Rural Diary Archive
Rural Diary Archive

Olive Philp

A sepia-toned portrait of Olive Philp, framed in an oval. She is wearing a high-neck blouse and gazes slightly to the side. The image has a soft focus, typical of early 20th-century photography.
Coverage Dates: 1914 to 1920
County: Wellington
Township: Maryborough
Lot: 16
Concession: 13
Gender: Female
Year of Birth: 1890
Year of Death: 1978
Ethnicity: English
Religion: Church of England
Occupation: Farm Woman
Relationships: 

Father: Robert Philp
Mother: diarist Elizabeth Benson Philp
Sister: diarist Clara Philp
Brothers: Brock, Orton, Benson

Archive: Courtesy of Private Donor
Posted on Rural Diary Archive: Yes
Age During Diary: 24-30
Coverage: 5 years
Biography: 

After her sister Clara gets married in 1914 Olive takes over keeping the family’s farm diary for several years. Clara’s hand slants slightly backward. Olive’s hand slants slightly forward. When Olive is away, her mother Elizabeth fills in for her. When Elizabeth is writing she refers to Olive’s father as Robert. Olive keeps track of everyone’s activities and includes some farm accounts at the back. Olive never marries and looks after her aging parents and brother Brock.

 
Olive Philp is seated on the steps of a wooden structure, wearing a checkered dress. The photograph has a vintage sepia tone, capturing a simple moment in a rural or small-town setting.
Olive Philp sitting on step
A wide view of a farm property, featuring a large farmhouse and an open field. The farmhouse has two visible structures, likely a barn and the main house, with telephone poles visible in the foreground, indicating it was taken in the early 20th century.
Philp farm, c. 1927

Photos courtesy of Diane Mikoleit

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