Bbc-North-West-Wales-History-Penrhyn

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27 February 2012 Accessibility help Text only

BBC Homepage Wales Home Life below stairs Last updated: 28 April 2009 Annie Evans lived on the Penrhyn estate as a girl; her more from this section father was a keeper for Lord Penrhyn and she began service BBC Local History as a maid at the castle. It was Maritime memories North West Wales quite common for estate Broadcasting Things to do Family history workers' daughters to enter Celtic heritage People & Places service in this way. Many Castles Nature & Outdoors years later Annie shared her memories when she spoke to the People in History History National Trust. Industrial heritage Religion & Ethics Telford's legacy The Romans Arts & Culture I was about 18 when I entered service as a scullery maid at Black History Music Penrhyn Castle in 1908. I was Annie Evans then; we were World War II TV & Radio Abolition of slavery not allowed to be called 'Miss', just 'Annie Evans'. Restoration Local BBC Sites More treasures News There was a cook and the head kitchen maid and three Useful links Sport scullery maids in the kitchen staff, and we slept in the rooms Weather above the stables. We were in the rooms overlooking the more from North West Travel stable courtyard and those on the other side of the passage Wales were empty. Neighbouring Sites Mid Wales Hall of Fame North East Wales The head kitchen maid slept in the first room on the right, Public life then came a room with three of us in; and then cook's room. Meet heroes and historic Related BBC Sites We liked being able to look out into the stableyard, as we figures raised in the region. Wales could joke with the boys on the stable staff when we were off Cymru About this site duty. Gogledd Orllewin Newsletter Keep up-to-date with The first cook I came under went off her head soon after, and changes on the website Mrs Dunthorne became cook. Cook was a very important every week. person on the staff, and the housekeeper, the cook, the Food & Drink lady's maids and the valets were above the rest of us. Once I Full of flavour said, 'Alright', to Mrs Dunthorne and was told never to say Is your favourite local that again. I had to say, 'Yes, ma'am'. produce or recipe in our guide? We woke and dressed in time to be down in the kitchen at 6am. The fires would have been made up by Tudor, who came in from Llandygai every morning to do them. We would help cook breakfast, and the staff breakfast bell would sound at 8am. The gentry had theirs at 8.30. Sardinia: Cymry yn About 9.15 we all had to go and tidy ourselves for prayers in 'ddiogel' the chapel at 9.30. There were prayers every morning, Pontio: Dim prif including Sunday. The gentry sat in the gallery and the weithredwr servants in the pews below.

There was communion once a month on Sundays in the chapel. After prayers we returned to our duties in the kitchen, preparing lunch for the gentry and for the servants' hall.

Lunch for the gentry was at 1pm and for the staff came dinner at 1.45pm. This was the main meal of the day and the menus for the week in the servants' hall might be:

Monday: Scotch broth; two joints; cheese. Tuesday: round of beef, carrots and dumplings; roast leg of lamb; cheese. Wednesday: rabbit stew and vegetables; baked rabbit, pork and vegetables; joint; cheese. Thursday: roast ribs of beef and Yorkshire pudding, boiled leg of mutton; pudding. Friday: roast pork, fish, joint; cheese. Saturday: cold ham and vegetables; cheese. Sunday: roast beef; roast mutton; pudding.

We had pudding only on Thursdays and Sundays, but they had pudding every day in the steward's room.

Lord Penrhyn's favourite pudding was hasty pudding, and he would choose this when he was on his own. It was a very simple pudding made with flour and milk.

The butler, the housekeeper, the ladies maids and the valets were all entitled to have their meals in the steward's room, where they were waited on by a boy in uniform. The ladies maids and valets sometimes ate in the servants' hall for the company.

After dinner we washed up the servants' china. The china maid always washed up the gentry's china. When we had finished this we were free between about 2.30 and 6.30 and could rest or go for a walk or joke with the stable staff from our window.

If we went out we were not allowed to be too smart, but were allowed to wear sailor hats and have walking sticks. We might go into Bangor or walk round the lovely garden and grounds and when we got back and started at 6.30 we had the gentry's dinner to get and then the staff supper.

The stillroom maids did the afternoon tea for the gentry and made all the buns and cakes and fresh rolls for every breakfast. There were three stillroom maids who worked directly under the housekeeper.

When staff supper was finished and washed up, the kitchen staff went to bed at 10.30, and that was the end of our day.

More about Annie's life below stairs. Discover more about the castle's kitchens. See how the gentry lived at Penrhyn Castle. 27 February 2012 Accessibility help Text only

BBC Homepage Wales Home Life below stairs Last updated: 28 April 2009

We went to bed by gaslight more from this section and oil lamps. The gas was BBC Local made by a private plant in the History Maritime memories North West Wales castle. There were a large Broadcasting Things to do number of paraffin lamps used Family history Celtic heritage People & Places every night through the castle, and a lamp man Castles Nature & Outdoors cleaned, refilled and trimmed People in History History Industrial heritage the wicks every day. It was Religion & Ethics Telford's legacy his only job and took all his The Romans Arts & Culture time. There were no bathrooms in those days. Baths were Black History Music taken in tin hipbaths in the bedroom with a kettle of hot World War II TV & Radio Abolition of slavery water. Restoration Local BBC Sites More treasures News When I went to Penrhyn, the servants' hall consisted of the Useful links Sport butler, the housekeeper, the cook, the first, second and third Weather footman; seven ladies maids for Lady Penrhyn and her more from North West Travel daughters; two or three valets for Lord Penrhyn and his sons; Wales eight housemaids, two under housemaids who did staff Neighbouring Sites Mid Wales bedrooms; three stillroom maids, a head kitchen maid, three Entertainment North East Wales kitchen and scullery maids; a steward's boy to wait in the Days and nights out steward's room, a lamp man, and a man to make up fires Find events for all ages, Related BBC Sites and bring in fuel. indoors and out, all year Wales round. Cymru The butler always wore the usual black morning coat with a Traffic and Travel Gogledd Orllewin dark waistcoat, a white shirt with a stand-up collar, and a Getting around black tie. The footmen had daywear and eveningwear, which Take the train, boat or were different. plane, or hit the region's roads.

