December 1865 July 1St July Mrs Nickels and Elliott Requested to Go Down to Cromer for a Last Visit Before Elliott Left
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Transcript of Rachel Anne Ketton’s Diary MS/109 1863 July - December 1865 July 1st July Mrs Nickels and Elliott requested to go down to Cromer for a last visit before Elliott left. They went at 3 and did not return till 9 o’clock. Called upon Mrs Upcher, saw Mrs and Miss Mott this afternoon. 2nd July Sacrament. Aylmerton in the morning. Mr Govett gave a sermon for the Jews in the evening at Felbrigge. Several strangers from Cromer were there. 3rd July Went to call on the Beauchamps and found them at home very busy gardening. 4th July Priscilla very busy with some people who were going to the Horticultural Show. Called on Miss Custance and had a clear understanding with Mrs Minns. 5th July The Baconsthorpe Horticultural Show. A very fine day, plenty of company there and tea on the grass afterwards, a better show and much pleasanter show last year. Mr Mott gave away the prizes and made a speech. 6th July Breakfast at ½ past 7 that John might get to Norwich early. It rained very heavily so they could not go till eleven. The four girls went to tea at the Cremers and met the Norgate family. They came home in the pouring rain with Chamberlin wet through. 7th July Went down to Cromer. The first time since I have been here went on the jetty. John came home tonight and brought Gertrude with him having been absent a whole month. 8th July Pouring rain all day, no one able to go out. John came tonight for the Sunday. 9th July Departing for Aylmerton Church when a message came, there would be no service till the evening. A violent thunder storm while they were at Felbrigge a young woman went into hysterics, another storm prevented our going to Aylmerton. 10th July Violent thunderstorm all the morning. A party were taking shelter under a tree striking the house. John asked them in. They proved to be P Roy and Miss Johnson etc. The latter played the harp and very much pleased Anna by her performance. Expecting the Douglas’s all day but no one came, their luggage arrived this morning. Smith getting the fruit etc ready for the Holt Show tomorrow. 11th July Note from Mrs Douglas today. Her husband was taken ill on Sunday. Went with John, Minnie and Bobbie to the Holt Show most of the usual people there, but it was very disagreeable. We gained only one prize for melons. When we came home the Douglas’s had arrived. 12th July Sent eight of the party to Cromer. In the afternoon the three Mr Upchers called with Jenny and Laura. The three Cremers came to tea and croquet. Russell and Warner were elected for Norwich. 13th July A most dismal cloudy day with slight squalls. Mr Spurgin came to tea on his way to Cromer to preach for Mr Fitch, Mr and Mrs Gay came for croquet. 14th July Eight of our party went to Cromer and saw Freddy Mott. Mrs Pigott and Edmund called. After lunch went with John, Anna and the Douglas 4 to a croquet party and Mr Beauchamp, Mr and Mrs Feilden, Colonel and Mrs Feilden, the Andersons and Mrs and Miss Mott were there. 15th July Saturday too hot to move about. Everybody more or less tired. Sat about the garden all day. John came at eight. Nomination day – Howes and Read for the Tories. 16th July Went to Felbrigge Church in the morning. Part went to Aylmerton in the afternoon. Mrs H there and a strange clergyman. 17th July 8 went to Cromer. John went with Morley to see Bond Cabbell. Whilst he was gone Mr Mott came and told me he wanted to see John about politics and said he was a Whig himself and had been so all his life. I told him Mr Ketton was a Tory and had been so all his life. He asked if there was any objections to his canvassing the tenantry. I said Mr K had promised his vote and interest to Howes and Read and he said it was of no use his stopping. The little Andersons came to tea in the afternoon, it poured with rain all the time. 18th July County Election day. John and Captain Douglas set off at eight o’clock for North Walsham and did not come home till five, the Tories got in by nearly 1000 majority. 