was somewhat annoyed by hearing the report of a gun, and used to send me
to look after the intruder, and, if possible, obtain his name and
authority, and bring in his statement, but they were not proceeded
against, only warned to keep off the estate. I had here to attend to the
garden, and walks, as also carriage road through the meadow; carriage and
harness to keep in order; and many jobs indoors, so that, with going out,
my time was pretty well occupied. We had evening and morning reading and
prayers, and, on the whole, I had not much to complain of. There was
great regularity; each evening and morning brought its work, and
attention to be given at the proper time. Winter being over, and the
smiling spring having arrived, the pleasant month of May, a relative of
the mistress had arranged to be married. My ladies were invited to the
wedding, and I was asked if the ponies could do the journey—52 miles. I
thought it could he accomplished in two days, by stopping at Norwich (a
distance of 24 miles) the first night, and by terminating the journey on
the second day. It will be remembered that, in the days to which I am
alluding, there were no railroads in these parts. Next came the
necessary preparations—it was essential that the ponies should be in good
health, their shoes must be strong and good, harness must not be
defective, and the carriage in trim, and everything placed in readiness
for the long journey.
At the appointed time, we took our departure, the weather being fine and
the country charming; and, there being no necessity for fast travelling,
we were enabled to admire the beauties of Nature, and to scan the various
operations which were being carried on in the fields and roads as we
passed. Norwich, in due time, was reached. My mistress and her daughter
were driven to the residence of their friends, and I received
instructions to proceed with the vehicle to a livery stable, situate in
St. Giles’, where the ponies were fed and rested, I afterwards proceeding
to my lodgings. The next morning we were all astir, and, after having
partaken of breakfast, we again proceeded onwards. Mr. Pilgrim,
coroner—whose duties might have led him thither—accompanied us to
Dereham, and for the purpose of placing him down, and also for feeding
the ponies, we pulled up at the Eagle Hotel. Resuming our journey, the
great coach passed us as we were nearing our destination, and the Manor
House, at Swaffham, was soon reached.
The nuptials were celebrated, Mr. William Clarke and his bride left for
their honeymoon. I don’t think that I have ever seen them since. During
our visit, of a week’s duration, in the day time I was at the Manor
House, but at night I slept at the house of the farm bailiff, at the neat
little lodge.
Swaffham church is possessed of a very handsome tower, the bells of which
rang out beautifully on that happy occasion. It was a joyful season—the
whole town seemed as if they must be real joy birds, as the bridegroom
was the only child of his aged parents.
I attended church on the Sabbath morning, there being a large
congregation assembled within its walls; and in the afternoon visited the
Baptist Chapel with Alice (one of the servants at the Manor House) and
heard a very solemn discourse, delivered by Mr. Hewitt, the minister at
that place. The Union House was then being built, and I have not seen it
since it was completed. We drove round several villages—Sporle,
Castleacre, and Southacre. Thus the time passed on, until the period
arrived for us to make our return journey. In doing so, we again stayed
a night in Norwich, and subsequently, thanks for the mercies of our God,
we arrived safe at Oulton.
During the same year, 1837, Mrs. Clarke’s only brother was borne to a
cold grave, being only 42 years of age. He had just been altering the
house and premises to his own mind, when he was called away from this
transitory state. My youngest brother also sickened and died in this
year, at the age of 22, having been born in the month in which the battle
of Waterloo was fought. Seeing our days are as a vapour, every sorrow
cuts a string and urges us to rise. Thus we are called to experience the
various scenes of light and shade through which we have to pass in
prosecuting our journey to our final home.
Having had many opportunities of discussing the subject of regeneration
and the new birth, and as God, in His boundless mercy, had granted unto
me the presence of His Holy Spirit to witness with my spirit that He was
indeed in earnest with me, and thus I was brought to feel the weight of
this question, “and now, why tarryist Thou, arise and be baptised.” I
stated my convictions unto the church worshipping at Lowestoft, opposite
the Vicarage (now a school,) and was baptised in June of that year by
William Garwood, “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost,” as an answer of an obedient and quickened conscience towards
my Lord and my God. I did not very much enjoy the preaching of Mr.
Denniss, our rector. He was rather a domineering steward, contending
that the Church of England, the church of his fathers, was the only true
church; that it honours the bible, and was one of the oldest branches of
Christ’s Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, while dissenters and their
creeds and ordinance, were erroneous and misleading and would in the end
prove destructive to body and soul. I came into collision with that
gentlemen more than once, for in those days I read the bible in search of
truth, and sometimes I felt I had aid and enlightenment given me from on
high, and I concluded that there were those apart from the Church
enjoying unspeakable happiness.
