Heath Robinson Exhibition – St. Barbe Museum & Art Gallery

‘The Fairy’s Birthday’. Pen, ink and watercolour by Heath Robinson published in Holly Leaves, December, 1925, p.21. Heath Robinson’s goblins appeared in the Christmas Numbers of a variety of magazines between 1919-1929. They are distinguished by their homely and somewhat bumbling appearance. They may be short-sighted, overweight and suffer from pains in their joints or shortness of breath. They may have a rustic quality and may well have been based on the characters that Heath met in and around Cranleigh. © William Heath Robinson Trust. St. Barbe Museum & Art Gallery.

I was delighted to be asked to review an exhibition showcasing a collection of precise ink drawings and delicate watercolours by William Heath Robinson (1872 – 1944) which is currently on at St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery, Lymington, Hampshire until Saturday 20^th April, 2013. The Heath Robinson exhibition is supported by Rathbones investment management services. This exhibition, from the William Heath Robinson Trust, showcases illustrations he produced for works by William Shakespeare, Hans Christian Anderson and Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) as well as for his own books. There will also, of course, be a number of his much-loved designs for eccentric contraptions and humorous drawings.

Heath Robinson has become a byword for the eccentric and rickety inventions which he created. In the 1930s, he was known as the ‘Gadget King’, a remarkable title given that in real life Heath was not very practically minded. He had only ever been abroad once, towards the end of the First World War, when he illustrated scenes from the western front. At the beginning of his career he was ranked with Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) and Edmund Dulac (1882-1953) as one of Britain’s foremost illustrators.

Heath counted among his friends, authors H.G. Wells (1866-1946) and Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), Heath illustrated Kipling’s A Song of The English (1909, published by Hodder & Stoughton), which celebrated Edwardian pride in the Empire. Heath visited Kipling in Sussex to discuss the book. Illustrations from the publication feature in the exhibition.

Heath was born on 31st May 1872 at 25 Ennis Road, Stroud Green, London. His father Thomas Robinson (1838-1902) chief illustrator of Penny Illustrated Paper and his mother, Eliza Heath (1849-1921), an innkeeper’s daughter. The Robinsons had seven children, Heath was their third child. Heath’s elder brothers Thomas (1869-1953) and Charles (1870-1937) also became well-known book illustrators.

Heath attended Miss Mole’s dame-school, Holloway College from 1880 to 1884 and Islington proprietary school from 1884 to 1887. He did not thrive in education, a fact which his father recognised removing him, aged fifteen, from the proprietary school and sending him instead to Islington Art School, where he remained for five years. He won a studentship to the Royal Academy Schools, graduating in January 1897, aged twenty-five. Whilst at the RA, Heath had become an accomplished landscape painter but subsequently struggled to make a living selling his artworks. Heath’s passion for painting remained with him for the rest of his life, in his spare time he continued to produce landscapes, experimenting with effects of light and colour, as well as figure studies in watercolour.

In order to further his artistic career he decided to join his brothers who were already working as illustrators. Although being an illustrator was a respectable profession, it could be notoriously difficult to make a living from. However, Heath had real talent for humorous art which made him much in demand, especially in the world of advertising. He also took the occasional commission for book and magazine illustrations (The Sketch, The Bystander and The Tatler).

Some of Heath’s earliest book illustrations were published in 1897 and by 1900 he had illustrated editions of The Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, Fairy Tales From Hans Christian Anderson (1899, published by J. M. Dent) and The Poems of Edgar Allan Poe (1900, these illustrations were influenced by the drawings of Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898)). Copies of the Poe publication are extremely rare, a limited edition of only seventy-five copies were produced, printed on Japanese vellum. He illustrated Anderson’s Fairy Tales with his brothers, Thomas and Charles.

‘The Aeronaut’ by Heath Robinson © William Heath Robinson Trust. St. Barbe Museum & Art Gallery.

Heath’s fortunes improved when he illustrated his own fantasy for children The Adventures of Uncle Lubin (1902, published by Grant Richards). He wrote about this publication in his biography, My Line of Life (1938, published by Blackie & Son): ‘The story is episodic in form, telling the tale of Uncle Lubin, a little old man in a tall hat and long coat, as he attempts to retrieve his nephew, Baby Peter, from the clutches of the wicked bag-bird.’

This book was particularly important, although not a best seller, it did earn Heath enough money to enable him to marry Josephine Constance Latey (1878-1974), the daughter of newspaper editor John Latey, on 30th April, 1903, they set-up home in Holloway Road. As luck would have it, a Canadian by name of Chase Ed. Potter had read Lubin and commissioned Heath to illustrate some advertisements he was writing for Lamson Paragon Supply Company. Heath was paid, in cash, for each drawing.

In 1903, Heath embarked upon his most ambitious project to-date, The Works of Mr Francis Rabelais, commissioned by Grant Richards. The book contained two hundred and fifty-four illustrations, a hundred of which were full-page illustrations, the rest smaller ones. The book was published in 1904 in two large quarto volumes to critical acclaim. Unfortunately, Grant Richards went bankrupt in November 1904 leaving Heath short of the monies that he had hoped to earn.

Heath moved to Pinner, Middlesex, in 1908 and lived there with his family until 1918, residing at Moy Lodge from 1910. Following his move to Pinner and until 1914, Heath continued to produce book illustrations as well as cartoons for The Sketch and The Strand Magazine, amongst other periodicals. He moved to Cranleigh in Surrey in 1918 remaining there until 1929, when he relocated to Highgate, London. In Highgate, he first lived in Shepherd’s Hill and later 25 Southwood Avenue, close to where he had spent a majority of his childhood.

‘Rough sketch for doubling Gloucester cheese’ by Heath Robinson.
© William Heath Robinson Trust. St. Barbe Museum & Art Gallery.

One of Heath’s finest achievements as an illustrator were forty-one pen and ink drawings for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1914, published by Constable & Co). A contemporary review, in The Times Literary Supplement, described the publication as: ‘The most complete and beautiful specimen before us of an illustrated book as a single work of art…’. A copy of the publication is on display in the exhibition. There is an inscription in the front of this book, which is on display in the exhibition, from Heath to his mother: ‘To my good mother with very best wishes from her affectionate son, will.’

In 1915, Heath produced illustrations for The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley (1819-1875) (published by Constable & Co). The edition was originally planned as a lavish gift book but due to the economic climate at the end of World War One, it was published as a modest octavo volume. The illustrations are some of Heath’s finest and show a clear influence of Japanese prints. The Japanese style influenced an entire generation of illustrators.

At the end of World War One, despite the market for lavishly illustrated gift books having all but disappeared, Heath’s talents were still in demand. He obtained a number of commissions for illustrations to appear in advertisements and magazines. Between 1903 and 1942, he produced about a hundred advertising drawings for a wide range of products including Mackintosh Toffees, biscuits, asbestos cement roofs, whiskey and paper. He had a particular talent for parodying the processes by which the various products were made as well as contrasting some of the more desirable qualities of these products. The drawings often took the form of ‘before and after’, i.e. unhappy scenes where the product was absent and happy scenes where the product’s inclusion made everything appear better. A campaign of particular note was for Hovis bread.

‘German breaches of the Hague Convention – Huns using siphons of laughing gas to overcome our troops before an attack in close formation.’ Pen, ink, watercolour and bodycolour. Published in The Sketch, August 1915. © William Heath Robinson Trust. St. Barbe Museum & Art Gallery.

Between 1920 and 1936, Heath produced over two hundred drawings for Connolly Bros. (Curriers) Ltd, a majority of which are still in the company’s possession. These collection of drawings were published by the firm as Heath Robinson on Leather, to commemorate the company’s 50th anniversary, in 1928, and were reissued to mark the company’s centenary in 1978. The exhibition includes examples of Heath’s illustrations for both Hovis and the Connolly Bros. (Curriers) Ltd. A particularly delightful illustration for the latter is ‘William the Conqueror appreciates the comfort of leather when crossing the Channel’, pen and ink, 1933.

In January 1921, Heath was commissioned by Jonathan Cape to produce colour illustrations for a complete works of Shakespeare. He completed the drawings in June 1922.  Unfortunately, only a handful of these colour illustrations still exist, several rare examples of which are in the exhibition. Jonathan Cape could not find an American partner to share the cost of publication and because of the continuing decline in the market for illustrated books, the edition was never published.

In 1927, Heath produced sixteen designs in full colour, based on popular nursery rhymes, which featured on a range of nursery china for Soane & Smith, Knightsbridge. The china was produced by W. R. Midwinter of Burslem, Staffordshire. Examples from this range can been seen in the exhibition. The attention to detail in the frieze of children’s faces is exquisite. This frieze appeared on the inside rim of cups, bowls and around the outside edge of plates and porringers.

Other characters featured included: goblins; Jack Spratt and his wife; Tom, Tom the Piper’s son and the old woman who lived in a shoe. The range was extensive and ran to cereal bowls, saucers, jam pots, sugar bowls, mugs, egg cups and even a tureen.  The service was so popular that it was later sold through a variety of outlets, although the later designs were simplified with the frieze of children’s faces replaced by a simple band of dark blue or pale green.

One of my favourite drawings in the exhibition is a pen, ink and watercolour sketch produced by Heath in 1930 for the luxury trans-Atlantic liner, RMS Empress of Britain (1931) operated by Canadian Pacific Steamship Company which was built in Scotland. The sketch is divided into two parts, the top features a suggested design for ‘The ‘Knickerbocker’ Cocktail Bar’ and the bottom half of the sketch is a design for ‘The Children’s Room’. A closer look at the drawing for the Cocktail Bar reveals some of Heath’s humorous touches. This illustration draws its inspiration from experiences of drinking a cocktail, which according to Heath make you affectionate, give you courage, nerve and produce human kindness. There is also a Cocktail Bird, A Pleasant Surprise and Cocktail shaking in the East.

The Empress of Britain operated from 1931 until 1939 as a steam passenger liner designed to carry 1,195 passengers (465 first class, 260 second class and 470 third class). During the summer months it sailed along the England-Canada route. In 1939, it was requisitioned for war work and became a troop carrier. It was torpedoed on 28th October, 1940 by a German U-boat (U-32) on the northwest of Bloody Foreland, County Donegal, Ireland. Mystery still surrounds the cargo it was supposed to be carrying at the time. It was thought to have been a shipment of gold, bound for North America, a fact that has never been proved.

