Posted by Allan_Lang on August 24, 2007 at 14:50:01 from 203.132.240.54 user Allan_Lang.
In Reply to: Re: The 'Miss Nancy' enigma posted by Jock on August 23, 2007 at 08:00:14:
Very good point. A small estate with one or two farms, which was acquired at the time Beckfoot was being built, would also fit in quite well with everything AR tells us about the household. The GA sees herself as a member of the gentry (lowest rung of upper classes), while Mollie Blackett just tries to be a good neighbour.
I'd add Watersmeet (Jackie's farm) to Tyson's as part of the hypothetical Turner-Blackett estate, but not much more.
As the GA takes it upon herself to judge the Rector and the family of a Naval Officer (gentlemen by their professions), she clearly sees herself as gentry. Was she justified or pretentious? Maybe that's her problem with the Walkers, she doesn't approve of them, but can't openly condemn them because of their actual higher social staus.
Also it is mentioned that the GA would not find old Mrs Swainson a willing recipent of critcism.
Which implies two things
1. Whatever their respective social status to the GA, the Swainsons are not tenants of Beckfoot.
2. The Turner/Blacketts, if gentry, are barely so, as the Swainsons are not, as they directly work their farm.
Further to the last point, it seems that Jack is considered an accepable match for the only unmarried Swainson daughter. And Jack is working class, maybe a slim hope of advancing into TRADE (Unless he is lucky enough to marry an heiress)
Also the cousin of Jack's brother's wife is a servant at Beckfoor.
GA>Cook in 3 steps. Maybe AR was right when he said there wasn't such a great vertical separation in class in the North.