CHAPTER 8

April 25

We have started getting responses regarding the attendance at our wedding. Most of those invited have accepted, so it looks as if we will be having at least sixty at the wedding.  We have finally finished making my dress, and it does look lovely. Mother very cleverly showed me how to make tucks and pleats in the skirt which can be let out as need be. We have also taken out some of the boning in my corsets - so it is now seven rather than thirteen pieces. 

I have nearly assembled all my clothes for taking with me to my new home. I also have my bottom drawer of linens which I have been embroidering for the past 10 years with this very time in mind. I am so pleased that I will be able to hang my sampler that I have spent years making at a place of importance in our parlour. I have also made a quilt for our bed. 

Mother went through her old trunks in the attic and found several of her dresses from when she was pregnant, which can be altered by adding new collars and under sleeves. The style in those days was much higher in the waistline and they will be more comfortable to wear for later on in my pregnancy.  I have several bonnets and cloaks and have bought new shoes for the wedding and to wear for best afterwards.

Charles plans on wearing a morning coat - with a blue flower in the lapel, a white waistcoat, dark grey trousers and a black top hat. His folded cravat of will be in a shade of blue to match my dress and he will wear lavender gloves (made by his Uncle Richard) stitched in black.

While I am busy planning our wedding, Charles keeps informing me of the goings on in the world.  Apparently ground has been broken for the Suez Canal. Charles gets very excited about these things, but I must admit that my mind is so full of my wedding that the rest of the world seems immaterial to me.

May 1st

Quiet day today indoors but in the evening it was stormy and cold. During the day we had rain, hail and snow falling. I can only pray that this is a short storm and will soon be over.

May 5

I felt the child within me stir for the first time today. I wish Charles had been here to feel it too. It felt like butterflies trapped inside me. I have tried to pretend this baby is not real, but now I cannot deny its existence.  I also cannot deny that I am looking forward to having a baby to hold in my arms. But we have yet to work out the details of how this thing will be handled so as to minimise the scandal.

May 19

I expect this is the last time for some time that I will be able to write in my journal. So much needs to be done yet.  We have the rooms to ready for the guests, the decorations, flowers and the food to organise for the breakfast. Cook has done much of the preparation already, but Mother and I will set and decorate the tables for the reception.  The service at church will be at 12 noon, and then the guests will come back here. We will have a greeting line in the hallway.  I think Charles has arranged to have a daguerreotype picture taken of us after the wedding. His great friend William Bellerby will do it. He did one of Charles back in 1851 which will be another picture we will take from his father's house and display in our new house. All the flowers and gowns are pressed and ready to be put on.  Aunt Thackeray will come on Friday morning to arrange my hair.  I can hardly believe that it is all happening, and that soon I will be in truth a married woman.

I wonder what surprises Charles has for our honeymoon. He said to leave it all to him but that he was sure I would be pleased.  Charles also thought it was appropriate that the bell of Big Ben will be activated again on Saturday, just after our wedding. He is full of bits of information. He has heard that Titus Salt from the village called Saltaire which he created for his mill workers has become the MP for Bradford. Charles is very interested in the work Mr. Salt has done and went to see the village once last year. He has created a whole perfect village with school, hospital, church, social centre and shops for his mill workers and is indeed a benevolent employer.

May 22

Well, it is over. I am now Mrs. Charles Simpson Walker.  The wedding and breakfast went by perfectly. I really don't think there was anyone in the group who realised that I was going to be a mother in four short months' time.  But now that the need for concealment is less demanding, I must say that I greatly enjoy the freedom of leaving off my corset.

Our wedding day had perfect weather, warm but not too hot, and with a pleasant breeze. The sun was shining and the flowers were blooming. I of course was very nervous that something would go wrong.  Aunt Thackary was late, and then she didn't arrange my hair quite as I wanted it. When I was getting dressed several of Charles' cousins came to see me and I was worried they would touch my dress with their sticky hands.  I ‘m afraid I was a bit harsh when I told them to go away.