Another intriguing pen and ink drawing, which I last saw whilst an art history undergraduate, is from How To Live In A Flat (1936), by W. H. Robinson and K.R.G. Browne, published by Hutchison & Co. ’The One-Piece Chromium Steel Dining Suite’ makes a striking social statement about the popularity of flat-dwelling in the interwar years and contains humorous touches by Heath. In the following extract from the publication, explanation is given for another of Heath’s illustrations: ‘A vote of thanks, therefore, is due to Mr Heath Robinson for demonstrating that a certain amount of quiet fun can be extracted even from the last word in geometrical carpetry. Carpet draughts, they tell me, is just the thing for the long winter evenings, and as it can be played sitting-down – will keep the old folks happy and amused while the young people are out at the movies.’ (Robinson & Browne, 1936, p.42).

In 1944, Heath underwent exploratory surgery, following which he returned home to Southwood Avenue, Highgate, where he died of a stroke on 13th September, later on in the same year. He is buried at St. Marylebone cemetery, East Finchley. This quality exhibition is a delight for both children and adults, it is guaranteed to make you smile and raise a chuckle.

Tickets to the Heath Robinson exhibition and St. Barbe Museum, which is open between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Saturday, cost £4 for adults, £3 for senior citizens and students, £2 for children aged five to 15, and £10 for a family of two adults and up to four children; under fives are admitted free of charge. For more details visit www.stbarbe-museum.org.uk or telephone 01590 676969.

• Thursday 11th April, 2013, 10.30am-3.30pm there is a Heath Robinson themed Family Explorer Day at St. Barbe Museum. The Museum’s Explorer Days are engaging and fun hands-on creative activities for children and their family, including the opportunity to handle museum objects. Price is included in admission. Day ticket: Adult £4, Concession £3, Child £2, Family £10. For further information, CLICK HERE.
  

  Arts & Crafts selling Exhibition featuring work by regional artists, currently on at The Old School Gallery, St. Barbe Museum, Lymington until 13th April, 2013.

Arts & Crafts Exhibition – 9th March until 13th April, 2013

The Old School Gallery – St. Barbe Museum

An added bonus when you visit the Heath Robinson exhibition, is the Arts and Crafts Exhibition currently on at The Old School Gallery, located in the same building as the Museum. This is the Museum’s first selling exhibition, showcasing arts and crafts by regional artists:  Carol-Anne Savage (contemporary jewellery); Victoria Garland Prints (Prints); Mrs Ollie Chappell (Raku Ceramics); Sue Baker (papier mâché fish); Paul Reeves (beautifully turned wooden objects made from wood found in and around the New Forest or from dead or fallen trees) and Michael Turner (stainless steel sculpture). The range of items for sale is excellent and of an exceptionally high standard.

Sue Baker’s papier mâché fish looked striking hung on the white-washed walls of The Old School Gallery. Her inspiration for the fish comes from when she lived in Cornwall: ‘I’ve always enjoyed messing about with paints and drawing, and enjoy the point where craft and art overlap. I fell into the papier mâché interest over twenty years ago. Having tried a few experiments following ideas in a book. I decided I preferred to do my own thing. The fish theme developed from there. Living in Cornwall, where I was born (I moved to Dorset ten years ago), the fish were an obvious choice I suppose. I started making imaginative fish; but the demand for realistic fish grew, so I seem to make them exclusively now.’

Sculptor Michael Turner’s steel lion looking majestic in the entrance of St. Barbe Museum, Lymington. The lion is for sale. Price on application.

A stainless steel lion by Lymington based sculptor Michael Turner, which is positioned in the Museum’s entrance, proved to be a big hit with both adults and children on the Saturday I visited. If you have travelled through Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5 in recent years, you may well have seen Michael’s lion on display there. The lion is for sale, price on application.

Michael describes his work thus: ‘I have been a sculptor for over fifteen years now. I enjoy using recycled stainless steel. In our throw away society, it’s great for me to be able to take discarded material and turn it into something beautiful, and every project takes on a new challenge. My inspiration mainly comes from nature in all its forms. I am especially fascinated by insects which I never tire of reproducing, experimenting constantly with different types of finishes on the basic stainless steel. I use polishing, paint and heat effects to produce a unique piece every time. My work is exhibited in selected galleries and recently featured in Harvey Nichols’ London and Edinburgh stores, as well as the Royal West of England Academy.’

• The Arts & Crafts Exhibition continues at St. Barbe Museum, until 13th April, 2013.

Read Full Post »

Victorian Cookery Hero – Alexis Benoit Soyer

In recent years the career of flamboyant French chef, Alexis Benoît Soyer (1810-1858), has attracted considerable interest from historians. There have been a number of biographies published (see ‘Suggested Further Reading’ section) and his own writings are frequently reprinted. Soyer’s life story has also been turned into a bio-drama, Relish, written by James Graham and performed in 2010 by members of The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain at Tramshed, Shoreditch, London.

Alexis packed a lot into his forty-eight years. He began his career at the tender age of eleven as an apprentice chef in the Palace of Versailles. His brother Philippe already worked there as a chef.  It made sense for young Alexis to join his brother and take full advantage of an opportunity to train amongst the world’s finest chefs.  After Versailles, Alexis worked in several restaurants in France and become second chef to the French prime minister, Prince Polignac.

Following the Second French Revolution of July 1830, Alexis fled to England to join his brother Philippe who was now working as head chef in the London household of Prince Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge (1774-1850).  On 24th May 1836, the newly styled Reform Club, Dysart House, 104 Pall Mall, London, next door to the Carlton Club, opened its doors and were looking for a head chef, Alexis was offered the position.  Alexis relished the opportunities that such a role could offer to him and began working there in 1837.  Together with architect Charles Barry he designed the Club’s spectacular kitchens. He remained at the Reform Club until 1850.

Alexis married the artist Elizabeth Emma Jones (1813-1842) on 12th April 1837.  The marriage ended abruptly in 1842 when Elizabeth died of complications following a miscarriage. Alexis was completely heartbroken and threw himself into his work in an attempt to cope with his grief.  He died following a stroke in 1858 at his home 15 Marlborough Road, St. John’s Wood, London. He is buried at Kensal Green Cemetery.

Alexis was more than a chef, he was a culinary genius, visionary, prolific writer of cookery books, entrepreneur (although he was terrible with money!), inventor of kitchen gadgets and one of the most important figures in the history of mass catering – particularly in relation to army field kitchens.  He also wrote a comic ballet, La Fille de L’Orage (The Daughter of the Storm), to flatter ballerina Fanny Cerrito for whom he had a particular fascination. However, the ballet was not one of Soyer’s finest creative achievement and its humourous content was by all accounts pretty terrible.

Below are a just a few highlights of Alexis Soyer’s career:

• The first chef to cook using gas;
• Catered for two thousand guests at Queen Victoria’s coronation breakfast on the 28th June 1838;
• In 1847, during the Great Famine in Ireland (1845-1852), he set-up portable soup kitchens for the starving Irish at the Royal Barracks in Dublin. He cooked and served twenty-six thousand people a day.  The portable kitchen carriages were brilliantly clever and subsequently used on the battlefield in army field kitchens. The carriages were pulled by two horses and a driver. Around the driver’s seat there was a reservoir for water which could be drawn from a stream nearby to wherever the carriage came to rest.  The water is turned into steam by the heat from a lit boiler. The lower part had a circular steam boiler and the upper part an oven. ’Within one hour after the fire is lighted the steam would be up and rations for 1000 men could be cooked by baking and steaming in about two hours and the apparatus moved on again, or it would cook whilst on the march’ (Soyer writing in 1854);
• He set-up soup kitchens for the destitute Huguenot silk weavers of Spitalfields, London;
• He created a range of bottled sauces and relishes for sale to the public – like a Victorian Jamie Oliver!;
• He invented a range of kitchen utensils and equipment, including: a stewing pan; cooking clock; baking dish and vegetable strainer;
• He invented the famous ‘Magic Stove’ which enabled food to be cooked at the table: ‘….his [Soyer] unique and almost equally celebrated lilliputian apparatus, not inappropriately denominated “The Magic Stove”.  The Magic Stove is as simple as it is useful and ingenious.  In it there are two spirit lamps – one which rarifies the spirit in a receptacle placed above, and the vapour, thence airing is ignited by the flame of the second lamp.  The flame then passes through a bent tube, called the chimney of the apparatus, at the top of which tube the cooking processes are conduced, without any smoke or smut.  In this manner, rapid and perfect combustion is produced, and intense heat evolved by means of a self-acting blowpipe.’ (The Leeds Mercury, Saturday February 1st, 1851);
• He was commissioned by the Admiralty to investigate logistics of catering on long sea voyages;
• He rented Gore House (now the site of the Royal Albert Hall, London) in 1850 and took moved in on Wednesday 1st January, 1851. Gore House was built in the 1750s with interior decoration by Robert Adam.  Between 1808 and 1821 it had been the home of William Wilberforce (1759-1833), who was prominent in the abolition of the slave trade. The Countess of Blessington (1789-1849), a novelist, and Count Alfred D’Orsay (1801-1852) lived there from 1836 to 1849. At Gore House, Alexis created the ultimate ‘pop-up’ dining experience called Soyer’s Symposium. His aim was to mass-cater for visitors to the 1851 Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace. He said of the Symposium: ‘It will be my study to devote this establishment entirely for the display of the gastronomic, where I am now making preparations to accommodate thousands daily at my Symposium of all Nations’ (A letter written to The Preston Guardian and published on Saturday January 18th, 1851). After the Great Exhibition, the Symposium was forced to close at a £7,000 loss.  Please see the end of this article for more detail about Soyer’s Symposium;
• In March 1855 he travelled with Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), on Lord Panmure’s full authority, to the old Barrack Hospital in Scutari, Turkey.  He had been tasked with re-organizing the Hospital’s catering. Florence said of Soyer: ‘..others have studied cookery for the purpose of gormandizing, some for show.  But none but he [Soyer] for the purpose of cooking large quantities of food in the most nutritive and economical manner for great quantities of people.’ (Florence Nightingale 1820-1910 by Cecil Woodham-Smith, 1952, p. 172).  ‘He proceeded to attack the kitchens of the Barrack Hospital.  He composed recipes for using the army rations to make excellent soups and stews.  He put an end to the frightful system of boiling. He insisted on having permanently allocated to the kitchens, soldiers who could be trained as cooks.  He invented ovens to bake bread and biscuits and a Scutari teapot which made and kept tea hot for fifty men.’ (ibid. p.172);
• He helped redesign Wellington Barracks which opened in July 1858;

Publications

Délassements Culinaires. (1845)

The Gastronomic Regenerator (1846)

Soyer’s Charitable Cookery (1847)

The Poorman’s Regenerator (1848)

The modern Housewife or ménagère (1849)

The Symposiorama: Book of Gore House (1851)

The Pantropheon or A history of food and its preparation in ancient times (1853)

A Shilling Cookery Book for the People:Embracing an entirely new system of plain cookery and domestic economy (1855)

Soyer’s Culinary Campaign (1857)

Instructions to Military Cooks (1857) – Pamphlet.

