John Hoodless, eldest son of Joseph Hoodless, married Adelaide Sophia Hunter on 14th September 1881 after they met through mutual friends. John was clearly an astute businessman, building J Hoodless Furniture & Co, Ltd into a successful venture in Hamilton, Ontario. By the late 1880’s they were building a manion on Main Street in Hamilton, called Eastcourt, it would have stood majestic as a symbol of their affluence.
However their success was bittersweet. A year before they moved into their luxurious home, youngest child John Harold Hoodless, only a baby of 14 months, succumbed to the “summer sickness” and died. It was believed he had consumed contaminated milk which led to bacterial meningitis. Adelaide, was devastated and blamed herself for his death, but the Hunters were strong practical Irish farming folk. Jane, her mother, was widowed shortly after Adelaide was born, left to raise 12 children alone, she pulled off a miracle by continuing to work the farm and keep things together for the family. Adelaide, taking her cue from her mother, took her own tragedy and stepped onto the public stage to help girls and women educate themselves in “domestic science” to protect their children and families from such preventable tragedies.
Much has been written and documented about Adelaide Hoodless, she was a wife and mother who,with her limited education, used her personality, drive and ability to speak and engage her audience to create the new subject of Home Economics and Domestic Science and organise them into influentional institutions . For a deep dive into her achievements use this link.
Adelaide used her social standing as the wife of a successful businessman to champion causes she believed were essential to improve health, education and social influence for rural women and their families. In 1897-98 she was asked by the Minister for Education to write the first text book on Domestic Science which was adopted in schools across Ontario. She established her own school for Home Economics which eventually became the MacDonald Institute of Home Economics, funded by her patron Sir William MacDonald.
Adelaide’s Achievements
Below are a selection of the institutions Adelaide was instrumental in founding.
- National Council of Women of Canada
- Hamilton’s Local Council for Women
- YWCA branch of Toronto
- Victorian Council of Nurses
- School of Domestic Science, Hamilton
- Women’s Institute (initially in Saltfleet, Hamilton, Ontario).
- Ontario Normal School of Domestic Science and Art
- Macdonal Institute of Home Economics.
Untimely Death
Unfortunately, Adelaide Hoodless died prematurely at the age of 51 a day before her 52nd birthday in February 1910. She had travelled to Toronto to speak on “Women and Industrial Life” at St Margarets College. She collapsed during the speech and died due to a cerebral haemorrhage. Sadly, upon his wife’s death John abandoned Eastcourt and by 1914 the magnificent house had been divided into apartments.
