Michael Premo, Myrtle Knuckle

Description

Longtime Brooklyn resident. Kingsborough Senior Center Resident Myrtle Knuckle was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1921. She moved to Brooklyn in the 1950s. Myrtle’s father worked as a contractor and a minister. Her mother was originally from Cuba. Myrtle’s maternal grandfather was Irish and her maternal grandmother was Cuban. Myrtle’s mother was much younger than Myrtle’s father: she was his second wife. From this marriage, her parents had Myrtle and an additional brother. Her other seven siblings were from her father’s previous wife. She recalls that her family and her mother in particular, were very religious. Myrtle learned her trade of dressmaking from her mother. Myrtle was raised as a Catholic. Myrtle recalls that in her neighborhood in Kingston, “the women there who are recognized…it all depends on their husbands who work for them…(the women) stay and just raise children…they don’t work.” Growing up, she remembers not being allowed to play with boys, and that her playtime was closely watched by her father. She only remembers playing games at school, never at home. As an adult, she recalls going to ballroom dances in Jamaica, but even as an adult woman, her brothers had to accompany her. One of her sisters eloped at 21, partly because of her parents’ strictness. Myrtle recalls that the daughters of her family were not allowed to have any male visitors to the house. Myrtle herself was sent to America under secrecy: her family kept her leaving from her father, who died at the age of...

Record Contributed By

Weeksville Heritage Center