A Few of Soyer’s Recipes

Camp Soup (For Army Catering): Put half-a-pound of salt pork in a saucepan, two ounces of rice, two pints and a-half of cold water, and, when boiling, let simmer another hour, stirring once or twice; break in six ounces of biscuit, let soak ten minutes; it is then ready, adding one teaspoonful of sugar, and a quarter one of pepper, if handy.

New Way of Making Beef Tea: Cut a pound of solid beef into small dice, which put into a stew-pan with two small pots of butter, a clove, a small onion sliced, and two saltspoonfuls of salt; stir the meat round over the fire for ten minutes, until it produces a thickish gravy, then add a quart of boiling water, and let it simmer at the corner of the fire for half an hour, skimming off every particle of fat; when done pass through a sieve.  I have always had a great objection to passing broth through a cloth as it frequently spoils its flavour.  The same, if wanted plain, is done by merely omitting the vegetables and clove: the butter cannot be objectionable, as it is taken out in skimming; pearl-barley, vermicelli, rice, etc, may be served in it if required.  A little leek, celery, or parsley may be added.

Little Fruit Rissolettes: I also make with the trimmings of puff paste the following little cakes: if you have about a quarter of a pound of puff paste left, roll it out very thin, about the thickness of half a crown, put half a spoonful of any marmalade on it, about one inch and a half distance from each other, wet lightly round them with a paste-brush, and place a similar piece of paste over all, take a cutter of the size of a crown piece, and press round the part where the marmalade or jam is with the thick part of the cutter, to make the paste stick, then cut them out with one a size or two larger, lay them on a baking-tin, egg over, place in a nice hot oven for twenty minutes, then sugar over with finely sifted sugar, so as to make it quite white, then put back into the oven to glaze and serve.

Good Plain Family Irish Stew: Take about two pounds of scrag or neck of mutton; divide it into ten pieces, lay them in the pan; cut eight large potatoes and four onions in slices, season with one teaspoonful and a half of pepper, and three of salt; cover all with water; put it into a slow oven for two hours, then stir it all up well, and dish up in deep dishes.  If you add a little more water at the commencement, you can take out when half done, a nice cup of broth.

Soyer’s Gastronomic Symposium of All Nations

The transformation of Gore House, Kensington to the people’s palace of gastronomy was an unbelievable achievement by Soyer and his team. It cost diners one shilling to enter the building, half a guinea to dine in the House and less to dine in the grounds. A French-English meal cost two shillings per diner. From 5pm each day, in the main House, private dining parties took place. Soyer produced a book on the Symposium called, The Symposiorama (Book of Gore House).  In it, Soyer enthuses about the eating experience that would await diners:

Dinner in the Temple of Danae, lunch in the vintage chamber, supper with the domains of the ice king, eating and drinking everywhere!  Why the sight is enough to turn a heart of stone, enough to make a hermit relinquish his roots and black bread, and a teetotaler break his pledge all to fragments.

Coverage in contemporary newspapers of the interior was extensive, below is an extract from The Standard, Monday April 28th, 1851:

You enter the doorway, and stand in the Vestibule de la Fille de L’Orage, you read, ‘Soyer’s Symposium’, struck by arrows of lightning from a hand clenched convulsively over the head.  From this you pass into L’atelier de Michel Ange, the walls of which are covered with the existent marvels of architectural and engineering art – the Pyramids, the Palace of Westminster, St. Paul’s, Pompey’s Pillar, the Tubular Bridge, and the like, shouldering each other with amusing defiance of time and concord.  Turning to the right, the visitor finds himself in what once, was the Blessington Library, but now La Salle du Parnasse in plainer and less metaphorical English, a spacious dining-room, brilliantly fitted with mirrors, marble consoles, and Grecian vases, the prevailing characteristic of white and gold being extremely effective, and affording a delicate contrast to the ‘Salle des Noces de Danaë, the speciality of which is the Alhambra spirit of the ceiling, displayed in its gorgeous varieties of colour, while gem-like tears cover the pale green walls, dropping, as it were, from the heavily gilt cornice.  The eight globes of silvered glass which are to hang here will produce an ensemble, when reflecting the floods of gas with which the salle will be charged of which, we can form but little conception….the ante-chambers of the mansion of which is striped and starred a la Jonathan.. La Cabinet de la Pompadour – embellished with  flutings of white and pink, and a triumphant arch of roses and foliage; La Foret Peruvienne, the colour of which is blue.. La Chambre ardents d’Apollon a circular apartment, intended for the Ghebirs, who can, if they like, before they eat their curried spiders, prostrate themselves before the before the brazen sun which fills half the plafond with its circumference..Grotte des Neiges Eternelles encrusted with sparkling pendents…Vintage Palazzo, Italian Saloon enclosed in a trellised gallery overhung with vine leaves, through which the eye looks upon the plains of Lombardy, the fastnesses of Calabris, and the ruins of Campagns…Bourdoir de la Valliere, enter the state bed-chamber, papered with zig-zag stripes and diagonal bands of black velvet and silver lace… Pagode du Cheval de Bronze, Chinese hall, tea-chest, crimson curtains, statuettes of Fo and Buddha, fat-bodied bronzes and lantern.

There were nine acres of gardens at Gore House and Soyer ensured that he packed every inch with dining opportunities.  He installed an American bar, serving egg noggs, shandygaffs, mint juleps and brandy smashes.  Les Pavillons des Zingari had a Grotto of Ondine showcasing cases of gold and silver fish.  The centrepiece of the gardens was the Baronial Banqueting Hall, measuring 100ft long and housing paintings produced by his late wife Emma as well as a selection by Count d’Orsay. It was also possible to dine in the Baronial Hall, a English-French dinner cost three shillings and sixpence. At 2pm, each day in the Hall, hot meat joints, vegetables, Symposium pies, mayonnaise salads, cold meats, hams, poultry, pastry, jellies and creams were served.

Another feature in the grounds were the Pyramids of Morning Dew. Grassy mounds upon which plaster figures were placed, surrounded with layers of vases filled with flowers.  Le Pavillon Monstre d’Amphytrion, measuring 400ft long, provided an opportunity to experience Soyer’s brilliance for the logistics of mass catering.  This gigantic dining encampment could seat one thousand five hundred diners at any one time.  Covering the dining table was an enormous one-piece tablecloth that took two men to carry it across the meadow to the Pavillion and six people to unroll it.  The kitchens in the main House had the capacity to roast six hundred joints of meat each day and on the green an ox was roasted every hour. Each night there was also fireworks and music for dancing.

As you can see, Soyer was a culinary genius who has, until now, been overlooked by historians, in favour of that other Victorian cooking genius, Isabella Beeton. Finally, Soyer is emerging from Mrs B’s shadow and exciting historians with his body of work and contribution toward the evolution of Victorian social and domestic cookery. Incidentally, a quick check of my 1915 edition of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management reveals that a number of Soyer’s recipes were included by Mrs B in her publication.  These include his recipes for goose stuffing and a sauce for plum pudding.

Suggested Further Reading

• The People’s Chef: Alexis Soyer, a Life in Seven Courses by Ruth Brandon (2004), published by John Wiley & Sons;
• Relish:The Extraordinary Life of Alexis Soyer, Victorian Celebrity Chef by Ruth Cowen (2007), published by Phoenix;
• The Portrait of a Chef: The Life of Alexis Soyer, Sometime Chef to the Reform Club by Helen Soutar Morris (1938), published by The University Press;
• The Chef at War by Alexis Soyer (2011), published by Penguin;
• ‘Hot on the Trail’ by Professor Thomas A. P. Van Leeuwen, Cabinet magazine, Issue 37, Bubbles, Spring, 2010. An excellent and well-written article on Soyer’s field stoves, including images of the Magic Stove, field stoves in the Crimea and the Dublin soup kitchen in 1847.  This article inspired me to research Soyer further. For article, CLICK HERE.

Read Full Post »

Whitchurch Silk Mill Star of Stage & Screen

My previous article, on the history of Whitchurch Silk Mill, reflects only half the story of this incredible Mill.  The Mill has long been an important supplier of bespoke silk fabrics for film, television and theatre costumes.  Below is a selection of some of these productions together with details of fabric used and character who wore it.

Sara (Theatre Cheek by Jowl – 1990). Mellefont (Raad Rawl) and Marwood (Shelia Gish). Mellefont’s suit of silk and Marwood’s gown trimmed with silk ribbon.

Cats.

Cats (Theatre Musical – 1989) – Rayon fringe.

Back to the Future III (Film – 1990). Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen). Clara wore a hat trimmed with silk ribbons woven at the Mill.

The Fool.

The Fool (TV Channel 4 – 1990). Lady Amelia (Maria Aitken). Lady Amelia wore a gown of multi-striped silk taffeta.

Scarlett (BSkyB TV – 1994). Scarlett O’Hara (Joanne Whalley). A gown made of honeybird and black striped silk taffeta.

Middlemarch (BBC TV – 1994). Dorothea (Juliet Aubrey). Dorothea wore a gown of silk cotton moiré. The production also featured a range of other silk fabrics in various colours.

Sense and Sensibility.

Sense and Sensibility (Film – 1995). Marianne Dashwood (Kate). Marianne wore a bonnet trimmed with silk ribbon.

Jefferson in Paris (Film – 1995) – Maria Cosway (Greta Scacchi) and Richard Cosway (Simon Callow). Maria’s gown had silk ribbons. A jacket worn by Richard was made of silk moiré.

The Portrait of a Lady (Film – 1996). Isabel Archer (Nicole Kidman). Isabel wore a silk cotton moiré taffeta gown.

Titanic.

Titanic (Film – 1997). Ruth de Witt Bukater (Frances Fisher) and Molly Brown (Kathy Bates). Ruth wore a hat with silk satin striped ribbon. Molly wore a hat with a crown of steel-blue and saxe-blue silk taffeta.

The Scarlet Pimpernel.

The Scarlet Pimpernel (BBC TV – 1999) – Pimpernel’s wife (Elizabeth McGovern). A gown made of silk taffeta.

