Posted by Owen Roberts on October 25, 2016 at 14:54:06 user OwenRoberts.
In Reply to: Re: Sammy's fears posted by Peter Hyland on October 24, 2016 at 02:00:42:
The Blacketts were people of influence and several people seemed to have worked for them. From Carrotty, the porter at the foot of the lake, who had worked at Beckfoot, to Slater Bob who went with Nancy's grandfather to help with mining in Africa. The Lewthwaite mother who was a nursemaid, Billy who is a part time chauffer and Mrs Braithwaite the full time cook.
Many servants (or workers) at one time all of whom needed accommodation. Some could have slept at Beckfoot either in the house or over the stables (there was probably at least a stable boy/coachman to look after the horses). Not unreasonable to assume that there were tied cottages for others as was usual in country districts when one needed workers close at hand.
Both Mrs Tyson and Mary Swainson will defer to Mrs Blackett are they possibly tenant farmers?
I will agree that it is not directly mentioned that they were landlords, but they certainly had a number of servants who then declined to one full time cook, as happened generally in the 1930’s.
No doubt the Great Aunt was a considerable influence over the surroundings even going to bully the vicar in SD because she had heard that standards were falling.
I have no doubt that the Backetts were the major family in their immediate area with a number of servants at one time. It might be instructive to compare the situation with the owners of Lanehead with the Collingwood’s as tenants.
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