During the day they wore blue tailcoats, black trousers and Weather patent leather boots, with white shirts, collars and narrow What's forecast? ties like the butler. Check out today's weather conditions for North West In the evening, when serving dinner, they wore navy blue tail Wales. coats with a bleeding heart badge on the lapel, yellow waistcoats with narrow black horizontal stripes, black plush knee breeches, black silk stockings and pumps. They didn't like this outfit very much. Tai Hanesyddol The housekeeper and ladies maids wore black, and the O blastai crand i ffermydd housemaids, who had to be all the same height, wore black gwledig, camwch dros drothwy rhai o dai mwyaf dresses with white aprons and white lace caps. No housemaid hanesyddol yr ardal was allowed to be in the front part of the castle after 9am.

Although the kitchen staff had no special dress, we were not allowed by cook to wear slippers in the kitchen, and I remember being sent up to change when I was first there and only having my best Sunday boots to wear, which was terrible, as boots were special and expensive.

But there was some sense in it too, and the reason my feet are better than many older people today is, I am sure, because I was made to wear boots when I was young. You get sloppy and flat-footed if you wear slippers all the time.

More about Annie's life below stairs. Discover more about the castle's kitchens. See how the gentry lived at Penrhyn Castle. 27 February 2012 Accessibility help Text only

BBC Homepage Wales Home Life below stairs Last updated: 28 April 2009

We had plenty of work, but more from this section we were very happy. We were BBC Local not allowed to speak directly History Maritime memories North West Wales with Lady Penrhyn, who dealt Broadcasting Things to do only through the housekeeper Family history Celtic heritage People & Places or cook. Cook used to go to her room every morning after Castles Nature & Outdoors prayers to discuss the day's People in History History Industrial heritage meals and get her orders. We Religion & Ethics Telford's legacy never really knew how the The Romans Arts & Culture gentry lived, and so were quite content. Black History Music World War II TV & Radio Abolition of slavery The butler, Mr Sharpe, was a good man. He was a teetotaller, Restoration Local BBC Sites but he loved dancing and there were dances in the steward's More treasures News room every month, with a band from Bangor. Useful links Sport Weather We were paid every quarter. I had £5 per quarter as a more from North West Travel scullery maid, with 2/6 (12½p) per week for washing and 2/6 Wales for beer money. We used to save the £5 and live on the 5/- Neighbouring Sites Mid Wales (25p) per week by doing our own washing and not drinking Useful links North East Wales beer. In those days 5/- was quite good money. When I Let us guide you became head kitchen maid I had £40 per year, which was The web at a glance for Related BBC Sites very good wages for those days. Gwynedd, Conwy and Wales Anglesey. Cymru There was a laundry by the kitchen garden for all the castle Your Say Gogledd Orllewin washing. Five girls and women worked there and a man to Talking points turn the mangle. And there were two old ladies who did the Share your views, gripes stable washing. and passions and make your voice heard.

On Sundays church was at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. In Pictures Everyone in the household and the gentry walked to Slideshows Llandygai church. After church there was nearly always a visit Our A-Z takes in everything to the stables which were got up each week, and the horses from aerial views to zoos. groomed ready. They looked beautiful.

There were first, second and third coachmen, a head groom and five or six grooms and strappers; and all had to work hard to have everything ready for the gentry. Sardinia: Cymry yn Looking after the garden was a head gardener, Mr Speed, 'ddiogel' and 18 in the bothy over by the walled garden. Everything Pontio: Dim prif was beautifully kept and the fuchsia hedge in the flower weithredwr garden was a particular favourite with Lord Penrhyn, who loved fuchsias.

We used to go to London quite often, to Lord Penrhyn's London house. This was Mortimer House in Halkin Street (Belgrave Square). We travelled second class - there were three classes then. This was particularly when Lord Penrhyn was attending the House of Lords. One of the big occasions at Penrhyn Castle was the pheasant shooting, and the November shoots meant a big day for the kitcheners, making all sorts of dishes for the large shooting parties.

The family were always at the castle for Christmas and there were dances and parties and lots of fun.

Mrs Dunthorne, the cook, eventually came to a very sad and unexpected end. She was very keen on horse racing and attended every race meeting she could get to.

She took a dose of laudanum sitting on a bench in Alexandria Park facing the racecourse with Nat Gould's Racing Guide on her knee, and was found there, dead. When he heard about it, Lord Penrhyn said, 'It's a pity she did that'. She must have been in debt or something like that.

I left the Penrhyn family in 1927, six months after the death of the third baron. He was at the opera on Monday and was dead by Saturday. I was given five pounds when I left. Everyone in the staff got five pounds when they left.

I was very happy at Penrhyn Castle and look back on those days as good days. We enjoyed ourselves. We worked hard, and the rules were strict - but we enjoyed it!

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