Aristocrats.

Aristocrats (BBC TV – 1999). Sarah (Jodhi May) and Louisa (Anne-Marie Duff). Sarah wore a gown of scarlet striped taffeta and a gown of steel-blue and saxe-blue pure silk taffeta. Louisa wore a gown of peach taffeta.

Madam Bovary (BBC TV – 2000). Emma Bovary (Frances O’Connor). Emma wore a gown of purple silk taffeta.

He Knew He Was Right.

He Knew He Was Right (BBC TV – 2004). Nora Rowley (Christina Cole) and Emily Rowley (Laura Fraser). Nora wore a gown of raspberry silk cotton moiré. Emily wore a gown trimmed with silk ribbons around the waist.

Mary Poppins.

Mary Poppins (Theatre – 2004). Jane (Faye Spittlehouse). Jane wore a gown of champagne silk and raspberry cotton moiré taffeta.

North and South.

North and South (BBC TV – 2004). Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby-Ashe). Margaret wore a gown made of silk linen taffeta.

Bleak House.

Bleak House (BBC TV – 2005). Lady Deadlock (Gillian Anderson). Lady Deadlock wore a gown made from champagne silk and saxe-blue lined taffeta.

Pride and Prejudice (Film – 2005). Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Dame Judi Dench). Lady Catherine wore a gown of black silk and wine cotton moiré taffeta.

Cranford.

Cranford (BBC TV – 2007) – Lady Ludlow (Francesca Annis). A dress made from champagne silk and black cotton moiré taffeta. Dorcas (Julia Sawalha). Dorcas wore a two piece outfit in dark blue/green and a champagne and bleached linen taffeta blouse; a coffee striped silk ribbon trimmed hat which is petrol blue to match her jacket; dark blue and wine silk taffeta dress. Ruby Pratt (Victoria Hamilton) and Pearl Pratt (Matilda Ziegler). At a party in the Golden Lion they wore hats trimmed with black striped ribbons to match their bottle green and black dresses; Pearl also wore a pink and coffee ribbon at the neck of her brown and gold cloak; both wore pink wide satin striped champagne ribbons at the neck of their blouses which were burgundy with coffee coloured floral pattern. Margaret Ellison (Sandy McDade). Margaret wore a grey silk and linen dress while in her father’s office. Laura Timmins (Olivia Hallinan). Laura wore a steel-blue skirt as she walks through a field with her young man.

Becoming Jane (Film – 2007) – Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway). Jane wore a dress decorated at the waist with chocolate and blue silk ribbon.

Gaslight (Theatre The Old Vic – 2007). Bella Manningham (Rosamund Pike). A gown of steel-blue and lilac cotton moiré silk.

The Shadow in The North (BBC TV – 2007). Sally Lockhart (Billie Piper). Sally wore a jacket made from black silk/linen and a bonnet trimmed with black silk taffeta and satin striped ribbons.

Miss Potter.

Miss Potter (BBC Film – 2007). Mrs Potter  (Barbara Flynn). Mrs Potter wore a gown of silk cotton moiré.

Fanny Hill (BBC TV – 2007). Mr H (Hugo Speer). Mr H wore a coat made from champagne silk and gold cotton moiré.

Tess of the D’Urbervilles.

Tess of the D’Urbervilles (BBC TV – 2008). Tess (Gemma Aterton). Tess wore a straw boater trimmed with champagne satin striped woven ribbon.

Garrow’s Law (BBC TV – 2009). Lady Sarah Hill (Lyndsey Marshal). Lady Sarah wore a gown of silk fabric.

Other high-profile productions featuring silk fabrics woven at Whitchurch Mill include: The Piano (Film – 1993); The Madness of King George (Film – 1994) and The Ruby in the Smoke (BBC TV – 2006). In the Café there is a large display of production stills featuring some of the costumes mentioned above.

For more information on Whitchurch Silk Mill, including visitor information, please CLICK HERE.

Cafe at Whitchurch Silk Mill which displays production stills of costumes made from Whitchurch fabrics.

Read Full Post »

The Wriothesleys of Titchfield

Titchfield Abbey, Titchfield, Hampshire.

Titchfield Abbey, Titchfield, Hampshire was founded in 1231 by Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester.  The abbey was home to Premonstratensian canons, known as ‘White Canons’ due to the colour of their habits. St Norbet founded the Premonstratensian Order in 1121 and the Order follow rules ascribed to St Augustine.  The canons would have attended eight services each day as well as Mass in the monastic church. The abbey continued to exist, relatively peacefully, until Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monastries (1536-1541) which resulted in a dramatic change of use and ownership. The Abbey was transformed into a grand mansion called Place House and became the country seat of the powerful Tudor and Jacobean family, The Wriothesleys.  Below are short biographies for some of the key Wriothesleys.

Titchfield Abbey – View from the back.

John Wriothesley (formerly Writhe) – Died 1504

Son of William Writhe.  John was an English officer of arms and Garter King of Arms. John thought the name of Writhe not grand enough for a family on the rise, he settled on Wriothesley instead. Other members of his family adopted the name change.

Sir Thomas Wriothesley (formerly Writhe) – Died 1534

Son of John Wriothesley. Sir Thomas was a Wiltshire herald. His wife Jane had ten children during their decade long marriage. Jane died in 1510. Sir Thomas organised the funeral of Henry VII, the coronation of Henry VIII, the Westminster tournament of 1511 and attended Anne Boleyn‘s coronation in 1533. In 1529 he gave evidence at the divorce proceedings of Katherine of Aragon. Sir Thomas also appears in the Hampton Court painting, ‘The Field of the Cloth of Gold’ (c.1545).  He was a talented artist and an aggressive self-promoter.

William Wriothesley (formerly Writhe) – Died in 1513

Son of John Wriothesley and a York herald, an officer of arms at the College of Arms. He married Agnes Drayton.

Charles Wriothesley (1508-62)

Son of Sir Thomas Wriothesley. A Windsor Herald. He lived at Garter House, a mansion built by Sir Thomas in Barbican St, Cripplegate Ward, London.  At sixteen he was appointed Rouge Croix Pursuivant with an annual salary of £10.  He studied law at Cambridge. In 1529 he became a gentleman of Gray’s Inn.

Thomas Wriothesley (1505-1550) – 1st Earl of Southampton

Eldest son of William Wriothesley. Thomas had two sisters, Elizabeth (b. 1507) and Anne (b. 1508). Anne married Thomas Knight of Hook in Hampshire. He had a younger brother, Edward (b. 1509) whose godfathers included 3rd Duke of Buckingham and 5th Earl of Northumberland. Thomas studied at Trinity Hall, Cambridge but didn’t finish his degree.  He was a handsome gentleman and a courtier of Henry VIII (1491-1547). His ambition knew no limits, in the 1530′s he became Cromwell‘s private secretary, Chief Clerk of the Signet and a top-ranking civil servant. He was a great patron of arts and literature. His wife was Jane Cheney of Chesham Bois, Buckinghamshire. They had three sons and five daughters. As a reward for his support to the King during the Reformation and turbulent break from Rome, Thomas was granted: Quarr Abbey – Isle of Wight (1537); eleven manors and 5,000 acres at Titchfield Abbey (1537) and Beaulieu Abbey (1538).  He also brought Micheldever Manor from the King in 1544. Between 1544 and 1546 he acquired thirty-five ex-monastic manors and five southern counties.  On 1st January 1544, Thomas became Baron Titchfield and Lord Chancellor.  When his son Henry was baptized on 24th April 1545, Henry VIII was appointed one of the godparents.  Thomas retained a large retinue and in 1545 he had one hundred and forty in his livery including Yeoman dressed in velvet and wearing gold chains. Thomas had now become probably one of the greatest noblemen in Hampshire.

However, following the King’s death, Thomas found himself in a vulnerable position.  He was outspoken, arrogant, ruthless and faced criticism for his occasional abuses of authority which led to a brief spell in prison and a hefty fine. When young Edward VI was crowned in 1547 Thomas held the Sword of State, then had it taken away from him for misconduct. Although, Thomas was later reinstated onto the Royal Council.  Whilst serving as a member of the Royal Council, he became 1st Earl of Southampton. Thomas suffered from consumption and died at Lincoln House on 30th July, 1550.  He was buried at St. Andrew’s Church, Holburnand his body later returned to Titchfield.

The ruins of the former Titchfield Abbey, showing Chapter House and Library.

Henry Wriothesley (1545-1581) – 2nd Earl of Southampton

Henry was the son of the 1st Earl, Thomas.  Henry inherited an annual land income from his father of £1,466 13s 4d, making him an extremely wealthy man and attractive marriage prospect.  He was only five when his father died and he spent the rest of his formative years living with his mother being privately educated at home.  He was brought-up a Catholic and married Mary Browne on 19th February, 1566. The marriage meant that Henry had now become part of one of the leading Catholic families in Sussex. Henry and Mary had one son, Henry and two daughters, Jane (d.1573) and Mary (1567-1607).  His family entertained both Edward VI and Elizabeth I at Titchfield, the estate by this time had developed into an extremely large and lavish household.  Henry’s annual income from lands in the 1560′s had risen to nearly £3,000.

Henry was not without his critics and had inherited his family trait for arrogance and playing dangerous power games at Court.  He was arrested on 18th June, 1570 for consorting with the Spanish ambassador, Guerau de Espés del Valle (1524–1572). Henry remained in the Tower of London until 1st May, 1573. However, he was soon back in favour again and on 12th July, 1574 he became JP for Hampshire.

He died on 4th October 1581 in Itchel in the parish of Crondall, Hampshire, he was thirty-six.  He was later buried on 30th November, 1581 at his beloved Titchfield.  Henry ensured that his funeral was a lavish affair which cost him £138.  He also left monies enough for a £1,000 alabaster monument of himself and his parents.  This monument is known as ‘The Titchfield Monument’.

Henry Wriothesley (1573-1624) – 3rd Earl of Southampton

Born at Cowdray House, nr Midhurst, Sussex on 6th October, 1573. His parents had a very stormy marriage and at the age of eight his father, the 2nd Earl died.  Henry harboured a lifelong distrust of women, not helped by having to spend most of his childhood estranged from his mother.  He did turn to men for affection and generally enjoyed their company more than that of women.