This eventful year rolled on with its multitude of joys and sorrows,
hastening us on through all life’s varied stages, continually seeking
after happiness, our being’s end and aim, and labouring, working with our
hands, the most important method of obtaining the bread which sustains
the body, as well as being directed to that which endureth unto eternal
life, which shall be inherited and enjoyed by everyone of God’s dear
children. I used to think that the entire little band who resided at
that remote corner of the vine-yard, at least all who were come to years
of maturity, were amongst that happy number, we read good books, prayed
that the Lord would be our director, and felt that we were journeying to
the place which the Lord had prepared for those that love and serve his
name. I had often heard Mr. Adams express himself, that Mr. Breame
Skepper was to him a guide, a counsellor, and friend, but now he was
taken away no more to counsel, and to comfort, and direct. These are
some of the mysterious dispensations of a wise and loving Father, and
although we are not now permitted to know the whys and the wherefores,
yet we shall know hereafter, enough is for the present revealed, that we
may trust in the Lord, and stay ourselves upon his gracious assurances,
and surely “All things work together for good to them that love God.”
I ought to have observed that one of the first acts performed by Mr.
Denniss was to build a gallery at the west end of the Church, for the
accommodation of the working men; in this he was assisted by others, as
the subjoined inscription witnesseth—
“This gallery was erected at the expense of the patron and some of
the principal landowners of the parish, A.D., 1836.”
EDWIN P. DENNISS, B.C.L. _Rector_.
HENRY YOUNGMAN, BREAME SKEPPER, _Churchwardens_.
Next he had to superintend the building of a Rectory House, this took
place 1837–8; it was accomplished, and a very handsome and convenient
house it looks, but it was not for the enjoyment of its builder very
long, and while I am writing it has been the residence of three rectors
beside Mr. Denniss, who was a working clergymen, and no doubt felt whilst
he was industriously promoting habits of thrift and economy among the
working classes, and founding what was called a clothing club, he was
doing the work of the Lord, yet it was thought and said that too much of
it was transacted on the day of the Lord; in other respects it was a
means of drawing the common people to church, where much of this business
was transacted, and carnal things took the place of spiritual.
Other great events occurred during that memorable year 1837. Our King
William IV. whose health had been for some months in a precarious state,
died at Windsor, on the 20th of June, after a short reign of seven years.
There was a large gathering at St. Peter’s Chapel on the day of the
funeral, a solemn service was conducted by Mr. Cunningham, the vicar, the
text was from _Micah_ vi. 9, “The Lord’s voice crieth unto the city, and
the man of wisdom shall see thy name, hear ye the rod, and who hath
appointed it.”
Our good Queen Victoria was proclaimed on the day following, as sovereign
of these realms, and on the 28th of June, in the following year, 1838,
the coronation of Her Majesty took place amidst great rejoicing.
My affianced still resided at Yarmouth, and during that summer she came
on a holiday to see her parents, and I obtained leave of absence to meet
her there, that we might talk over our present affairs and also the
future, as to continuing in service or declining that position and
commencing a boot and shoe business on our own account, and ultimately
the latter was decided on, and we returned to our homes to complete our
engagements, and to apprize our superiors that we declined to remain in
their service after the coming Michaelmas, things were thus far plain and
understandable.
As a beginning to make preparations for the change in my condition, I
hired a cottage and garden of Mr. Johnson George, miller of Oulton, at £6
per year, and on the 16th day of October, 1838, was married to Hannah
Cox, whose parents resided in the village. Mr. Denniss was the clergyman
and Mr. John Osborn was clerk of the aforesaid parish.
I am now arrived at something like the middle of my journey, and will
just take a retrospect, all the way the Lord my God hath led me, to guard
me, to try me, to prove me, and to see what is in mine heart. Now let me
just ask myself am I thankful?
“When all thy mercies, O my God,
My rising soul surveys.”
Is my heart filled with gratitude for all those supports and
deliverances? And then again as to the prospect here, I stand as it were
on a narrow neck of land with boundless seas on either side, if God
preserves I am perfectly safe, but if left to follow the devices and
inclination of my corrupt and stubborn heart, shall be weighed down with
perplexing cares and sorrows, out of which it is no easy matter to be
delivered, except by divine interposition, then looking onward I must
labour, working with hands and mind, to obtain the bread that perisheth,
as also that which endureth unto eternal life, being identified with and
living in Him who is the bread of life which came down from heaven.
I may just say in passing, that the housekeeper, Marianne Rous, was soon
after married to Christopher Leman, a cooper of Lowestoft, the mistress,
also, after a little while went forth from her residence, and during her
temporary absence was married to Mr. George Borrow. That gentleman
having visited several times while I was in Mrs. Clarke’s services,
although, by the way, I knew not the secret.
