CHAPTER 9

May 29th

We arrived at our new home late last night, and Charles picked me up and carried me over the threshold. I laughed so hard because I truly though he would drop me, as I now feel so big and I'm sure I weigh more than he does. But he is much taller than I am and quite strong.

It was quite late when we arrived at the train station, but my first impression of Worcester was one of delight. It is a very green area with gentle hills. The city itself is not large, not nearly as big as York, but you see the proud spire of the Cathedral sticking up amongst the densely packed houses and shops. 

We hired a cab to take us to our new home. Charles knew the driver by name, Mr. Robert Smith, since with it being his father's profession, he takes an interest in seeing how others run their cab companies. Mr. Smith was very polite and congratulated Charles on his fine new bride and wished us well.

From Scrubhill Station, he turned into Lowesmore, and Charles pointed out to me the house that he had lived in for the past 10 years, owned by the Griffins.  We were driving northeast, always climbing steadily upwards, and we passed over the Worcester and Birmingham Canal which is very important to Charles in his work. We were on Astwood Road for awhile, and then branched left and came to Rainbow Hill which is quite steep. There are very few houses around us but the water storage tank is very big and obvious on our road. However, I will not complain, as it will be such a treat to have piped water into our house.

There are perhaps 20 houses on Rainbow Hill Road and the terraces off it. Ours is the first cottage you come to, with the larger and smarter houses farther up the hill.  The driver helped us to the door with our bags, and Charles gave him a 3d tip.

Outside the house which is detatched is stone built of two floors, with a slate roof. The only decoration on the front of the house is the white dripstone around the windows and doors, where there is a diamond pattern in the centre of the stone.  The cottage has a small garden to one side and the back, but as the land is very steep, much of the garden is uncultivated. We can see the very posh and ornate back gardens of the homes on Rainbow Terrace, from our back yard.

Our new home really is delightful. Charles had arranged for John from his work who helps him in his garden, to come in and light the coal in the range, so we would have hot water on our arrival.  He put a freshly picked bouquet on the table.  The house was obviously recently cleaned, without a speck of dust in sight.  It seems very small in comparison to our Inn, but it is cosy and has a very homely feel to it. 

As you come in the front door, you see the large fireplace on your right, with no mantlepiece, but a surround of lovely stones.  The front wall in fact has been left as untreated stones, and makes a wonderful feature. The front window is not large but has a wonderful view over the town below. The ceiling has the beams exposed, and it is much higher than I thought it would be, since I have been in many very tiny cottages where I nearly bumped my head on the door frames.  The ceiling slopes downwards towards the kitchen area, and when I went into that room, I realised that that door frame was only just high enough for my head to clear. Charles has to bend his to get through. It is a mystery to me why the two doors should be so different.  I expect Charles will be able to find out more.

There is a winding wooden staircase to the upstairs, which I think we might want to box in - as it looks to me to be dangerous, especially in candle light. The steps are angled and quite rough.  The upstairs has 2 substantial rooms, with a small section off one, which could be used for storage, or perhaps for a servant when we can afford to have one. There is also an attic space which will be invaluable for storage.  All the windows are reasonably sized and the views from the upstairs windows are wonderful, looking over the hills and countryside. The  windows worry me a bit as in the winter we will have to prevent drafts and cold air coming in. But I can easily make heavier curtains, and Charles perhaps can fix find someone who will fix shutters inside if we feel the need.

We unpacked as much as was necessary the first night for life to continue but I must do a proper job of it later on.  I will spend some time today going around the neighbourhood and seeing what shops are available. Charles works long hours, and the time will seem very long at first, but I am sure that I will soon make friends.

My first job this morning is to go through the inventory, left us by the owners, and see exactly what it is we have in the house. Of course there will be items we will need to buy to suit our needs and I can make a list of those and discuss them with Charles when he gets home this evening.

