The Diary of Nathaniel Bryceson (Part 8)

[dee-jay]

This has added to my theory that Ann isn't on the breadline - she makes regular (frivolous? ) purchases.....
Oh dear Mattie knows ... I think they all know. 

Brand new cloak or new to her?  There is no mention of a purchase or a benefactor, but Ann wore half-mourning a while back for a likely former employer.  Clothes were often willed to servants in this era and a cloak was more of a necessity in November 1846 when coal stocks were low at the very onset of winter.  I can't find references at the moment but I believe 1846/1847 was a particularly bleak winter .....? 

I'm confident that Mattie and Nat's mother and grandmother were under no illusions concerning Nat's relationship with Ann.  Matters are now coming to the 'boil':  was Mattie detailed to bring matters to a head?  Fascinating stuff!

[drykid]

Oh dear Mattie knows ... I think they all know. 

It must be remarkably difficult to get caught in flagrante when you have 10 minutes warning of the impending interruption, I'm beginning to think Nat actually wants to get caught out... 

Brand new cloak or new to her?  There is no mention of a purchase or a benefactor, but Ann wore half-mourning a while back for a likely former employer.  Clothes were often willed to servants in this era and a cloak was more of a necessity in November 1846 when coal stocks were low at the very onset of winter.  I can't find references at the moment but I believe 1846/1847 was a particularly bleak winter .....? 

Yeah I think I linked to this table before:

http://hadobs.metoffice.com/hadcet/ssn_HadCET_mean.txt

You can see that the 12-month period beginning Dec 1846 was much colder than the one before and after (and indeed much colder than the average for the time.) There wasn't a winter that cold again until 1891.

[Siamese Girl]

Perhaps too much information today

Out of interest, St Mary Newington was  an incredibly busy church, so you can take your pick out of these five couples as to which pair's wedding Nat saw this Sunday - Thomas Averill a Whitesmith and Maris Curtis a widow, Richard Belcher a Porter and Georgiana Radlett, Daniel Larner a Gardener and Emma Livemore. John Buckingham Mariner and Jane Parrott, Thomas Pritchard, widower, a Stoker and Maria Turner.


Carole

[Ruskie]

Perhaps too much information today
Carole

oh, no no no no no! 

Good point dee-jay. I didn't consider the fact that it might be a second hand cloak.

And it does seem odd that there was knocking on the door for 10 minutes and then Mattie caught them. 

Something I found interesting was his description of "outer" doors and inner and outer rooms. I would LOVE to know the layout of the rooms in Richmond Buildings ....

[Ruskie]

Out of interest, St Mary Newington was  an incredibly busy church, so you can take your pick out of these five couples as to which pair's wedding Nat saw this Sunday - Thomas Averill a Whitesmith and Maris Curtis a widow, Richard Belcher a Porter and Georgiana Radlett, Daniel Larner a Gardener and Emma Livemore. John Buckingham Mariner and Jane Parrott, Thomas Pritchard, widower, a Stoker and Maria Turner.

Carole

Nathaniel describes them as a young couple. Maybe we can tentatively illiminate the widow/er?  Nat arrived at 10 am. I wonder if we viewed the PR's would the couples be listed in the order they married?

I see they are all just listed as "full age" so no clues there. 

[Ruskie]

"rattling at the outer room door which continued for  about 10 minutes till at last the door was opened"

I wonder who opened the door? 

[nestagj]

Hello all

Not getting notifications again;

There seems to be lots going on in Nat's life at the moment - he definitely seems to me to be writing things in as he remembers maybe not as regularly as before.  Maybe this is why it ends in early Dec - he's getting too busy at work or dealing with Ann !

Nesta

[Ruskie]

Hello all

Not getting notifications again;

There seems to be lots going on in Nat's life at the moment - he definitely seems to me to be writing things in as he remembers maybe not as regularly as before.  Maybe this is why it ends in early Dec - he's getting too busy at work or dealing with Ann !

Nesta

Don't remind me!!!! That day has almost come. 

[steve_gus]

I think its been mentioned before that the diary ends on 12th(?) as it was full having been a partly used accounts book. Sadly that was a Saturday I think, so we have just one more sunday left. Nat had better get a spurt on if hes gonna reach home base this sunday.  Buying a 'new' coat wouldnt have been frivolous in the winter surely? Perhaps by now Ann should have learnt not to wear her good stuff to Nat's rooms on a sunday I dont think they were "caught at it" as such, just together in the same room - a 20 y/o and a 45 y/o woman would be enough to be described as 'caught'.