Our church is only a short distance from the Inn, so there was no need for a carriage.  We lined up with the Eliza, the flower girl going first, and strewing lilac petals all down the path and into the street. She looked lovely and was enjoying her important role. We kept  to our flower theme of lilacs and iris, both in lavender and in white. This is what I found out about what they mean and I think they were appropriately chosen.

IRIS - Faith, Wisdom, Promise in Love, Hope, Wisdom and Valour
LILAC (PURPLE) - First emotions of love
LILAC (WHITE) - Youthful Innocence

The bridesmaids walked down the path, each looking demure. Both Father and Mother walked beside me to the church. They looked as nervous as I felt, but once we were on our way, I relaxed somewhat. What I had been waiting for since I first chose Charles to be my groom was now coming true, and I didn't want to waste a moment of it. 

As we got closer to the church, I wondered what our visitors had made of our beautiful ancient church which was mentioned in the Doomsday Book. It has an octagonal lantern tower where in medieval times a lamp was hung to guide travellers. It also has a famous 12th Century brass door knocker which represents the mouth of Hell, and a 10th Century Anglo-Danish grave cover in carved stone.  I wondered if they had noticed the beautiful west window which dates from the 14th century. We also have a very old and fine pulpit and lectern. But those things weren't on my mind once we got through the doors of the church. The scent of the many bunches of lilacs filled the church. The organist triumphed with the Firework Music.  Everyone stood up as we came into the church and turned to watch the procession.

At the front I could see Charles and CG, both looking very handsome and the Rector Charles Johnstone (whose daughter Emily I know slightly) was looking rather impatient as we were a bit late.     The march ended just as we reached the front of the church, and  Father said it was he who gave this woman away, and put my hand into Charles'. I handed my bouquet to Sophia and faced Charles. He looked both nervous and reassuring at the same time. 

The Rector read the lesson and when he came to the part about having your children like olive branches around your table, Charles squeezed my hand extra hard. Then there were prayers and hymns, which went well. Finally we made our promises - mine rather soft and trembling and Charles being loud and clear.  Charles put the gold band with our initials engraved on it on my left ring finger. We had to sign the various documents and my parents, Charles' Father, and Sophia and Mary Ann also signed as witnesses. Suddenly it was all over and we were walking back down the aisle, with the loud music throbbing around us, now husband and wife. Charles stopped just outside the church to kiss me and say, "I love you, Mrs. Charles Walker," and I felt that nothing could ever be as wonderful again as that moment.

The reception went according to plan, and we were congratulated and greeted by all our family and friends in the reception line first. Then when we had been seated at the head table, my father welcomed all to the wedding, and especially welcomed Charles into the family. His father as the oldest Walker at the gathering, welcomed me into their family and gave a toast in champagne to the bride and groom. CG as the best man also gave a speech and toasted the bridesmaids and then the breakfast began. It looked attractive and was tasty so I was well pleased with our choices. We cut the cake, and the attendants each had their special piece of Bride's or Groom's cake. Sophia got the thimble, and CG got the ring. There was much merriment by all.

After the meal, we went to view the presents which had been opened and left on display. I gave each of my attendants one of the flowers from my bouquet, and then it was time to leave. We got our bags, kissed our families good bye, and were taken by Charles' father in his cab to the train station. Our friends threw rice and some of the younger women threw their left shoes at the carriage wishing us good luck as we drove away. 

This was my first train journey and I was very excited watching the countryside skim by. Charles of course had done much travelling by train and was amused by my enthusiasm. We had to change to another train in Leeds, and then had two hours of crossing the Pennine Hills and going through a very long tunnel before we arrived in Manchester at Victoria Station, which is enormous, having 17 platforms.

We took a cab to Oxford Road where we are spending the first few nights at the Charterhouse Hotel. It is very close to the centre of the City and also near to the Palace Theatre, where we have tickets booked for later in the week.  We were so tired, having arrived by train at 8 p.m. that we both were pleased to have our room ready for us. We had a quick evening meal, and made for our marriage bed - but this time without any feelings of worry or guilt.  How different from our first rushed effort. Charles enjoyed seeing the lump in my middle bit, and feeling the baby's gentle kicks which are becoming harder every day.