19th July Eight of our party went to Cromer, Captain and Mrs Douglas, Anna and I went to a croquet party at the Motts. The Andersons, Rogers, Miss Cremer, Miss Hanley and young Hales and F Partridge there. Very slow and all came home very hungry. John too ill to go. 20th July Anna, Captain Douglas, Amy and Minnie went out riding on the sands. In the afternoon called on Mrs G Barclay, who was at home and Mrs Birch who was out. When I came home I found I found D Pigott and Mr Payley playing croquet with the girls, asked them to tea but they said they were going home to dinner at six. And they did not leave till 10 minutes past. Asked the girls to croquet on Saturday. 21st July The D’s went to see the young pheasants and in the afternoon Mrs D and I drove John to Roughton as he was going to Dereham the next day for the West Norfolk Election then went to Northrepps to see the pansies???, Lady B was out but I into the garden. In the evening the D’s and Anna went to Cromer and found everybody on the jetty. 22nd July West Norfolk Election. Both Tories got in. Pouring rain the whole day, none of us could get out. Captain D feeling rather queer. 23rd July Went with the children to Aylmerton. Mr Hutton there but seemed suffering from toothache, no Litany. Captain D not able to get up had arrowroot and cream four times in the day and came to tea looking as well as ever, neither able to go to church. Amy went twice. 24th July Went to Norwich with Anna and Bobbie shopping all the afternoon. Spent the evening with Ellen. Intensely hot. The Douglas’s left in the afternoon. 25th July Anna quite faint and ill; Bobbie complaining of sickness, Calver too ill to be of any use. Dreadfully hot. Had to go twice up to town. My brother came home with us. The G Barclays called and found no one at home. 26th July An intensely hot day, no one able to go out. 27th July Mrs Nickels had a letter to say that Elliott had left her place very ill. Went in the evening to a croquet party at the Pigotts, it rained for about an hour and made ever thing very wet and tea which was to have been on the hills was all brought back. The Tillards, Hamonds, Upchers and Mr Peel, Miss Moore and Miss Sulinow? were there. 28th July Anna drove her uncle round by Sherringham. Mr and Mrs L Birch and their children called. Drove Robert to the coach and went to Misuss’ to see the new calf and foals. Miss Fuller and her niece came in the evening to see the girls?. 29th July Saturday. Went into the woods in the afternoon. While there Lady Buxton called with a party. John Jnr came at night. Calver returned 30th July Felbrigge in the morning. John and Bobbie and his sisters went to Aylmerton. 31st July Bobbie went to see the pheasants feed but had not courage to say goodbye to Meering. August 1st August Went to Holkham to take Bobbie to Mr Napiers, went over the Hall in the afternoon, left Bobbie very happy looking over a collection of eggs, Priscilla, Anna and Margaret went to a picnic given by the Motts about 40 there. The two Lady Buxtons and F B Johnstone called again though I had not returned theirs on Saturday. 2nd August Torrent of rain, very cold, preparing for a large party tomorrow all day. Arthurton came at night. 3rd August Watching the weatherglass all the morning, fortunately no rain, though there was a great deal in the neighbourhood. At 4 the people began to assemble to the number of 40 without our own family. We had a dance in the evening – it all went off very well. 4th August Anna and Minnie rode, Margaret and I went to call on Lady Buxton who was at home and F B Johnstone – met F Buxton and his sisters in the park. 5th August Priscilla and the 5 girls went to a picnic on the Beacon Hills it began at 5 o’clock and the carriages were ordered at ½ past six. A great many people came who were not invited as Mr Johnson had set it about that the Bishop was going to address them, he having made a mistake in Lady Buxton’s writing. Blowers went out for a week. Mrs Birch and Mrs Powell called. 6th August Went to Aylmerton in the morning. Mr Hutton said it would be the last time he should have the privilege of addressing us for some weeks and he wished to give an address in the evening and administer the sacrament – did not go. 7th August Pouring rain and none of the hay got up. Cleared up in the afternoon. While I was in the garden Mr Johnson’s two ‘jokers’ called and went into the kitchen garden. Shepherd came in the evening much to my indignation and was received with rapture by Mrs Nickels and all the servants – the next morning I told her my opinion on the subject.