Henry was sent to one of the top schools for noblemen at Cecil House, Strand, London. The school was Lord Burghley’s educational jewel and turned out some of the country’s brightest young aristocrats. At the age of twelve Henry went to St. John’s College, Cambridge and at sixteen he graduated with his MA and was immediately admitted to Gray’s Inn to study law.  Henry became a courtier and passionate patron of the arts.  His distrust of women and marriage in general, came to a head when he refused to marry Lady Elizabeth Vere, Lord Burghley’s granddaughter.  Tudor law dictated that a refusal to marry a lady of his ward’s choosing would result in having to pay a huge fine to the ward.  His determination not to marry Lady Elizabeth was so strong that he opted to pay the fine which he did so on 21st October 1594. He paid Lord Burghley the sum of £5,000.  This made a large hole in Henry’s income.

Henry was charismatic, attractive albeit with a feminine manner, he had auburn hair, blue eyes and his voice had a soft tone.  His dress style was flamboyant and his favourite fabric was white silk which he would teamed with a doublet, purple garters and large feathers in his hat.

Eventually, Henry knew that he would not be able to avoid marriage forever if the Wriothesley line was to continue.  He took a huge risk and married Elizabeth Vernon, one of Elizabeth I’s (1533-1603) Maids of Honour.  He did not seek the Queen’s permission first and as a result fell spectacularly out of favour with her.  This was a dangerous position for any Tudor nobleman to find himself in, particularly one who had already lost a large chunk of their fortune. The consequences of failing to curry favour with the Queen meant that he was never accepted back at court.

Henry’s bad luck continued when he found himself caught-up in the Earl of Essex’s rebellion in 1601, causing him to lose his estates and very nearly his own head.  For a general overview on this important Tudor event, CLICK HERE.  For his part in the Earl of Essex’s rebellion, Henry was arrested, sent to the Tower, accused of Treason and sentenced to death.  His earldom was taken away and the 2nd Earl of Essex beheaded on 25th February, 1601.  When James I came to the throne on 24th March, 1603, he set Henry free the following month.

3rd Earl of Southampton and The Virginia Company

Henry was an active member of the Virginia Company’s governing council.  The Mayflower sailed to the Northern Colony to find religious freedom in 1620.  On 3rd November, in the same year, a patent was granted for the Incorporation of a Council to manage the affairs of the Plantation of the Second Colony of New England and Henry was one of the original Council members. In Charlotte Carmichael Stopes’ The Life of Henry, Third Earl of Southampton, Shakespeare’s Patron (1922) she discusses, in detail, Henry’s involved with the Virginia Council and Company in the chapter, ‘Virginia Britannica’.  Stopes lists the provisions provided by Henry for the Colony’s survival:

A note of the shipping, men and provisions sent and provided for Virginia by the Earl of Southampton and the Company and other private adventurers in 1621 included 24 ships with 500 mariners; experts to teach men how to utilise the produce of the Plantations; French vine-dressers to cultivate vines and mulberries, to make wine; others to teach them how to make glass for themselves and beads for the savages; fur-traders, metallurgists, builders; with plans for a church, a college, and a house of entertainment for newcomers. (Stopes, 1928, p.440-1)

The Virginia Company was dissolved on 15th June, 1624. It was not financially successful but social projects associated with it where.

View from the Porter’s Lodge window, showing the Tudor brick fireplaces and square windows from both storeys. The timber floors have long since gone.

Tudor brickwork in the gatehouse.

3rd Earl of Southampton and William Shakespeare

The life of the 3rd Earl of Southampton has been well-documented, this is partly due to his brief patronage of William Shakespeare (1564-1616).  There is a great deal of scholastic debate about the extent of the relationship both Shakespeare and Wriothesley. Some have argued it was purely a creative partnership and others that there was a physical relationship between the two of them as well.  There have been suggestions that several of Shakespeare’s plays were first performed at Titchfield in a playhouse created on the second storey of the gatehouse complex.

View toward Porter’s Lodge from ground floor of gatehouse building.

One particular performance that is often cited is the one that may have taken place at Titchfield on the afternoon of 2nd September, 1591, an early staging of Love’s Labour’s Lost. The 3rd Earl is supposed to have played the role of Berowne.  However, G. P. V. Akrigg points-out, in Shakespeare and the Earl of Southampton (1968) that:

..there is no evidence of a play or actors at Titchfield……If the present writer must add his own guess as to where and when Shakespeare and Southampton first met, he would suggest a backstage meeting in a London playhouse sometime in 1591-92.  The person who first presented Shakespeare to the Earl may have been Sir George Carew, whose marriage in 1580 to a Clopton heiress had made him a great man around Stratford. (p. 193)

Suggestions have also been made that some of Shakespeare’s sonnets contain hidden references to Wriothesley, particularly in relation to his reluctance to marry. Although we do know that following the Earl’s release from the Tower on 10th April, 1603, James I’s encouraged Shakespeare to write a sonnet (no. 107), especially for the Earl, to congratulate him on his release:

Not mine own fears, nor the prophetic soul

Of the wide world dreaming on things to come,

Can yet the lease of my true love control,

Supposed as forfeit to a confined doom.

The mortal moon hath her eclipse endured,

And the sad augurs mock their own presage.

Incertainties now crown themselves assured,

And peace proclaims olives of endless age.

Now with the drops of this most balmy time

My love looks fresh, and Death to me subscribes,

Since, spite of him, I’ll live in this poor rhyme

While he insults o’er dull and speechless tribes.

And thou in this o’er dull and speechless tribes.

And though in this shalt find thy monument,

When tyrants’ crests and tombs of brass are spent.

Akrigg also suggests (pp. 255-6) that character of the young Count of Rousillon, in All’s Well that Ends Well (1603-4), may well have been based on the Earl’s in his earlier years.  Shakespeare’s two narrative poems, Venus and Adonis (1593) and The Rape of Lucrece (1594) are dedicated to the 3rd Earl.

Thomas Wriothesley (1608-1667) – 4th Earl of Southampton

Thomas was the only surviving son of the 3rd Earl.  Thomas liked to gamble and found himself in debt after losing a bet at Newmarket racecourse.  In order to pay back the debt, he went into the timber business and traded from his Titchfield estate. Thomas was a royalist and supporter of Charles I.  He entertained Charles and Queen Henrietta Maria at Titchfield in 1625.

When Charles I fled for his life in 1647 he stayed at Titchfield en-route to the Isle of Wight. After Charles I’s execution, Thomas retired to Titchfield and in 1655 found himself imprisoned in the Tower of London but was released later on that year. With the Restoration of Charles II, on 27th Mary 1660, Thomas was appointed to the privy council and became a Knight of the Garter.  Thomas died in London at Southampton House and was buried at Titchfield on 18th June, 1667.

Thomas married three times.  His first wife was a French Huguenot, Rachel de Massue (1603-1640). They had two daughters, Elizabeth and Rachel.  Elizabeth married Edward Noel and Rachel married William Russell.  Upon the Earl’s death all of his property passed to both his daughters. Following their deaths all property passed to Rachel and William’s son, the 2nd Duke of Bedford. Titchfield was sold in 1779 to the family of Delme and in 1781 it was largely demolished.  During the First World War the estate was brought by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the ruins transferred to the HM Office of Works.  The site is now managed by English Heritage.  There is no admission charge to visit the site but do check the opening hours before setting off.  For more information about the property, including a really good audio tour that you can download for free, CLICK HERE.

The Transformation of Titchfield Abbey into Place House –

The Wriothesleys’ Family Seat

Titchfield Abbey was transformed into a mansion, called Place House/Titchfield Palace, by the 1st Earl of Southampton, Thomas Wriothesley. The 1st Earl wasted no time in transforming the Abbey into a grand, Tudor mansion befitting a gentleman of his position.  The cost of the extensive renovations was approximately £200 and the work carried-out at lightening speed. The master-mason on the project was Thomas Bartewe who resided in Winchester.  Thomas had an impressive CV that included Calshot and Hurst Castles.  The west end Nave of the church was transformed into a large gatehouse, the Cloisters became a courtyard, the Refectory a Great Hall and the Chapter House turned into a private chapel.

It is still possible today to see some of the original Tudor fireplaces, chimneys, brickwork and square windows particularly in the gatehouse buildings. The gatehouse was constructed by demolishing the central (fourth) bay of the nave and a second storey added, all in the fashionable mock-Medieval architectural style.  In the ground floor chambers of the gatehouse it is still possible to see windows which have small slits, single and crossed.  These would have been used by archers or hand-gunners should the need have arisen to defend the mansion from attack.

During a survey carried out at Titchfield in 1737, the second storey of the gatehouse buildings to the right of the main porter’s lodge (the Tudor windows of which still exist) was described as a ‘Playhouse Room’.  It is possible that in this space theatrical masques and performances may have taken place. However, as already stated no concrete evidence has emerged to confirm that some of these performances were of plays written by William Shakespeare.

In G. P. V Akrigg’s Shakespeare and the Earl of Southampton (1968) a description is given of the mansion at Titchfield. The description is based on a report written by Sir Thomas Fleming, the Queen’s Solicitor-General, following a visit made to by to Titchfield while the 3rd Earl was imprisoned in the Tower for his part in the Earl of Essex’s rebellion:

[Sir Thomas Fleming] with his clerks he trooped about the great mansion, through the entrance gate flanked by its four lofty towers and into the Fountain Court that lay beyond, up the handsome stairs that on the opposite side led up to the hall beyond, and so on to all the other parts of the great mansion: the gallery, the great dining-room, the little dining-room, the ladies’ gallery, the music gallery, the earl’s apartments, and those of his countess.  On they went into the Kitchen Court and all the multiple offices that lay around it, the servants’ hall, the still room, the kitchen, the wet larder and the dry larder, the small beer cellar and the strong beer cellar, and the arched wine cellar, everywhere from the Jericho Porch to the Audit Room.  As they went, they took inventory:

In the great chamber:

One large Turkey carpett

One large foote Turkey carpett

Twoe chaires of crimson velvet

vi high stools of crimson

In the Longe Gallery:

old mappes.

(Arkrigg, 1968, p. 131)

The Medieval Tiles

At Titchfield today, it is possible to see one of the finest collections of medieval floor tiles in Southern England. One of the reasons why these splendid tiles, originally laid in the Cloisters, have survived is due to their having been covered over to create the floor of the Courtyard, during the Tudor renovations.  The tiles were discovered in excavations undertaken in 1923. Nowadays, in order to protect them from frost, they are covered over in the winter months with sand.

The tiles date from the late thirteenth and early fourteenth century and were likely to have been manufactured locally. The tiles were made by pressing a wooden stamp into wet clay and then white, liquid, clay was poured into the indent.  The excess liquid would have been scraped off to form the design. The tiles were then coated with a lead glaze and fired in a kiln. The design range is varied from floral, geometric, birds, beast to heraldic motifs.