I still have to conceal my condition when we go out during the day, but nobody here knows that it is our honeymoon, so they wouldn't question it even if they did suspect that I am pregnant.

The next day we explored Manchester. Charles knew of my interest in Mrs. Elizabeth Gaskell's work, and indeed he is very intrigued by the work of her husband William, so he arranged for us to travel to Cross Street Unitarian Church for the service and meet up with the couple. Charles has many friends in Manchester, and so was able to make all the arrangements in advance. 

We were invited to tea at the Gaskells' home and what a lovely place it is.  It is a Georgian property, 42 Plymouth Grove, and is set in huge woods on the very edge of the city. The front hall is small and square with the library off to one side.  To get to the parlour you pass through the dining room which is where Mrs. Gaskell does her writing. I was amazed and thrilled to know that the stories I have been reading in the Household Words magazine for the past years, such as North and South and My Lady Ludlow are ones that she wrote.  She told me that motherhood and the obligations of being a minister's wife kept her busy when they were first married.  However, the death of her only son intensified both her sense of identity with the poor and her desire to express their hardship so that is when she began to write.

Her first novel, Mary Barton, told the story of a working-class family in which the father, John Barton, lapses into bitter class hatred and carries out a retaliatory murder at the behest of his trade union. From this she got to know Charles Dickens and he invited her to contribute to his magazine, Household Words, where her next major work, Cranford, appeared in 1853. This, her most popular work, described her girlhood village of Knutsford and the efforts of its shabby-genteel inhabitants to keep up appearances.

Her work brought her many friends, including Charlotte Brontë. She told us about when Charlotte came to visit her once, and a visitor came to the door. When Mrs. Gaskell returned to the sitting room with the guest, Charlotte has disappeared. It was only after the guest had left that she came out of her hiding place behind the velvet curtain. 

When Charlotte died in 1855, her father, Patrick Brontë, asked Mrs. Gaskell to write her biography. The Life of Charlotte Brontë  was only finished a year or so ago and is much acclaimed.  I do so love the stories of Charlotte Brontë, and what a sad loss her death is to all of us.

Another of her visitors was Harriet Beacher Stowe who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin, a revolutionary story about the Negroes in the United States and their plight. The story has been made into a play and Mrs. Gaskell told me it will be performed next season in New York City under the name, The Octaroon. 

She asked me if I knew of the work of George Elliot, and of course I have read some of his work. She said she had only just found out that George Elliot is really a woman. She had suspected it before, as apparently Charles Dickens had, but with the publication earlier this year of Adam Bede, when someone else came forward to claim authorship, she felt she had to make herself known. She is Marion Evans, or Lewes, as she now calls herself, but she in truth is not married to Mr. Lewes, whose wife will not divorce him. Mrs. Gaskell said that she had been suspected of being George Elliot herself.

Mr. Gaskill and Charles spoke at length about the needs for improving sanitation in Manchester, and how he suggested it might be done. Charles told him how the cholera epidemic in Worcester in 1832 had killed 49 people and as a result the sewers were built, but by 1849 they had only done one mile of them, and although they are nearly all done now, it has taken much longer than anticipated.  Mr. Gaskell told about what had been done so far in Manchester and what their plans were for the near future. The Gaskells are truly great reformers and we are very blessed to now number them amongst our friends.

Tonight, we are going to hear the Hallé Orchestra at Manchester Free Trade Hall as guests of the Gaskells. We have heard such good things about this new orchestra and it is said to be as good as the London Philharmonic. The Frenchman Charles Gounod is to be a guest conductor and he will lead several selections from his new opera Faust. They are also featuring the music of Louis Spohr who died this year. They will play his 8th Violin concerto - the best known of all his works.  

