|
|
The Diaries of Three Baker
Girls 1878 to 1882 Emily, Charlotte
and Charity Baker
BAK00510
|
|
|
The home page of the Farndale family website of which this section is a part |
The Home page of the Baker family part of the website |
The Baker Family directory |
Notes on the Baker family history |
The Baker Family Tree, which is the best way to search the family history |
I have not
yet seen these diaries, but there is a description of them in Audlem, The History
of a Cheshire Parish and its five townships, 1997:
In the middle
years of the century most of the rural villages in the area relied almost
wholly on agriculture for their livelihoods and yet farming was becoming less
profitable. The depression worsened from 1875 onwards and reached its peak in
about 1878. Several diaries that have survived give some ideas of how families
lived during these fifty years.
For an Audlem history the diaries of the three Baker
girls: Emily Baker (1868-1941)(BAK00158),
Charlotte Baker (1866-1918)(BAK00157)
and Charity Baker (1862-1881)(BAK00156), who
were all brought up at Highfields, are
of particular interest. They cover the period from 1878 to 1882 and were probably
instigated by their much loved governess, Miss Evans.
All went
to church regularly, “except when it was rainy”, and all read books eagerly,
many of a religious nature. Charlotte, aged 12, in
particular, wrote down her “thoughts”. In 1878, she decided to “try to
turn over a new leaf and read my scripture more regularly”. She worried
constantly “about God's will” and “wished they had family prayers at home”. “If
God allows me to grow up and have a family, I think I shall have prayers”. She
thought “a lot about Martin Luther and his domestic life, and that he must have
been a very good husband.”
The next year
following the early death of Princess Alice, she commented: “I think it shows
us that we ought always to be prepared for death, for it may come so suddenly upon
us; Oh! how I wish that I was.”
However, by
this time she no longer had doubts “that she would go to heaven”. All this sounds
rather morbid, but in those days death was ever present.
She was then only thirteen years old. Her father had died three years earlier,
and her mother was to die in 1881. Diptheria, and
less serious ailments, were more commonplace than they are today, and Highfields
was regularly visited by Doctor Jay, later Doctor Newman. Remedies included mustard
poultices for coughs and colds; also lozenges and cod
liver oil. For hoarseness, throats were rubbed with belladonna.
Nevertheless,
their lives were generally carefree, and their activities were probably the
same as those of other young teenagers of the day. They had lessons at home,
with many long holidays. They spent much of their time gathering flowers and
mushrooms, doing crochet work and sewing and pressing wildflowers.
In 1878 they bought a new piano which was much used for accompanying singing
and musical evenings. They also had a pet lamb called to Jerry, which all the
girls wrote about.
There was
much delight when 10 year older Emily received a
Valentine in 1878, which probably led to her entry for 7 January 1879. “Little
Georgie sent me half a sheet of kisses, so I wrote to him today”. Curiously,
none of the Diaries mentioned Christmas festivities, although all record the
sending of cards for New Year's Day.
The girls’ three brothers, Jack (1850 to 1932), Dick (1856 to
1902) and Arthur (1858 to 1916), were older and would have been in their 20s
when the diaries were written. From the entries it is clear that they lived outdoor lives and enjoyed the traditional
country sports. There are many references to their days spent hunting and shooting.
July visits to the races at Market Drayton, cricket in the summer and skating
in the winter, usually at Adderley and Shevington. For them, oyster suppers
seemed to have been popular.
Three children's Diaries, written by the younger
daughters, Charity, 15, and Charlotte, 12, and Emily, 10, exist. From them one can see how very different were the lives of the boys from those of the girls. The
former were usually playing cricket, skating at Adderley and, very regularly, “Jack
has been out hunting”. We also hear “Tuesday February 18th 1879 Jack has gone to the Waterloo coursing with Mr Boote,
of Corbrook, he is coming back tomorrow night; we
used to keep some greyhounds, but they were all sold except one, and that died
not long ago.” In comparison the girls led
very quiet and sheltered life; one reads; “Jack has returned from
Shrewsbury. There really does not seem anything to be put, for day after day
passes with scarcely any change, but yet I think that is wrong, for if I have
nothing else, I ought to write my thoughts.” and a few days earlier “I
am going to try and turn over a new leaf and right to my diary, and learn my
verse out of my strict scripture textbook more regularly, for I forget them
very, very often, when I am sure it is God's will that I should learn my verse.”
later we read; “I did not write yesterday. I do feel so miserable, for Miss
Evans is vexed with me, and I do try to be as good to be good
but I cannot, and I think that she thinks I don't try to be good, but oh! I do,
and I pray too, but I feel as though it is all of no
use, and the more I hear of good children, the more I long to be one.” Miss
Evans was their governess, whose writing can sometimes be seen correcting
spelling mistakes. One suspect that the sentiment's expressed were made more
for her eyes than from any great piety!