Story Search Results

Hoar Cross Hall - Life below stairs #45

...nanny, a butler, footmen and a house-keeper among others. All staff were expected to attend the 9am service which was held in the Chapel in the house. They were also expected to attend services at the church which had been built in the grounds; however, they weren’t allowed to walk down the drive to the church but had to make a detour around the perimeter of the grounds so that they wouldn’t be seen by the family! In the Victorian days a lowly housemaid earned about £10 a year compared to the house-keeper who earned the princely sum of £52 a year! The staff at Hoar Cross were well treated it seems. The family showed their concern towards the female membe...

The Kitchen Maid's Tale #41

...ed by the butler who joined in the game of baiting her. Cooks like this were typical of her kind – ‘trained with the whip’ – and Jenny found the working conditions difficult. However, leaving wasn’t easy as she lived at the Hall, all her belongings were there, her mother and sisters were all living and working a long way off and she also sent money home to her grandparents. She was also determined not to be beaten by the cook. During ‘the season’ most of the staff went to the family’s London house. For the servants it must have been quite exciting being in the big city and seeing all the sights and one of the benefits was that on their half day...

The Kitchen Maid's Story #35

...ed by the butler who joined in the game of baiting her.  Cooks like this were typical of her kind – ‘trained with the whip’ – and Jenny found the working conditions difficult.  However, leaving wasn’t easy as she lived at the Hall, all her belongings were there, her mother and sisters were all living and working a long way off and she also sent money home to her grandparents.  She was also determined not to be beaten by the cook. During ‘the season’ most of the staff went to the family’s London house.  For those of you who don’t know what ‘the season’ is, it was a time between January and June which coincided with the opening of Parlia...

Behind the Green Baize Door #41

...from the butler and housekeeper at the top to the scullery maid at the bottom! All with their own jobs to do and different parts of the house to do them in. At the Hall there was a spiral staircase leading off the front entrance hall through a wooden door. This went down to the basement and kitchens so the butler and footmen would have used this to answer the front door and wait on the family. It was like a green baize door without the baize! This staircase also led up to the west wing on the first floor where the nursery was and could be easily accessed by the schoolroom maid and the governess. Up one more floor and you would be in the attics where the female...

The haunting of Hoar Cross Hall #15

...THE HAUNTING OF HOAR CROSS HALL:       (Based on a true story)   The typewriter keys clattered away as Viv wrote her story.  It was coming along nicely and she was feeling pleased with herself.  The attic room that she and her brothers had made into their ‘den’ was ideal for getting away from everybody and having some peace and quiet and she quite forgot about the time as she lost herself in the plot.  Suddenly she looked up and realised how dark it was getting; the December nights were pulling in and it was already quite dusky by 3.30pm.  Quickly she packed her books and folders away and prepared to go downstairs.  How she hated being up in the a...

The Kitchen Maid's Story #36

...ed by the butler who joined in the game of baiting her. Cooks like this were typical of her kind – ‘trained with the whip’ – and Jenny found the working conditions difficult. However, leaving wasn’t easy as she lived at the Hall, all her belongings were there, her mother and sisters were all living and working a long way off and she also sent money home to her grandparents. She was also determined not to be beaten by the cook! Duck shoot at the Laughton estate   During ‘the season’ most of the staff went to the family’s London house. For those of you who don’t know what ‘the season’ is, it was a time between January and June which c...