Double-headed eagle tile.

The double-headed eagle is possibly the coat of arms of Richard, Earl of Cornwall (1209-72), Henry III’s brother.

Twin towers tile.

The twin towers tile, could possibly represent Eleanor of Castile (1241-90), the first wife of Edward I.

Read Full Post »

BBC’s Shakespeare Unlocked Season

Illustration by Wal Paget, c. 1905, featuring a scene from As You Like It by William Shakespeare. Illustration taken from Shakespeare’s Heroines by Anna Jameson.

Last night I watched the first episode of a new series exploring Shakespeare’s plays.  The series is part of the Shakespeare Unlocked Season, the BBC’s contribution to the Cultural Olympiad and the London 2012 Festival.  The new six-parter airs on BBC 4, Tuesdays at 9pm and if tonight’s episode is anything to go by it should be an interesting watch.  In the first episode, actress Joely Richardson examines Shakespeare’s female characters, roles for women and the act of cross-dressing in Elizabethan theatre.  The two plays featured in the first episode are Twelfth Night (Viola) and As You Like It (Rosalind). There are numerous contributions from leading contemporary scholars (Jonathan Bate and Germaine Greer), actors (Vanessa Redgrave and Helen Mirren) and directors (Thea Sharrock).  In episode two (Tuesday 26th June, 9pm) actor Ethan Hawke goes in search of the real story behind Macbeth. Ethan was lucky enough to view the First Folio – The Complete Works of Shakespeare, as published in 1623. For more information on this series, CLICK HERE.

Scene from As You Like It. Illustration by Wal Paget featured in Shakespeare’s Heroines by Anna Jameson.

Other highlights from the Shakespeare Unlocked Season include Simon Schama’s Shakespeare, which begins Friday 22nd June, 9pm, BBC2 and The Hollow Crown series of new adaptations by the BBC of four of Shakespeare’s best-loved history plays. The cast list reads like a who’s who of British Theatre. The plays adapted are Richard II, Henry IV Parts 1 & 2 and Henry V. Directors for the adaptations are Rupert Goold, Richard Eyre and Thea Sharrock. On the BBC website I also found a couple of very interesting articles, one on Soviet Shakespeare, ‘Hamlet: The Play Stalin Hated’ by David Sillito (23.4.12) and the other ‘Shakespearean Fools: Their Modern Equivalents’ by Denise Winterman (1.4.12).

My copy of Anna Jameson’s Shakespeare’s Heroines, c. 1905.

I have a wonderful book in my collection, Shakespeare’s Heroines:Characteristics of Women – Moral, Poetical and Historical by Anna Jameson with exquisite illustrations by Wal Paget. The book was published by Ernest Nister c. 1905 and is one of my favourite secondhand books, cloth bound with gilt edging and a pleasure to own. Author Anna Brownell Jameson (neé Anna Murphy – 1794-1860) was born in Dublin. She worked as a governess in several aristocratic households: 1810-14 Marquess of Winchester; 1819-21 Rowles family, Bradbourne Park, Kent; 1821-25 Lord and Lady Hatherton of Teddesley. She married Robert Sympson Jameson (1798–1854), a barrister, in 1825 but the marriage didn’t last and they formally separated in 1838.  They had no children.

Spine of Shakespeare’s Heroines book.

Jameson’s other publications include: Diary of an Ennuyeé (1826); The Loves of the Poets (1829); Memoirs of Celebrated Female Sovereigns (1831); Visits and Sketches at Home and Abroad (1834); Winter Studies and Summer Rambles in Canada (1838); Memoirs of the Early Italian Painters (1845); Legends of the Monastic Orders (1850) and Legends of the Madonna (1852).  She is thought to be one of the first professional female art critics.  She was well-respected for her Shakespearean criticism and enjoyed many high-profile literary friendships.  One of the most famous being that of Elizabeth and Robert Browning.  When they eloped to Pisa in 1846, Jameson was persuaded by the couple to join them on account of Elizabeth’s failing health.  She did and the entire elopement was thus documented by Jameson in her letters to Lady Byron.

Title page of Shakespeare’s Heroines.

The illustrations are by Wal (Walter Stanley) Paget (1863-1935).  Wal’s two brothers were also well-known Victorian and Edwardian illustrators, H.M. (Henry Marriott) Paget (1856-1936) and Sidney Edward Paget (1860-1908).  Sidney produced all the illustrations that accompanied Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories published in The Strand Magazine. All three gentlemen were educated at Royal Academy Schools. Wal also served as a war artist, most notably as part of the 1884-1885 expedition to rescue General Gordon from Khartoum for the Illustrated London News.  A selection of books he has illustrated include: Through Three Campaigns by G. A. Henty; The Treasures of the Incas by G. A. Henty; At the Point of the Bayonet by G. A. Henty; Nobby, A Son of the Empire by John Comfort; King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard; Treasure Island (1899); Pilgrim’s Progress (1906) and Arabian Nights (1907). When the Sphere publication was founded in 1900, Wal was one of its staff artists.

Jameson dedicated her book to Fanny Kemble (1809-1893). Fanny came from acting royalty, the daughter of actor Charles Kemble and Marie Therese De Camp. She was the niece of Sarah Siddons and actor John Kemble.  Fanny played all of the important female roles available to her, including Juliet (Romeo and Juliet -1829), Portia (Merchant of Venice) and Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing). In 1834, she married American, Pierce Mease Butler, a rice, tobacco and cotton plantation owner from the Sea Islands of Georgia.  Fanny spent several months in 1838-9 living at her husband’s plantation and kept a journal documenting what she saw, particularly in relation to the treatment of hundreds of slaves who toiled there. Fanny’s book, Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839, was published in 1863.  A timely move, in the middle of The American Civil War (1861-65) and at a period in literature when abolitionist writing was at its height. Fanny divorced Pierce in 1849 and consequently lost custody of her two daughters, whom she did not see again until they reached the age of twenty-one.

Jameson divides Shakespeare’s characters into ‘Characters of Intellect’; ‘Characters of Passion and Imagination’; ‘Characters of the Affections’ and ‘Historical Characters.  Rosalind (As You Like It) features in ‘Characters of Intellect’ and Viola (Twelfth Night) features in ‘Characters of Passion and Imagination’.  Jameson describes Rosalind:

Illustration by Wal Paget of Rosalind.

‘…her sex’s softness and sensibility, united with equal wit and intellect, give her the superiority as a woman; but that as a dramatic character she is inferior in force.  The portrait is one of infinitely more delicacy and variety, but of less strength and depth. She is like a compound of essences, so volatile in their nature, and so exquisitely blended, that on any attempt to analyse them they seem to escape us.’ (p. 52)

‘There is a depth of delight, and a subtlety of words to express that delight, which is enchanting.  Yet when you call to mind particular speeches and passages, we find that they have a relative beauty and propriety, which renders it difficult to separate them from the context without injuring their effect.  She says some of the most charming things in the world, and some of the most humorous: but we apply them as phrases rather than as maxims, and remember them rather for their pointed felicity of expression and fanciful application than for their general truth and depth of meaning’ (p.55).

Jameson describes Viola:

Wal Paget’s illustration of the disguised Viola.

‘….how exquisitely is the character of Viola fitted to her part, carrying her through the ordeal with all the inward and spiritual grace of modesty!  What beautiful propriety in the distinction drawn between Rosalind and Viola! The wild sweetness, the frolic humour, which sports free and unblamed amid the shades of Ardennes would ill become Viola, whose playfulness is assumed as part of her disguise as a court page, and is guarded by the strictest delicacy  She has not, like Rosalind, a saucy enjoyment in her own incognito: her disguise does not sit so easily upon her; her heart does beat freely under it.’ (p. 107)

‘She plays her part well, but never forgets, nor allows us to forget, that she playing a part.  The feminine cowardice of Viola, which will not allow her even to effect a courage becoming her attire, her horror at the idea of drawing a sword, is very natural and characteristic, and produces a most humorous effect, even at the very moment it charms and interests us.’ (pp. 107-8)

Read Full Post »

Restoration Drama with Gwyn, Pepys & Collier

Actress Nell Gwyn standing outside her lodgings’ door.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the ubiquitous Dr Lucy Worsley’s recent BBC Four series, ‘Harlots, Housewives and Heroines: A 17th Century History for Girls’, I decided to revisit my collection of playtexts and theatre source books for some restoration inspiration.  The BBC series is in three parts, ‘Act One: At Court’ (Ep.1); ‘Act Two: At Home’ (Ep. 2); ‘Act Three: At Work’ (Ep. 3) and focusses upon that flamboyant period in English history, The Restoration.  The Restoration began when Charles II (1630-1685) was invited to take-up the throne of England following the death of Oliver Cromwell, “Lord Protector“, in 1658.  Charles accepted the role and eventually returned to London on the 29th May 1660, his 30th birthday, receiving a warm welcome in the Capital. The young Charles was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 23rd April, 1661.

With the restoration of the monarchy, the English aristocracy could start living life to the full once again, after ten years of puritanical oppression under Cromwell. The wealthy wasted no time in embracing their new-found social, sexual and political freedom and the arts flourished. Dr Worsely’s series features some of the females that enjoyed extraordinary success in the Restoration, including: playwright Aphra Behn (1640-1689) and actress Eleanor “Nell” Gwyn (1650-1687).  Also featured is the celebrated writer and social commentator Samuel Pepys (1633-1703), who left an enduring chronicle of the period with his infamous Diary.

Nell Gwyn was born on 2nd February 1650 in Hereford, Herefordshire.  Her father, Captain Thomas Gwyn, had been a soldier in the English Civil War. Her mother drowned in a pond (supposedly as the result of drunkenness) in Chelsea, July 1679.  As a teenage Nell had been an orange seller outside The Theatre in Bridge Street, this theatre was later rebuilt and renamed as the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, which still survives today.  She was a member of the Drury Lane Company of actors from 1665 until 1669. In 1670 Nell became Charles II’s mistress and remained so until his death in 1685.  She had two illegitimate children with the King, Charles and James Beauclerk, sadly James died in Paris, aged 9.  At her Pall Mall house on the 14th November 1687, Nell died of syphilis related apoplexy.

Nell worked as an actress for seven years and her last professional appearance was as Almahide in the two-part heroic drama by John Dryden, The Conquest of Granada. performed in 1670 and part two in 1671.  It was unusual for a professional actress to return to work following the birth of a child. Her son Charles was born on 8th May 1670 and by December Nell was in full flow in the demanding lead role of Dryden’s opus.

