, politicians, military leaders, inventors, etc. You know, the "important" people, the ones that make the history books. I can relate to the average person in their daily tasks of washing clothes, providing food for themselves and their families, and trying to make enough money to get by. It doesn't matter the place, the time period, or the types of people, these things will always be the same.

[@MoneyChanger02]

What a great presentation! Thank you, Carol!

[@LolaBathory]

So cool to see a focus on a woman’s job👏🏼

[@Pieces_Of_Eight]

An incredible glimpse into the complex chemistry and grueling labor of the washerwoman! Brilliantly presented and portrayed. When I was a child, my Irish grandmother said that white "linens, lace, and (christening) gowns" were best laid out on green lawn beneath the sun to brighten. Wonderful to hear more history behind that snippet.

[@maggiethorpe4837]

I am always so happy to see more in depth video about a specific subject. Carol is simply amazing and so knowledgeable!

[@dukecity7688]

First. It is thrilling to finally find someone who wants to talk laundry! My grandmother from Galway was a cleaning lady and washer woman. She never touched a drop of alcohol and was soft spoken. My mother was a cleaning lady and did laundry. So am I . My friend used to call me a 'laundry maven'. I still love to do laundry. When my mother instructed me on hanging the clothes on the line, if things weren't pinned properly to the line, she would make me re hang them. We blocked everything - to try and make ironing unnecessary or easier to iron. Now that I live in an apartment I miss my hanging my laundry outside, especially my sheets more than anything. Nature's sterilizer my mother called it.

[@Baker11ification]

Have you considered doing an “interview” with a period actor that stays in character? If they know their stuff that would be really cool to see. A historian that also acts like their character, I’d watch that.

[@m2heavyindustries378]

There's an hour long video on this exact channel which has that

[@jaydoggy9043]

Thank you, Ms. Jarboe for a fantastic performance and the education I don't know where else I'd find.

[@jacquelinebates7776]

Fascinating look at an overlooked job. Extremely interesting. I used to help my Grandmother with her wringer machine and she always "blued" the white items.

[@leonardticsay8046]

Makes me think of the washerwoman from wind in the willows. One of only two female characters in that book.

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

That was a great trip back in History, Thanks for sharing with us, stay safe and keep up the good videos. Fred.

[@Aelfswythe]

What a coincidence! I'm currently reading Foul Bodies: Cleanliness in Early America and it talks about laundresses in colonial settlements among many other topics. It's so fascinating!!

[@nelly5954]

You guys are so good at teaching those parts of history that are forever ignored or skimmed over in school.

[@HeatherMerrell]

Really enjoy listening to this woman. 😊

[@raraavis7782]

I remember that 3 or 4 part series with 'Maggie', you did before! Or is this a repost/reedit? Oh, I don't even care 😅. Watched the whole thing and could listen to another hour, easily. It's such an amazing glimpse into the lives of these people and so well presented.

[@IonIsFalling7217]

Love this! Way more intriguing to me than the cooking videos. ❤

[@gabrielahmad1294]

Brilliant video. It's so interesting that now, we just put the washing machine on. The hard work and complicated process from that century is amazing.

[@WhiskeySour89]

What a lovely channel to stumble upon

[@prettybyaccident]

I have to wonder if due to the socio economic level of these women that whatever info we have on them, possibly recorded by others with a high status and lots of bias. I would love to know the individual stores of these ladies. Hard times and hard jobs make hard people. Many today think that laborers (construction etc) are uneducated alcoholics and having done those jobs that is just a small picture of what working at the bottom is like.

[@ljb8157]

I agree. We know enough about the high status individuals. I want to know more about the everyday people of those times. I love watching Ruth Goodman. She does a great job highlighting the everyday lives of the women of the past! I'm sure you know who she is but if you don't.. search for "Tales from the Green Valley" (amongst others). She and 3 others live as farmers in the 1500s for a full year on an old tudor farm. It's awesome!

[@HeatherMerrell]

​@@ljb8157 Ty

[@xChimkin]

someone had to do it

[@quailypoes]

I was thinking the same thing. The bias they seemed to have in this, that these women were automatically unpleasant and lower class, doesn't feel legit.

[@gaelmaid45]

This was fantastic! Thank you Carol❤

[@AlienShuttlecraft]

Thank you for the wonderful video.

[@carlhenryjr]

What an interesting episode! I was caught up in learning about this the whole time- and it was a good long one too. What a treat!