May 24 

Today we will visit the Mechanic's Institute which has kept a collection going of items from the Manchester Art Treasures' Exhibition of a year and a half ago. The Gaskells told us all about it.  This was the natural follow-up to the Great Exhibition of 1851 which Charles went to, but instead of highlighting industry and technology the Manchester event brought together the private art collections of Great Britain.  Indeed the Exhibition held a third of the country's art treasures including works from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who both visited.  Out of the event which took place at Old Trafford came the Hallé Orchestra who of course we heard playing magnificently on Monday night.  Charles Hallé  who is German had assembled a group of musicians for the Exhibition to entertain the guests.  The response encouraged him to form his  orchestra.  

We could only take in a small amount of the exhibition but could have spent weeks looking at the displays which are only a fraction of what was there from the original collections.

This evening we will go to the Palace Theatre just across the road to see The Poor of Liverpool . It was performed in London a few years ago when it was called The Poor of London and has now come to the North of England. It is an adaptation of Eugène Nus and Édouard Brisebarre's Les Pauvres de Paris written in 1856. It will transfer to Liverpool in a week's time but I think that any nothern city would relate to it, and they chose to call it Liverpool rather than Manchester as Liverpool is considered to be the second city in England after London.

May 26 

We had a lovely peaceful day today. We travelled by train to Marple, about 12 miles away southeast towards the Pennine Hills.  When we arrived in this quiet and beautiful place, we walked along the canal which adjoins the train line. Charles is very interested in canals, and of course his work depends on canal boats for the transfer of goods. The Marple part of the canal is fairly new, and outstanding in the number of locks one needs to go through to traverse a short distance, as the area is so very hilly.  We were able to walk along all of the 16 locks that allow canal boats to descend 214 ft from the Macclesfield Canal to the Peak Forest Canal and even saw some boats in the process of going through one of the locks.  I'm sure it would take the best part of a day to navigate them all by boat. As we continue walking along the canal, we saw the Marple aquaduct, a 100 ft structure that towers over the River Goyt which was built by Brunnell and was opened in 1800.

Then we walked from the canal, past the main road, and down a steep hill to the Roman Lakes, which is a well known beauty spot. We went through a turnstile and found there were boats for hire, slot machines, postcards for sale (we sent one each to our respective parents) and even a dance floor. But we settled for having lunch at The Tea Gardens and then walked around the lakes whilst avoiding the geese who perhaps were hoping for bread crumbs as they hissed at us.  We watched a few hardy couples, as it was quite a chilly day, out boating or picnicking within the grounds. On the return trip we stopped for another cup of tea and piece of cake at Floodgate Cottages, on the way to the much praised Roman Bridge. Then we walked up a very steep hill to the train station, with short stops in between for me to catch my breath, and caught the train back to Manchester.

May 28th

Yesterday we took the train to Liverpool spending the last days of our honeymoon by the sea. We are staying at the Crown Inn next to the station.  We walked through the windy little lanes down Chapel Street to the quay.  I very much enjoyed watching the boats unloading. We found the place on the East Float where the people who are emigrating to Australia leave from. I wonder what it must be like to make such a change in one's life. Just moving from York to Worcester leaving one's home and family behind seems a big adjustment to me. But for those people going to Australia, it will mean they may never see their families again.  We went to St. Peter's Church which proudly boasts having 10 bells. Charles said his church St. Martin's is quite pleased to have four.  We bought a piece of pottery - a small milk jug from Shaw's Brow and Samuel Shaw himself waited on us.

While talking with our Inn Keeper, he said that Liverpool which means Muddy Pool was founded by King John. But both Charles and I could do better than that. York was founded by the Romans in 71 AD, and Worcester even earlier in 50 AD, and not to be out done by references to King John,  Charles informed him that King John, who died in 1016 is actually buried in Worcester Cathedral.

We read in today's paper that Household Words is no longer to be published, but luckily Charles Dickens will start a new publication called All the Year Round. I do hope he continues to have books written in episodic fashion on a weekly basis as I so much enjoy reading them. The gossip is that he wanted Household Words to print his justification for leaving his wife, as he has been much criticised, and the management board refused to do so.
 
I am so pleased with Charles for planning this week so well, and with such treats in mind for me.  It truly was a wonderful honeymoon, but tomorrow we must make our way back to Manchester and then on to our new home in Worcester.