This tragedy is based upon the Spanish conquest of Granada in 1492. It is written in closed couplets of iambic pentameter.  Nell opens the first play by speaking the Prologue.  She must have been a picture, in the copy of the playtext from my own collection it states: ‘Spoken by Mrs Ellen Gwyn, in a broad-rimmed hat, and waist-belt.’  The footnotes elaborate on her costume: ‘Nell Gwyn’s costume borrowed its idea from the comedian Nokes at the rival Patent Theatre.  Nokes is said to have taken the visit of the Duchess of Orleans to England, in May 1670, as occasion for caricaturing, on the English stage, French fashions.’  Below are the opening lines from the Prologue:

This jest was first of t’other house’s making,

And, five times tried, has never failed of taking.

For ‘twere a shame a poet should be killed

Under the shelter of so broad a shield.

This is that hat whose very sight did win ye

To laugh and clap as though the devil were in ye.

As then, for Nokes, so now, I hope, you’ll be

So dull, to laugh, once more, for love of me.

‘I’ll write a play,’ says one, ‘for I have got

A broad-brimmed hat, and waist-belt, towards a plot.’

Says t’other, ‘I have one more large than that.’

Thus they out-write each other with a hat.

The brims still grew with every play they write;

And grew so large, they covered all the wit.

Nell’s character Almahide is the Queen of Granada.  Almahide enters, for the first time, just over a third of way into Act III scene 1.  The action accompanying the entrance of the King, Almahide, Abenamar and Esperanza is quite spectacular. A lengthy song followed by an exotic Zambra dance and ‘tumultuous noise of drums and trumpets’. Almahide’s first speech is very short:

What dismal planet did my triumphs light!

Discord the day, and death does rule the night:

The noise my soul does through my senses wound.

(Act III scene 1, lines 249-251)

Her final speech of the play is in Act V, Scene 3, lines 299-310:

Adieu, then, O my soul’s far better part!

Your image sticks so close,

That the blood follows from my rending heart.

A last farewell!

For, since a last must come, the rest are vain,

Like gasps in death, which but prolong our pain.

But, since the king is now a part of me,

Cease from henceforth to be his enemy.

Go now, for pity go! for, if you stay,

I fear I shall have something still to say.

Thus – I for ever shut you from my sight. [veils].

Pepys began writing his Diary in 1660, stopping in 1669.  Pepys was certainly a fruity old devil with an eye for the ladies, particularly if they had a pretty, well-turned ankle. Some of his entries are eye-wateringly naughty, which explains why he wrote it using a shorthand form called Tachygraphy.  Pepys wrote predominantly for his own private pleasure.  It wasn’t until 1825 that the diaries were finally transcribed and subsequently published in two volumes.  This important primary source has enabled generations of scholars to develop a greater understanding of life in the first decade of the English Restoration. Pepys was captivated by Nell Gwyn and his diary entries from this period support his fascination with her:

3rd April – 1665: ‘With Creed, my wife, and Mercer to a play at the Duke’s of my Lord Orrery’s, called Mustapha, which being not good made Betterton’s part and Ianthe’s but ordinary too, so that we were not contented with it at all…..All the pleasure of the play was, the King and my Lady Castlemayne were there; and pretty witty Nell, at the King’s House, sat next us, which pleased me mightily.’

23rd January – 1667: ‘After dinner to the New Exchange, there to take up my wife and Mercer, and thence to the King’ house, and there saw The Humerous Lieutenant: a silly play, I think.  Here in a box above we spied Mrs Pierce; and going out they called us, and so we staid for them; and Knipp took us all in and brought to us Nelly, a most pretty woman, who acted the great part of Coelia today very fine, and did it pretty well: I kissed her, and so did my wife, and a mighty pretty soul she is.  Knipp made us stay in a box and see the dancing preparatory to tomorrow for The Goblins, a play of Suckling’s not acted these twenty-five years, which was pretty; and so away thence, pleased with this sight also, and specially kissing of Nell.’

2nd March – 1667: ‘After dinner with my wife to the King’s house to see The Mayden Queene, a new play of Dryden’s, mightily commended for the regularity of it, and the strain and wit; and the truth is there is a comical part done by Nell, which is Florimell, that I never can hope ever to see the like done again, by man or women.  The King and Duke of York were at the play.  But so great performance of a comical part was never I believe in the world before as Nell do this, both as a mad girle, then most and best of all when she comes in like a young gallant; and hath the motions and carriage of a spark the most that ever I saw any man have.  It makes me, I confess, admire her.’

5th October – 1667: ’At noon home, and by coach to Temple Bar to a India shop, and there brought a gown and sash, which cost me 26s.; and so to my Lord Crew and there dined, and after dinner I to my tailor’s, and there took up my wife and Willet, and so to the King’s house: and there going in met with Knipp, and she took us up into the tireing-rooms, and to the women’s shift, where Nell was dressing herself and was all unready, and is very pretty, prettier than I thought.  And so walked all up and down the house above, and then below into the scene-room and there sat down, and she gave us fruit: and here I read the questions to Knipp, while she answered me, through all her part of Flora’s Figary’s which was acted today. But, Lord! to see how they were both painted would make a man mad, and did make me loath them; and what base company of men comes among them, and how lewdly they talk! and how poor the men are in clothes, and yet what a shew they make on the stage by candle-light, is very observable.’

11th November – 1667: ‘After dinner my wife and I and Willett to the King’s play-house, and there say The Indian Emperour, [by Dryden], a good play, but not so good as people cry it up, I think, though above all things Nell’s ill speaking of a great part made me mad.’

28th December – 1667: ‘..I rose soon from dinner, and with my wife and girle to the King’s house, and there saw The Mad Couple [by James Howard], which is but an ordinary play; but only Nell’s and Harts mad parts are most excellently done, but especially her’s; which makes it a miracle to me to think how ill she do any serious part, as the other day, just like a fool or changeling, and in a mad part do beyond all imitation almost.’

7th May – 1668: ‘At noon home to dinner, and thither I sent for Mercer to dine with me; and after dinner she and I called Mrs Turner, and I carried them to the Duke of York’s house, and there saw The Man’s The Master, which proves a very good play.  Thence called Knipp from the King’s house, where going in for her, the play being done, I did see Beck Marshall come dressed off of the stage, and looks mighty fine and pretty and noble: and also Nell in her boy’s clothes, mighty pretty.’

7th January – 1669: ‘Up, and to the office, where busy all the morning, and then at noon home to dinner, and thence my wife and I to the King’s playhouse, and there saw The Island Princesse, the first time I ever saw it; and it is a pretty good play, many good things being in it, and a good scene of a town on fire. We sate in an upper box, and the jade Nell come and sat in the next box; a bold merry slut, who lay laughing there upon people; and with a comrade of hers of the Duke’s house, that come in to see the play.’

In 1642 Elizabethan and Jacobean drama came to an abrupt end with the formal closing of the theatres by Parliament who decreed that: ‘public stage-plays shall cease, and be forbane.’ When the theatres re-opened in 1660 a new creative era began and the genre of Restoration drama born. Important playwrights synonymous with this period include: Aphra Behn; John Dryden; George Villiers; Thomas Otway; Sir George Etherege; William Wycherley; William Congreve; Sir John Vanbrugh; George Farquhar; Sir Charles Sedley; Thomas Shadwell; Thomas Southerne; Nicholas Rowe and Joseph Addison. Restoration drama begins in 1660 and ends at the turn of the eighteenth century.  There were three main types of play written during this period: heroic drama; blank-verse tragedy and comedy of manners.

As the seventeenth century drew to a close, Restoration drama was not without its criticism, the most famous being Non-conformist parson and critic Jeremy Collier (1650-1726).  He was frustrated at the lack of morality shown in comedies being written in the 1690s, particularly in the plays of William Congreve and Sir John Vanbrugh. Collier wrote A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage, published in March, 1698.  Here are few extracts:

Chapter 1 – The Immodesty of the Stage

‘Now among the curiosities of this kind we may reckon Mrs Pinchwife, Horner, and Lady Fidget in the Country Wife; Widow Blackacre and Olivia in the Plain Dealer.  These, though not all the exceptionable characters, are the most remarkable.  I’m sorry the author should stoop his wit thus low; and use his understanding so unkindly.  Some people appear coarse and slovenly out of poverty: they can’t well go to the charge of sense.  They are offensive, like beggars, for want of necessaries….In other instances vice is often too fashionable; but here a man can’t be a sinner, without being a clown.

In this respect the stage is faulty to a scandalous degree of nauseousness and aggravation. The poets make women speak smuttily….Women are sometimes represented silly, and sometimes mad, to enlarge their liberty, and screen their impudence from censure: this politic contrivance we have in Marcella, Hoyden, and Miss Prue….Jacinta and Belinda are farther proof.  And the Double Dealer is particularly remarkable.  There are but four ladies in this play, and three of the biggest of them are whores….And which is still more extraordinary: the Prologues, and Epilogues are sometimes scandalous to the last degree.  I shall discover them for once, and let them stand like rocks in the margin.’

For more information on the BBC 4 series, Harlots, Housewives and Heroines: A 17th Century History for Girls, including clips and episode information -              CLICK HERE.

Actress Mrs Knipp.

Read Full Post »

Hurst Castle – Hampshire

Earlier on this year, when we had summer weather in the middle of winter, I visited Hurst Castle. The castle is located on the seaward end of a shingle spit approximately 3/4 of a mile from the Isle of Wight.  It is possible to reach the castle by foot, from nearby Milford-on-Sea. Although, the Milford-on-Sea option comes with a stunning walk, it can be hard going across the banks of shingle and is about a three-mile round trip.  Alternatively, you can take the Hurst Castle Ferry from nearby Keyhaven. It is possible to mix and match your modes of transport, walking one way and using the ferry for the other part of your journey.  I took the ferry both ways and am glad that I did, if only to save all my energy for exploring this hauntingly beautiful location.

Hurst Point Lighthouse, view from ferry jetty.

There is a charge for each ferry trip and a modest entrance fee to the castle. English Heritage members do not pay the castle entrance fee.

Hurst Point Lighthouse.

Entry to the castle is through a pair of gates into the west wing. This section of the castle was completed in 1873.

The day-to-day management of the Castle has an unusual but nevertheless successful set-up.  It is a partnership between a committed group of volunteers and English Heritage:

The Friends of Hurst Castle was formed in 1986 to act as a support group to a local site belonging to English Heritage. At that time the Castle was managed by English Heritage, but since May 1996 there has been joint management; with English Heritage still in charge of the fabric of the building and general policies and the Local Management, Hurst Castle Services, running the everyday management and services.

