Now, it is always fascinating to glimpse into the lives of how we used to live, and today it is the view from the servant’s bedroom.
The room was in the grand house which fronted Edge Lane, and was the family home of the Smith family from 1871.
Mr. Bryce Smith was a wealthy calico printer with an office, and show warehouse in the city and a factory in Whalley near Blackburn.*
In the April of 1891 Mr. and Mrs. Smith employed seven servants to run the house and administer to the family’s every needs.
Which seems a lot, but there were eight members of the Smith family, including six children ranging from 26 years of age down to 4.
And there were twelve rooms to maintain, including a day and night nursery, a library, umpteen bedrooms, and the usual dinning room, drawing room and breakfast room.
In time I think I will explore the lives of the seven servants, but for now I shall just record that they were, Ellen Owen, 30, from Wales, Mary Davies, 28, from Buckley in Cheshire, Maria Holmes, 30, from Staffordshire, Martha Massey, 36, from Yorkshire, Elizabeth Satter, 17, also from Yorkshire, Annie Haboh 22, from Staffordshire, and the cook, Annie Roberts, aged 31.
Looking at the inventory of the house, it would seem that they all slept in the one room, which was sparsely furnished.
So along with some basic furniture, there were "two iron French Bedsteads each with straw paillasse, feather beds, bolster and pillows”.
All of which offers up a mystery, because even given the possibility that the seven shared beds, there does not seem enough to go around.
There is no record of a second “servants bedroom room” nor of any other alternative accommodation above the stables.
Moreover in previous decades the number of servants had been much lower. In 1871 the Smith’s employed three, and a decade later four, so the jump to seven does seem excessive.
At which point it would be easy to fall into unhistorical speculation, which might focus on the size of the family, and in particular the fact that the youngest children were just six and 4.
Alternatively there might be a connection between the number, and the death of Mr. Smith who died in the July of 1892, leading me to ponder on the possibility of a long illness.
The key might be his death certificate, but I rather think that may seem very intrusive and may still not offer up a clue to whether he was suffering from a long illness and required staff to nurse him.
The mystery of how the seven squeezed into one room will also remain in the shadows, along with where in the house their bedroom was located, and just what it looked out on to.
If it was the garden, then there would have been much to see.
Rye Bank had a large garden with a wide range of plants, five garden seats and assorted large flower vases.
But here again there is a small mystery, because there does not appear to be a gardener on the staff, or for that matter a groom, which is odd given the extent of materials listed in the stables. These included a phaeton, which was a sporty open carriage, two sets of silver plated single harnesses, a riding saddle, various other “riding bits” and a “oak grained corn bin with three divisions”.
Nor for that matter was there a horse.
Despite the death of Mr. Smith the family were still there in 1911, although sometime after that, possibly in the 1930s, the house was demolished.
There is one reference to the small modern properties that front Edge Lane, which gives a date of 1935, and according to the 1939 Register these were occupied.**
But we do have maps from the late 19th and early 20 centuries which show the footprint of Rye Bank standing in its grounds, and one picture from 1914 of the house.
And if I had to bet on which of the windows we can see belonged to the servants, I think it might well have been one of those high up on the Edge Lane side of the property. For I doubt the Smith’s would want their servants staring down into the garden observing the family at play, which of course would never do.
But then that supposes they had plenty of time to just “stand and stare”, which is unlikely.
All of which just leaves me to finish with Bryce Smith, and the discovery of his photograph which was kindly passed over by a relative. I don’t have a date, but in the absence of anything more about the servants, it will do.
