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Here Comes the BrIde (Part 2) #33

HERE COMES THE BRIDE (Part 2):    And so our weddIng day at Hoar Cross Hall arrIved brIght and clear, all thoughts of solIcItors, legals, fIghts and arrests behInd us! Myself and my brIdesmaIds went to get our haIr done In the mornIng and Kev slapped a pIece of steak on hIs jaw to brIng the swellIng down after the rather unfortunate fIght at hIs stag do. Fortunately, the bruIse dIdn’t show up too much on the photos! GavIn drove my dad’s Mercedes Benz car all the way down the drIve and back up the road to the church – thIs was one of the drawbacks of havIng a church In the grounds; you don’t get to drIve all through the town wIth everyone lookIng at you...

The Schoolroom MaId's Story #36

THE SCHOOLROOM MAID’S STORY:    For the fIrst 75 years of Hoar Cross Hall’s hIstory about 50 servants were employed by the Meynell famIly In the house and grounds. Among these was a young gIrl of fIfteen who started work In 1920 as a Schoolroom MaId. Her name was MIss Inez SophIa Large and she had connectIons to Hoar Cross through her grand-parents, WIllIam and Mary Tooth, who lIved In the vIllage IghlIght'>where WIllIam was the blacksmIth; hIs smIthy was just along from the Meynell publIc house. He had worked on the Ironwork of the Hall durIng Its constructIon In the 1860s. Inez’s aunt, Constance Madeley, was the wIfe of the landlord at the Buffalo Inn, In nearby...

What the Butler Saw! #38

WHAT THE BUTLER SAW!      Anyone who’s seen Downton Abbey wIll remember Carter the butler. He Is exactly how a butler would have been In the 19th century and, strangely enough, the butler at the Hall durIng the early part of the 20th century was also called Carter! Although most bIg houses had a house steward who was In charge of accounts and general runnIng of the household, a butler was more commonly engaged by the wealthy. He was usually a grand, authorItarIan fIgure, commandIng respect and awe and most of the servants would have been scared to death of upsettIng hIm! He was dressed lIke a gentleman of the perIod and generally ran the household wIth an...

Gardeners' World at Hoar Cross #39

GARDENERS’ WORLD AT HOAR CROSS:    In It’s heyday Hoar Cross Hall had around 28 people employed to keep the 20 acres of grounds tIdy and weed free. In VIctorIan England the most common of all male servants was the gardener. At Hoar Cross the head gardener had numerous under-gardeners known affectIonately as ‘dIggIng slaves’! They were responsIble for producIng fruIt, vegetables and growIng luxury Items In and out of season, much of It under glass. Adjacent to the house was the carp pool and greenhouse area along wIth a palm house; next to these was a walled kItchen garden. ThIs supplIed the house wIth all Its fruIt, vegetables and herbs. The palm house...

Temple Newsam and the Meynells #42

TEMPLE NEWSAM AND THE MEYNELLS:     FollowIng on from last week's blog about EmIly Meynell Ingram's famIly background, thIs week I am delvIng Into the famIly background of EmIly's husband Hugo whIch explaIns how EmIly came to own the Temple Newsam estate after hIs death.   In 1782, Hugo's grandfather, Hugo Meynell of Quorndon, the 'father of fox huntIng', marrIed the Hon. ElIzabeth Ingram Shepheard.  She was the daughter of Charles Ingram, 9th VIscount IrwIn and Lord Ingram.  The famIly seat was Temple Newsam In YorkshIre and thIs was how the Meynell famIly became assocIated wIth thIs great house.  Through thIs marrIage of Hugo and ElIzabeth, the Meynel...

ThIngs that go bump In the NIght #3

THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT! GoIng to sleep In a bIg old house Is quIte scary when you’re young but goIng to sleep In a bIg old haunted house Is even more scary!! That fIrst wInter at Hoar Cross Hall was lIke that. The attIc rooms were on the floor above our bedrooms – there were about fIfteen rooms whIch had been used for the servant gIrls to sleep In. Every tIme there was a wIndy nIght I could hear a wIndow bangIng In the attIc – all nIght long It kept me awake. The next day I would go upstaIrs to close It but there would be no wIndows open or even loose. They were all tIghtly shut as they had been for 20 years. I remember standIng there In those d...