I had now to look out for employment. Mr. Winyard promised to give me
some, so after it I went, and soon got up a little connection at home;
all wanted boots and I wanted to work and obtain the money, although in
this I was often disappointed. I soon taught my wife to work in the boot
trade, the work was all performed by hand in those days, machines had not
come into use, and although I could not undertake to bind women’s boots,
yet I knew the method by which they were done, as also the materials
required for the purpose, the difficulty was soon overcome; she was
blessed with good eyesight as well as with very pliant fingers, and after
a year or two she would do neater work in even men’s boots and shoes than
I could: there was a willing mind and thus obstacles were overcome;
customers were accommodated, the little business obtained an impetus, and
the earnest and humble promoters received encouragement.
When harvest arrived, my wife prepared to go out in the fields gleaning,
and gathered up two or three bushels of good wheat, which was a great
help, as during first year of housekeeping flour was two shillings and
ninepence per stone, even that was trying to young beginners, for there
was in reality a good number of things wanting, and our little trade
seemed to absorb the cash in the purchase of materials, so that we had
but little left for food and other necessaries. However, under the
blessing of God we made progress, having more than a handful of meal in a
barrel, and more than two sticks to refresh the languishing fire, the
Lord did provide.
There was a large pear tree in our garden, two nice apple trees, and a
cherry tree, all bringing a little delicious fruit; we had not many pears
the first year, but the second year there was a good crop, and we sold
more than twenty shilling’s worth, beside what we gave away and used
ourselves. I built a pigsty and put a pig in, that my wife might have
something to look at when she walked in the garden, the pig settled and
did nicely, and when it was killed it weighed 13 stone; we were cheered
as the pig prospered, we felt we prospered also, and no doubt we did
begin to get on nicely while we occupied the cottage and premises of Mr.
Johnson George, at Oulton.
We bought and put in the front room of our cottage, a register stove,
three-feet square, the selling price was one shilling per inch, costing
£1 15s., landlord supplying a new chimney piece, and we put up an iron
oven in the back room, but we did not continue in that occupation very
long, we spent four seasons of Christmas there, when, their son Henry
being about to be married we had to leave and make room for the old
people, who, by the way, had to make room for the younger ones. We
agreed to go, and leave behind the stove which is still in the room,
after forty years use. We took away the iron oven to another cottage,
which I engaged of Mrs. Pleasance Knights at the rent of £4 10s. per
year; at that time standing empty, the next tenement being also empty,
they would not stand empty now if owners wished them occupied. This was
rather a convenient old cottage, it supplied a room on the front side,
which I could use for a workshop, which was a great accommodation, and at
Christmas, that is on the 6th of January, 1842, we left Mr. George’s
cottage, as requested, and took our goods and chattels to Mrs. Knights’s
cottage, on the hill, and although it was sometimes a sad place for
smoking, yet we had a good share of employment, and on the whole,
although we met with some who were not at all times inclined to act
uprightly, yet there was a good preponderance of honesty in the
neighbourhood, men and women on whose acts and promises we could rely.
For several years I took out work from Mr. Winyard, so that there was no
want of employment. Here again I must build a pigsty by the roadside,
and it was soon inhabited, and by some thought to be too near the house,
but we received no harm among the boots and wax and other materials;
customers would talk and pigs would shriek the while, so that we were not
always silent and sorrowful. The garden here contained several nice
fruit trees, but no pear tree, another drawback was there was no water to
the house, but we could have as much as we wanted by fetching it from
Mrs. Knights’s across the road, and we could catch some in rainy weather.
We purchased a shop stove, and made a hole through the brickwork into the
chimney, so that we could often live on that side when the other room was
smoky, we found the comfort of this as an impediment was removed. In the
year 1840, I was appointed steward of an institution called the
“Pakefield Friendly Society,” the duties of which was to receive the
contributions of the members in my district, and also the applications
for membership, and bring them up to the monthly meetings held at
Lowestoft, on the first Tuesday evening of each month, from six to eight.
I was very successful in obtaining employment, worked closely, and began
to have what might be said to be a good connection, so much so that I
could not get through with it myself, and as customers’ patience began to
wear out I set on James Jacobs as journeyman. My wife done a good part
in helping on with the uppers, so that we went fairly into business and
made long days of work. About this time there was a poor woman in
Lowestoft, a Mrs. Parr, who was afflicted with insanity, and had become
sometimes violent and almost unmanageable, we were asked if we would take
the charge of her, and do our best to keep her from harm for a time, as
they were afraid lest she might do harm to herself or to some other
persons: my wife, after an interview with her medical attendant, Mr.
Worthington, came to the conclusion that she would make the trial. The
terms were fixed for board and attendance, and the money was duly paid at
the house of Mr. B. Edmonds, a chemist, at Lowestoft. She came as
arranged, my heart was overwhelmed to witness such a spectacle of human
infirmity, of one whom I had known and who always appeared to be so
cheerful and clever, but afflictions, though severe, are designed to
bring about the purposes of Infinite Wisdom and Love; neither my wife nor
myself rested much the first week: she sung, concocted rhymes and
comparisons, for three days and three nights without sleep, we were
supplied with a heavy chair for her use during the day, and an appliance
called a muff, to secure her hands during the time she was in bed,
otherwise she would have been gone when those in charge were taking a
little rest in sleep, we many times wished we had not taken her, but
being there she had to remain until other arrangements could be made.