May 30th

The house is much as Charles described it. The kitchen has a flagged floor, and the iron stove has a flat apron in front for keeping things warm. The sink with its wonderful water tap drains into the cesspool in the back yard. This area does not yet have sewers provided for houses as they do in the city centre.  There is an adequate larder for keeping things cool. Outside in the back yard there is a special hole cut into the hillside which has been lined with stones with a fine mesh door, and it makes an extra larder for keeping things cooler in the summer. Of course it will also be very good for preserving things for longer when the outside temperature is lower.  The back garden itself needs quite a lot doing to it. There is a shed for storage and a privy. We do have an indoor water closet, and the night soil buckets are collected each evening from the front road.

There is also a pump in the back yard, so we can water the plants without needing to go into the house. There is a bench for sitting out, and a rickety table, which I shall sit at when I am shelling peas and dealing with the runner beans and gooseberries.

We have a large fireplace in the parlour which is of course the dining room as well, being the only reception room in the house, and I have placed our silver candlesticks (another wedding present) on the table near it.  We have a globe lamp that uses whale oil which makes the room quite light and cosy. There is gas lighting in most streets in Worcester now, but our part of town is almost in the country so we don't have it yet. But we have many lovely candle sticks which will serve the purpose.

The settee is quite small and upholstered in purple velvet and there is a brown leather covered wing chair. The table is gate-legged, and the chairs have seats made of woven reeds. There is a looking glass above the mantle and a small table in the corner where I shall keep my sewing box.

Our bedroom has a large bedstead and my pieced quilt which is of a pattern called The Tree of Paradise, which is meant for a marriage bed, looks very smart upon it. The large dressing table has 2 long drawers and 2 shorter ones, with 2 small ones each side of an oval mirror with the wash basin and jug in the centre. Our mahogany wardrobe is carved and overly ornate. I've placed some roses from the garden in a bowl on the dressing table.

The smaller bedroom which will be for the baby once he or she arrives in a year's time, if our plan works out, has only a small cot with a straw mattress, and a tiny dressing table with an octagonal mirror and one drawer.  There is a wicker-seat chair which is low and I think is intended for nursing a baby.

I am used to hard work, having helped in the inn for the past four years, but here I have to do the jobs that were done by the servants at the inn. I need to lay and light the fires. The stove needs to be cleaned and polished. I need to wash the clothes and iron Charles' shirts and handkerchiefs and the bedding and the table linen. The dining table with a blanket on it needs to serve for an ironing board as well, as the kitchen is too small to support a table. I will need to clean the carpets and scrub the floors.

Another job will be to polish our silver things. Charles inherited many from his mother when she died.  And his silver brushes and mirror need to be kept shining.

Of course I need to do the shopping, pretty much on a daily basis.  The vegetables we get from our allotment, and those in excess I must preserve. I will need to get some jars and covers for that purpose.  I must make some jam and marmalade too which I know Charles enjoys with his toast in the morning.

The allotment garden has a small shed that Charles keeps locked, which contains the gardening tools, but also is used for storing the trays for pricking out new plants, and for storing the excess of production beyond our daily needs. I was amazed at the range of vegetables and fruits available. Of course this is the time when the red currants, black currants, raspberries, gooseberries and strawberries are all coming into their own. We have far more than we can eat, even with having them for three meals a day. As for vegetables, he has planted lettuce, celery, asparagus, kale, peas, scarlet and dwarf beans, cucumbers, potatoes, parsnips and carrots. There is a huge laurel tree in the garden which provides welcome shade. Convolvulus grows on the bordering fence and there is a bower of canariesis. The roses are just coming out and are glorious and I do so love hollyhocks.  The vegetation is about a week or more ahead of what it would be back home in York.  I must remember to pick some roses for the purpose of making fresh rose water which goes so well in making pastry.

But back to the house. Our parlour curtains area dark brown brocade, and the carpet is Turkish. I feel the parlour is rather dark and as soon as I can will attempt to make it more cheery.