                                           Extract from the official Hurst Castle website 

The central tower, Tudor Castle. There was once a walkway connecting the tower to the north-west bastion, you can see the blocked doorway where this walkway would have been.

Hurst Castle has defended the western entrance to the Solent since the sixteenth century.  The Tudor castle was built between 1541 and 1544 for Henry VIII as part of an extensive programme of coastal defences.  Following Henry’s divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, England found itself vulnerable to invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire.  The castle entrance on the west side had a portcullis and a drawbridge over a moat.  The moat was filled-in in 1861.

On each floor there were fireplaces and a toilet. When the garrison was first operational in 1544, the inhabitants included: a captain; his deputy; a porter; a master gunner; eight soldiers and eleven additional gunners. Brass and iron guns; handguns; bows and arrows were all used to defend the garrison. In the reign of Elizabeth I, threat of invasion from Spain was high. In 1588 the threat was realised. Although, on this occasion mother nature rather than military might defended the garrison from an attack.  A fierce storm blew the Armada past the Isle of Wight and away from Hurst Castle thus negating the need for military intervention.

Charles I spent two and a half weeks imprisoned here in December 1648 before proceeding to his trial and execution at Whitehall. During the Napoleonic wars the castle underwent extensive modernisation. In the 1860s and 1870s two huge casemated wings were added and in both World Wars the castle was garrisoned.  In the Second World War, 162 men were stationed here, men serving in the 129 Coast Battery Royal Artillery.

World War 2 searchlight recently restored by Hurst Castle volunteers.

World War 2 ammunition hoist for transporting the twin 6 PDR gun up onto the roof.

Today, you can still see the laundry room and two bathrooms that were installed in WWII for the men.

Bathroom installed during World War 2.

 

Artefacts found at Hurst Castle from World War 2. On the left-hand side is a 1940s Thermos Flask.

World War 2 Drying Room.

The Lamp Room.

There is one very special historical gem that must not be missed on any visit to Hurst Castle, The Garrison Theatre.  It is believed to be the only surviving ENSA theatre from WWII still in existence in the UK. 

Service Personnel arriving at a Garrison Theatre elsewhere in the UK. The Garrison Theatre at Hurst Castle is exactly the same as it was when the Royal Artillery left after World War 2 and this is what makes it so unique.

 

Interior of Hurst Castle’s Garrison Theatre.

The Theatre was built in a former Victorian casement and above the proscenium arch you can still see the insignia of the Royal Artillery.

Shows are occasionally put-on during the summer months.  For more information on this fascinating little theatre, including archive footage and interviews with former all-round entertainer, Betty Hockey CLICK HERE. Bournemouth-based Betty, now in her nineties, was once a member of The ‘Non-Stops’ Concert Party that performed for the troupes at The Garrison Theatre.  For Betty’s oral history testimony from her time as one of The ‘Non-Stops’, CLICK HERE.

Another good reason for taking the ferry to Hurst Castle is the arrival experience. As you approach the castle jetty, on your left is the magnificent Hurst Point Lighthouseand adjacent keepers’ cottage, the latter now used for holiday lets.

The Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage on Hurst Spit.

Hurst Point is one of three lighthouses on Hurst Spit. The first lighthouse to have been built on the spit was in 1784-86, the Hurst Tower, to the west of the castle. This early lighthouse is no longer in existence. Construction on Hurst Point Lighthouse began in 1865 and was first lit in 1867 becoming fully automated in 1923. The lighthouse is also known as the high light and stands at twenty-six metres tall. It is still working today, helping ships to navigate The Shingles, a large submerged shingle bank, as well as preventing nighttime tragedy by assisting sailors to pass safely along the Needles Channel. The light emitted is a white light, visible from all angles.  In order that sailors can judge their position correctly Hurst Point Lighthouse emits a narrow white light at a lower level from the full beam and a red light to the north of it and a green light to the south. The community at Hurst was once thriving and on approach you would have seen sheds for fishermen’s nets, a herring-drying house, coastguard cottages, inns and soldiers’ married quarters.  In 1863, 135 adults and 28 children lived there.

The low lights at Hurst Castle, viewed from the ferry jetty.

There are two more lighthouses at the castle itself, both low lights.  One built on a red, square, metal gantry attached to the wall of the Castle, dating from 1910-11 and another a little further along the same wall, dating from 1865. This latter lighthouse once had a conical roof. The two low lights have now been decommissioned.

The 1910-11 low light lighthouse at Hurst Castle.

There are a number of, permanent, mini-exhibitions at the castle: Association of Lighthouse Keepers Exhibition; Trinity House Lighthouse Exhibition; Friends of Hurst Exhibition Room and The Hurst Spit Exhibition.  The Trinity House Exhibition is maintained by an additional group of volunteers.  For more information on this extraordinary castle, CLICK HERE.

Read Full Post »

Lillie Langtry – Victorian and Edwardian Socialite, Actress and Businesswoman

Lillie Langtry, The Sketch, August 30th 1899.

 ”It is amusing to think how I first graduated from a professional beauty to the rank of an amateur, and finally to that of an actress.”

(Mrs Langtry, April 1885)

 

Lillie Langtry (née Emilie Charlotte Le Breton) was born at St. Saviour’s rectory on the island of Jersey, 13th October 1853 and died in Monte Carlo on 12th February 1929.  She is buried in St. Saviour’s churchyard.   Lillie’s life was a complex tapestry of fame, fortune, international travel, scandal, love and loss.  She possessed a strong independent spirit and charm that saw her through many of life’s ups and downs.   She also had good business acumen and was also a successful racehorse owner, winning Cesarewitch twice with her horses Merman (1897) and Yutoi (1921).  

In 1874 she married Edward Langtry and following their move to London became the toast of high society.   One of her many admirers, and a gentleman with whom she had a three-year affair, was Albert Edward, Prince of Wales.  Albert Edward succeeded Queen Victoria to the throne in 1902 and took the title of Edward VII.   They first met at a dinner party on 24th May 1877, her husband was also in attendance.   The affair began later on that same year and lasted until 1880.  

In 1877 Edward purchased a plot of land in Bournemouth’s East Cliff area and commissioned The Red House to be built.  This house became the couple’s private love retreat.  Lillie designed the house.   The building is now a charming and beautifully kept hotel called Langtry Manor.   We recently spent a fabulous Sunday at Langtry Manor, indulging in a traditional afternoon tea, followed by a guided tour of some of the house’s historic features and finishing-off on the first floor in the mini-museum of Lillie’s life.

  

The Red House, now Langtry Manor hotel, Bournemouth, Dorset.

 

 

View of the Dining Hall at The Red House, from the peephole Albert had installed.

Albert installed a peephole on the first floor so that he could check on arriving guests and decide whether he wanted to greet them or not.

Lillie's initials E.L.L. (Emilie Le Breton Langtry) carved into the inglenook oak fireplace, Dining Hall, Red House.

Lovely mini-museum on the first floor containing memorabilia connected to the life of Lillie Langtry, including a small display with relevant artefacts and pictures from 1877.

 

Lillie used her diamond ring to scratch her initials and intertwined love hearts on one of the side windows at The Red House.

In April 1879 Lillie began an affair with Prince Louis of Battenberg (1854-1921) and on 8th March 1881 Lillie gave birth to her daughter Jeanne-Marie in Paris which was rumoured to be the Prince’s child.  The child was brought-up as Lillie’s niece and told who her father was on the eve of her wedding day.  In July 1879 she also began an affair with the Earl of Shrewsbury and in June 1880 the pair had planned to run away together    The birth of Jeanne-Marie began a turbulent period in Lillie’s life.  Her husband Edward was declared bankrupt in the same year and the scandal created by rumours surrounding Jeanne-Marie’s father and Lillie’s many indescretions, resulted in Lillie being ostracized by society.  

Never one to be down for long, the enterprising Lillie became an actress and joined Bancroft’s company at The Haymarket Theatre, London.   Lillie made her professional début on the 15th December 1881 as Kate Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer (Oliver Goldsmith).  She then founded her own theatre company.  She became an American citizen in 1897.  Lillie loved America and toured the country many times between 1882-1889.  Lillie finally divorced her husband in 1897 and married Hugo Gerald de Bathe in 1899.  Edward died destitute in 1899.

Lillie also endorsed Pears’ Soap.  The following extract is from an 1884 advert:

‘Pears’ Soap – specially prepared for the delicate skin of ladies and children.  Prevents redness, roughness and chapping.  Fair white hands, bright clear complexion, soft healthful skin.  Mrs L. says, “Since using Pears’ Soap on the hands and complexion I have discarded all others.’

Lillie endorsed many beauty products. From the display at Red House (now Langtry Manor hotel).

 

I came across the following in a Scottish newspaper in April 1885 describing a visit made by a journalist to Lillie’s house in Eaton Square, London:-

‘The door of Mrs. Langtry’s house in Eaton Square is opened by a young Celestial named Wang-Fo, endowed with a pigtail of exceeding length and a surcoat of pale purple silk.  There are colossal footmen in attendance, but the picturesque substitute for a boy in buttons is Wang-Fo, a Chinaman in whom there is apparently no guile, and who was picked-up in ‘Frisco by Mrs Langtry, who, with the beautifully confiding nature of woman, believes him to be the son of a sometime wealthy merchant in that lively city – in short, the son of better days.  Wang-Fo politely inducts the visitor into a morning-room, furnished with a capacious couch of black satin…..In the drawing-room overhead hangs her own portrait, by Mr Poynter, R.A….. Presently appears Mrs Langtry, robed in an elegant costume which would prove very trying to a less beautiful complexion.  It is of steel-gray brocade with a mysterious scarf-like garnish of soft cachemire of the identical shade.  No other colour except her own hue of pale ivory, and hair of blonde-cendree, is visible upon Mrs Langtry, except a little cream-coloured Valois colour and the tip of a tiny black satin shoe, embroidered with gold.  Under one splendidly moulded arm the actress carries a purely white English terrier with a suspicion of the bull-dog in his head and fore-legs [Billy].’

If you are in Bournemouth I thoroughly recommend a visit, stay, meal or afternoon tea at Langtry Manor, Derby Road, East Cliff, Bournemouth, BH1 3QB, Tel: 01202 553887, www.langtrymanor.co.uk, e-mail: lillie@langtrymanor.com.

 

Read Full Post »