[@marthaweeks1215]

This is so cool that you made a video with Maggie! I've met her, and she is great at what she does! I've been watching, but now I'm a subscriber!

[@PlantNative]

Wow! These women deserve a pay raise! The bleaching with grass was very interesting. The boiling water must really get stuff clean.

[@orellinvvardengra6775]

I loved the deep dive into writing y'all did and I'm loving this. I'm fresh to history and this channel has really drawn me in. I'm actually trying to find some free stuff I can read online.

[@jpgcne]

Ahh yes I remember thos video from 2019. !!! Thanks for showing again. ❤😂

[@robhayes8295]

This is brilliant. Thank you.

[@CanadianBear47]

another great and interesting and informative episode thanks townsends u guys always know how to put a smile on my face

[@BlessingsfromNorthIdaho]

Wonderful video ❤. Thank you!

[@kramitdreams]

Very educational ❤ loved it!

[@TorchwoodPandP]

As always: Fascinating!

[@RiotR4P]

Watching this guy is like getting a virtual hug! I love this dude God bless him ❤️🙏

[@TheEthicalOutlaw]

Shout out from Ithaca NY! 2 of my 9th great grandfathers served in the Revolutionary War as Pvts in the winter of '77. My 5th great grandfather served as a Pvt in the Civil War in Battery D, 16th NY Volunteer Heavy Artillery division. Just a couple of my ancestors feats that i am so proud of. My family has been in this very area (Kinderhook colony) since 1623. Im proud to have my toes in the same soil that my family touched down in 400 years ago 🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@c0niferal]

This was awesome, so much knowledge & expertise on display here

[@robzinawarriorprincess1318]

Carol!❤

[@aarons3014]

Amazing video, thank you very much.

[@erikaamerica4546]

Incredible. This is all new to me. Extremely labor intensive.

[@annasahlstrom6109]

When was this in the narrative of Maggie? Was it before or after she turned to a life of crime? I love her character and her story. I wish there could be a whole film of her story. I loved the short film that you guys did about her.

[@ParsonJohnMaggie]

Thanks for asking. Maggie the washerwoman is before her time in the criminal gangs. :)

[@Yesica1993]

I would happily watch an entire series with her!

[@1SemperDad]

Carol is a treasure to the historic community.

[@mikakestudios5891]

Having a teaparty at a "Bettering House." Rich people have always been weird I guess.

[@loves2spin2]

This is marvelous!

[@broudwauy]

Absolutely love Carol's knowledge on this and her character work

[@doubleq1223]

This was absolutely amazing. I it was very entertaining and I very much enjoyed it. Thank you.

[@morgotha42]

I would love a video , perhaps a few videos, on how different folks cared for their hair. from washing it to how they kept their hair. Proper period hair styles. etc. 🙂

[@ALMcK70]

This episode was very informative. I learned a few new things. Great job.

[@spyrofrost9158]

I'd be an ornery grouch too if I had to handwash so much laundry all the time with simple tools.

[@edwardsbarbara25]

Excellent presentation

[@FinnoUgric]

That's what I call knowledge. Salute to her, and thank you for the upload.

[@robinminn271]

I love this video. Learned amazing how to. Thank you

[@vivianking8143]

Maggie is wonderful! Thank you both for this video. I learned about the urine many years ago from Ruth Goodman and I make and use it all the time for my whites. It is a wonderful product. In Joy

[@ginajackson8482]

This has been one of my favorite demonstrations❤️

[@jmarinotripp240]

Thank you for bringing history to life for us, I’ve learnt a lot thanks to you

[@maryjosmith3597]

I had learned soo much, thank you for this video.

[@karenhummel49]

Awesome video ❤

[@MiddleEastMilli]

Powerful! Thank you all!

[@brightpurpleviking]

She is my favorite!!! Thank you

[@dl7562]

Very informative and interesting video!

[@mammyrambles2197]

So interesting. My gran (oldest girl of 9) is 93 years old and remembers laundry day at home in 1930s Dublin. A woman came once a week and my gran and her mother would be up before dawn lighting the fire under the copper in the garden. It took day to wash the clothes for the family. The fathers shirts were sent out. My gran thinks it was the washing machine that liberated women.

[@ginajackson8482]

I appreciate the small things in life after watching and leaning from these wonderful videos!

[@arlysdavis3694]

And we complain that we didn’t get an up close parking spot at the store. Lots of interesting information, thanks.