June 1

Most of Charles' aunts and cousins have made themselves known to me. Some I had met at the wedding, but I hadn't realised until now, how very many relations Charles has in Worcester. Of course it was his mother's home before her marriage and Charles was actually born here as she wanted to be near her mother at the time. 
I was presented with a lovely pair of gloves by Charles' Aunt Jane Wilson - her husband is the main glove maker in Worcester. I did not know that most of the gloves for the country are made here. 
We of course had many gifts for wedding presents.  Benjamin Walker who had brought a carriage up to York for the wedding kindly agreed to take my trunks and cases of belongings down for us, and they were delivered to us by him today. Now I can unpack and make this house feel like it really belongs to me putting up my pictures and displaying my china ornaments. And we can put Charles' hundreds of books and magazines into the bookcase. Pride of place must go to our wedding gift picture from Uncle Edward Cox and his wife Maria. It is a painting by J. W. Oakes called "The Warren" which was exhibited and won prizes last year. Mr. Cox saved an articles from the newspaper telling all about it which he felt we should have so we could value it properly.  I will paste it in this journal for safekeeping.
 J.W. Oakes was a Liverpool School artist and exhibited at the Liverpool Academy from 1839. By this time his landscapes were Pre-Raphaelite in style.  This work, The Warren, is a quintessential Liverpool School painting in its sensitive atmospheric rendering of a very ordinary scene. The bisection of the canvas by an almost unbroken horizon line and the lack of "incident" in the foreground are just two instances of the way in which it overturns conventions of landscape painting and attains real originality. 
I cannot stop myself from standing in front of it and just looking into it for vast periods of time.  Charles lived in Liverpool in 1849 and 50 when he was apprenticed to his Uncle Cox to learn bookkeeping so he has very fond memories revived when he looks at the painting. It also brings back the thought of our last days of honeymoon.

June 2

One of our wedding presents was a silver calling card tray, which I have put by the front door. Charles said to expect some of the neighbours to call around and leave their cards, and then I can go and visit them and make their acquaintance.   He says I should choose an "At home" day and get some cards printed too, and then when I call on the others, I can leave my card with them. Life was so much simpler in York. I suppose I have gone up a social class by marrying Charles. I now have to deal with professional people instead of working class people with whom I am more comfortable.

I shall also walk down to the centre of Worcester today and visit the shops and see which ones I like. I need to buy some ingredients for making Charles' tea too. I want to make his food more exciting, but Vegetarianism does make such restrictions on one's choice. But tonight I shall try a recipe of my own making. I shall make a Yorkshire pastry casing and fill it with a sauce made of mushrooms, onions and soured cream. I hope he will like it.  The mushrooms are Chanterelle, the only ones available at this time of year and I was very pleased to see them in the market. It is very exciting have a new town to explore.

June 3rd

I went to make a survey of the available shops and to see which I would most like to give my custom.  George Anderson, the druggist on Foregate was very friendly and welcoming to me. I bought some soap, just to have an excuse to introduce myself.  Then I went to George Birleys, which is a store that offers sundry items, and again I bought something small we didn't really need, but we can always use more envelopes with the number of letters we write. Chaplins is a men's clothing store, so I just looked into the window.  Deighton's is a place Charles frequents - a bookstore, so I bought some stationery from them.  Then I went into George Graingers, another stationers, and was at a loss at what else to buy until I saw some sealing wax.  Then I went to Richard Hicks and looked at what they had in their bookshop, but I didn't buy anything. I also looked in the window of Mason's the watchmaker, but I couldn't afford to spend any money there. I would have loved to go into Chamberlains the China factory, but I thought it would be nice if we could go there together, and Charles can buy me something special for a house warming present.  I didn't dare go into Charles Parsons, the glove shop, as we get our gloves from Richard Wilson, Charles uncle.  Then I went to Stratfords to buy some ink - so I think our collection of writing equipment must be complete.  I asked them to arrange for the printing of my calling cards and they said it would only take a few days. Weavers the boot shop and Henry Whiting with his collection of umbrellas were temptations but I again just looked in the windows. I think Worcester has a wonderful collection of shops and I will no doubt enjoy being here. I even found a dry good shop that was having a clearance of the ends of bales. I must ask Charles if I can buy some fabric for new heavier curtains for our bedroom.

