We are grateful to Charles Mayhew and the Rutland History & Record Society for allowing us to reproduce these articles.
In 1911, Albert Sharpe, aged 14, trudged up the drive of Lyndon Hall to be taken into the employ of Mr. Edward Conant. He was to lodge in the old rectory in a huge bed over which dangled the great row of spring hung bells to the various rooms in the house. The sudden jangling of these so frightened the new hall boy that he asked to sleep in another room.
A new suit of clothes and a wage of £12 a year was to be his pay in the days when a job of any sort was sought, and not to be rejected. The boy would rise at seven in the morning and down he would go to clean the boots and the knives before breakfast at 8 a.m.. sharp. After this meal he would trim the paraffin lamps and, being short, he would have to mount steps to reach the hanging lamps. At 9 on the dot, Mr. Conant rang the handbell and all the staff had to attend in the study for 5 minutes of prayer. In would troop the cook/housekeeper, the governess, the parlourmaid, the kitchen maid, three housemaids and the only man amongst them all, the hall boy. In the absence of a traditional butler, the cook/housekeeper ruled the house with a rod of iron and everyone had to be on time. Despite this, and during the five years that Albert served, he does not recollect anyone getting their notice.
From 9.45 until 11.00 a.m. the hall boy helped the parlourmaid to wash up and leather all the silver ready for lunch. Those items not required were kept in the great safe in the old butler's pantry along with the other silver used on formal occasions. At 11 o'clock came a tea break in the servants hall with scones left over from the masters breakfast After this the servants lunch would have to be laid up by the boy whilst the parlourmaid laid upstairs. As soon as he had finished he would go back to his quarter to change and be ready to carry in the lunch from the cook to the staff seated in the servants hall The meal had to be served not a minute later than 12.30 and the food proved to be of the best of everything, time was important, for the Conants sat down to eat prompt at 1 o'clock.
Washing up again, first the dishes from the servants hall, then those from the dining room, which were dealt with in the pantry. From indoors to outdoors in the summer holidays the hall boy was expected to bowl on the main lawn to Master Rupert and Master Roger for sometimes as long as two hours. In the winter, however, the afternoons were free, and at 5 o'clock, tea was available in the servants hall and at 7 o'clock the boy helped the parlourmaid preparing the silver for dinner upstairs at 8. By the time ho had finished washing up and cleaning up, ten o'clock had struck and he would hurry across the churchyard to his bed at the old rectory. The little trip would make his hair stand on end and an old owl in a tree would frighten the life out of him.
The Conants being connected with Phipps Brewery, received concessions of 18 gallons of porter and 18 gallons of light ale for the servants each month. With so many women servants, all the beer was not consumed, although any caller, be he postman or telegram boy always received a pint of beer. Rather than lose the custom of the concession through not drinking all the beer supplied, the Hall Boy would fill empty wine bottles with beer and lower them [five words missing] to the stokehole below. Here the gardeners and other outside men enjoyed their drink. Among them was Mr. Wright, the Head gardener, and four under him who lived in the bothy in the kitchen garden. In addition were the two Brackenberrys, who were gamekeepers, Mr. Sydney the outside carpenter, Mr. Frisby, the herdsman, and two laundry maids. George Betts, the groom/coachman also had his tot, and often he would come back very late after taking the squire out to a party. Despite this he was expected to be up early in the morning, so on occasion he would back up the coach to the front door with only that side cleaned. One morning Mr. Conant asked him to turn it round.
Although one of the gardeners courted the head housemaid, the squire very much frowned upon fraternisation between the inside and outside servants. The only approach to the house permitted to the gardeners was via the outer door of the conservatory where lived the tropical shrubs and a large palm.
The only time off allowed the boy were two hours on a Sunday afternoon, and during his service he never enjoyed a holiday, although he once travelled by train to a convalescent home at Hunstanton, all being paid by the squire.
Eleven o'clock Sunday service was a ritual under the Vicar, Mr. Hodge, also a master at Oakham School All the servants had to attend, sitting in the pews at the back behind the Squire, with Albert, the Hall Boy being seated on a little chair adjacent to the back pew. All girl servants would be dressed in their full uniform, with black hats, the hall Boy in a little black suit
In 1916, Albert joined the Navy under the Derby Scheme. This was a form of volunteering devised by Lord Derby in 1915, to assist the numbers required by the war. Despite nearly three million applying, it was not enough for such a voracious need and a few months later, conscription became inevitable. Albert served on the light cruiser, HMS Cerces, and watched from her decks as the German fleet entered Scapa Flow to surrender at the Armistice. Later the majority of the ships were scuttled in the harbour by their German crews.
Albert Sharp did not return to Lyndon but went to work as handyman for Jimmy Baird at Deanscroft, Oakham.
A 14 year old Elsie (Dickens) went from school to work at the Hall for Mr. Conant at the time of the Great war and a time of scarcity. She tells of a great house without electricity, of oil lamps and candles and having to walk, frightened, down the long corridors at six of a winter's morning, armed with a flickering candle. Before the family came down, all grates had to be polished, fires lit, and rooms made spotless. There seemed to be oak panelling everywhere and it all had to be washed with old beer.
Hip baths were still in use, and great brass cans of hot water had to be carried to each room, and there were the formidable four posters awaiting making.
£11 a year was her pay, and one half day a week and every other Sunday afternoon off, and one was not allowed out after dark. Church had to be attended twice on Sundays, and wearing all black clothes and black bonnets.
She left to work at Ayston Hall.