Her friends visited her and appeared satisfied though sorrowful, and
after being with us one year, her friends arranged that she should be an
indoor-patient at St. Luke’s Hospital, an institution in London, for the
treatment of such cases; she was there for one year, and ultimately was
removed to Melton Asylum, her last earthly residence.
Now is coming on the construction of a new railroad from Lowestoft to
Reedham. Great preparations are being made, materials, and men, and
horses, and implements, are deposited in the locality, besides temporary
dwellings for the overlookers and gangers; we in this neighbourhood never
having seen the like. It was a marvellous undertaking, but day by day we
witnessed the skilful operations of the workmen, several of whom made
their place of rest with us during the time the work was in progress, my
wife cooking for them day by day, and otherwise preparing their food and
making their beds.
Mr. Denniss, having built the rectory house, the school, appointed
teachers, removed old buildings and various other things by way of
improvement in our parish, to him assigned. In 1845, his effects were
sold by public auction, and the man and his family took their departure
after a brief stay of nine years. He was succeeded by Chas. Henry Cox,
an earnest, solemn clergyman, whose aim was to “point us to brighter
worlds, and lead the way.” He was the father of a large family, but his
gentle and kind christian bearing told powerfully upon the minds of the
people under his charge.
The dangerous operations of making the railroad was carried on, one of my
lodgers was killed while making the road. I made a note of it at the
time of the occurrence, which is this: Inquest held at Mr. Beaumont’s,
Mutford Bridge, before J. E. Sparrowe, Esq., August 20th, 1846, on the
body of John Smith, my esteemed lodger, who was unfortunately killed by a
railroad waggon accidently passing over his body, on Tuesday, the 18th, a
sad and painful event to those who witnessed it. In February of the
following year, my wife’s mother was taken suddenly ill, and after a few
hours expired, leaving a sorrowful family to mourn their loss, a
mysterious dispensation of Divine Providence, unfathomable to us
short-sighted mortals, but loudly speaking to all who have ears to hear,
“Arise, depart, for this is not your rest.”
I had now plenty of work for myself and journeyman, my work suited the
navvies as well as others, and I had also a good share of orders from the
master, Mr. Kershaw, who generally undertook to supply boots to those
that travelled with him, making railroads, according to the pattern worn
by the men on the work. They also supplied slops, shirts, and caps, and
almost all articles of food, as also that important beverage strong beer,
for which they held an out-door licence, as those men were real guzzlers,
and when the end of the fortnight arrived, they had not much money to
take home to their lodgings. They were evidently not a saving class of
men, and did not take much care about the salvation of their immortal
souls. But that good philanthropist, Mr. Peto, the benefactor of
Lowestoft and its neighbourhood, engaged Mr. Johnson, as a sort of home
Missionary, to go amongst the people and speak a word of warning and of
counsel to them, and also to distribute interesting books among them,
which they could read or hear read at their lodgings. This was a very
praiseworthy act of that generous man, who, although they could not
recompense him, yet he will be recompensed at the resurrection of the
just, for the which he is content to wait. In course of time the
railroad was constructed to Reedham, to join the Yarmouth and Norwich
line, and thence passengers and cattle were conveyed to the Metropolis.
Mr. Cox, our rector, was very assidious in his visits among his
parishioners, and did as much as he could to ameliorate their condition,
notwithstanding the claims of home, so that his visits were generally
appreciated. He used to be absent from his home a week in two months,
and it was said he had an engagement out, a duty to perform one Sunday in
a month. On one of those outward distant attendances he was taken sick
and died, and never came here again, his body was buried at Great Marlow,
in Buckingham. Here then the shepherd was suddenly separated from his
flock, the husband from the wife, and the father from his family, not
knowing why they are thus bereft of a friend, a guide, and a counsellor;
they are comforted to know that he is taken away in the midst of his
usefulness, and that his happy spirit has passed through the gates of the
New Jerusalem and joined the Church Triumphant above, where there are
joys for evermore. Thus it pleases our Heavenly Father sometimes to
gather his children at a comparatively early age, while others, who have
a larger field of usefulness to occupy on earth, are detained from their
crown, until full of years and good works. Each of these is then
gathered “as a shock of corn cometh in in his season,” and further, here
is the gracious assurance, “Even to your old age I am he, and even to
hoary hairs will I carry you; I have made and I will bear, even I will
carry and I will deliver you.”—_Isaiah_ xlvi. 4.