Then I went to the Library at the Athanaeum in Angel Place and borrowed some books. Next door almost is the National History Museum, which was started by Sir Charles Hastings, one of Charles' customers of whom he speaks highly. And next to that is the Theatre, although we have no plans for going there at the moment.
 
June 5th

We went to the service at St. Martin's Church today. It is a square towered Georgian built church made of dark bricks. It is known for its bell ringing and it has 4 fine bells. It is situated next to a pub called The Slug and Lettuce which made me smile.  The people seemed friendly and the rector Reverend Charles Bullock was pleased to make our acquaintance after the service. We also talked briefly with his wife, who he introduced as Caroline. They are both very young and this is his first parish, having first been a Curate in Norfolk which is where they hail from.  She said she missed the wide open spaces of her home county.

June 6

Several people have left cards for me.  This seems to be quite a fancy neighbourhood. At Red House, our closest neighbours, we have Mr. and Mrs.(Sophia) John Gillan. It is a very big imposing house. Her servant brought the card around. Then Mr. and Mrs.(Mary) George Cant live on Rainbow Hill. Rev. Charles and Mrs.(Clare) Bullock also live on Rainbow Hill and he is the Rector for St. Martin's, where we went to church on Sunday.  Mr. Henry and Mrs.( Fanny) Heaton are from 5 Rainbow Hill Terrace. He is the Baptist Minister and also is in charge of the Nonconformist Chapel.  At 7 Rainbow Terrace we have Mr. George and Mrs. (Emily) Brown. And also we got a card from Mr. Richard and Mrs. (Mary) Ward, which says he is a solicitor. I know Charles has dealings with solicitors quite frequently. I hope I won't embarrass him by saying the wrong words. I hope they don't shun me if they realise I am pregnant. I am still looking quite slim and continue to wear my altered corsets pulled as tight as I can manage.  I thank Aunt Ann, as I now have to call her, each time I look in the mirror. With the alterations she encouraged me to make, I hardly look bigger than I did in January. Of course, Charles and I know differently, but that doesn't matter.

I must write to Aunt Ann and see how she is getting on with making arrangements for our trip to Scarborough later in the year.

June 8

I collected my cards from the printer today. I have chosen Wednesday for my "At Home" time, but since there is nobody to be "at home" for today, I shall use my time to take my cards around to all those neighbours who sent their cards to me.  Perhaps by next week I will have some guests to entertain.

Charles is encouraging me to write poetry. He of course is very clever with his words and writes stories, poems and articles with ease.  He and his friends used to publish a small leaflet of their work which they called the Paper, Pen and Ink Society.  Those friends have mostly drifted away from this area I think, but his cousin Harry is still living nearby and he still writes.  I will put my feeble efforts into this journal so no one else can see them, unless I feel comfortable that they are worthy of others' attention.

Charles told me to write about what I know and feel strongly about - so I think that would be our wedding. I really don't know how to begin writing, so I will put my ideas on pieces of scrap paper to start with, and when I think the work is suitably polished, I will copy it into this book.

On a wedding ring

Hail simple circlet of pure gold!
What strong magnetic powers forever hold
That though you seem so very small and slight
No power can sever those whom you unite.

There sure was nothing form'd by fate
At once so little and so very great
The dearest wish of youth's manhood pride
The heartfelt joy of blushing bride.

I don't think it is very good, but for a first attempt I am quite proud of it.  I shall try again another day to say more about the wedding.