Location; Chorlton-cum-Hardy
Pictures; page from the Inventory Rye Bank Chorlton-cum-Hardy, 1892, courtesy of Chris Griffiths, Rye Bank in 1893, from the OS map of South Lancashire, 1893, courtesy of Digital Archives Association, http://digitalarchives.co.uk/, Rye Bank, 1914, m17758, the two houses occupying part of the Rye Bank grounds, 1958, A.E. Landers, m17768, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass and Bryce Smith, date unknown from the collection of Jeffrey Swann
* Looking inside a grand Victorian house …. Rye Bank and the story of Mr. Bryce Smith ... part 1, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Rye%20Bank
** Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Edge Lane, North east side: 4, junction with Ryebank Road showing houses built c1935, A. E. Landers, 1958, m17758, Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council
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| Rye Bank in the distance, 1914 |
Mr. Bryce Smith was a wealthy calico printer with an office, and show warehouse in the city and a factory in Whalley near Blackburn.*
In the April of 1891 Mr. and Mrs. Smith employed seven servants to run the house and administer to the family’s every needs.
Which seems a lot, but there were eight members of the Smith family, including six children ranging from 26 years of age down to 4.
And there were twelve rooms to maintain, including a day and night nursery, a library, umpteen bedrooms, and the usual dinning room, drawing room and breakfast room.
 |
| The servants bedroom, 1892 |
Looking at the inventory of the house, it would seem that they all slept in the one room, which was sparsely furnished.
So along with some basic furniture, there were "two iron French Bedsteads each with straw paillasse, feather beds, bolster and pillows”.
All of which offers up a mystery, because even given the possibility that the seven shared beds, there does not seem enough to go around.
Moreover in previous decades the number of servants had been much lower. In 1871 the Smith’s employed three, and a decade later four, so the jump to seven does seem excessive.
At which point it would be easy to fall into unhistorical speculation, which might focus on the size of the family, and in particular the fact that the youngest children were just six and 4.
 |
| Rye Bank, 1893 |
The key might be his death certificate, but I rather think that may seem very intrusive and may still not offer up a clue to whether he was suffering from a long illness and required staff to nurse him.
The mystery of how the seven squeezed into one room will also remain in the shadows, along with where in the house their bedroom was located, and just what it looked out on to.
If it was the garden, then there would have been much to see.
Rye Bank had a large garden with a wide range of plants, five garden seats and assorted large flower vases.
But here again there is a small mystery, because there does not appear to be a gardener on the staff, or for that matter a groom, which is odd given the extent of materials listed in the stables. These included a phaeton, which was a sporty open carriage, two sets of silver plated single harnesses, a riding saddle, various other “riding bits” and a “oak grained corn bin with three divisions”.
 |
| The more modest property on the site of Rye Bank, 1958 |
Despite the death of Mr. Smith the family were still there in 1911, although sometime after that, possibly in the 1930s, the house was demolished.
There is one reference to the small modern properties that front Edge Lane, which gives a date of 1935, and according to the 1939 Register these were occupied.**
But we do have maps from the late 19th and early 20 centuries which show the footprint of Rye Bank standing in its grounds, and one picture from 1914 of the house.
And if I had to bet on which of the windows we can see belonged to the servants, I think it might well have been one of those high up on the Edge Lane side of the property. For I doubt the Smith’s would want their servants staring down into the garden observing the family at play, which of course would never do.
 |
| Mr. Bryce Smith, date unknown |
Location; Chorlton-cum-Hardy
Pictures; page from the Inventory Rye Bank Chorlton-cum-Hardy, 1892, courtesy of Chris Griffiths, Rye Bank in 1893, from the OS map of South Lancashire, 1893, courtesy of Digital Archives Association, http://digitalarchives.co.uk/, Rye Bank, 1914, m17758, the two houses occupying part of the Rye Bank grounds, 1958, A.E. Landers, m17768, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass and Bryce Smith, date unknown from the collection of Jeffrey Swann
* Looking inside a grand Victorian house …. Rye Bank and the story of Mr. Bryce Smith ... part 1, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Rye%20Bank
** Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Edge Lane, North east side: 4, junction with Ryebank Road showing houses built c1935, A. E. Landers, 1958, m17758, Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council
The old house is shown on the 25 inch OS map surveyed in 1933 but not on the 6 inch map surveyed 1938 - the latter seems to show the modern houses were under construction at that time
ReplyDeleteThanks Richard.
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