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Christmas At The Mason’s Arms, Eastby 1872 – 1874
For the past two years I have posted articles about Christmas at the Mason’s Arms in 1875 and 1876, based on the earliest diaries of Annie Parker Greenwood. However, her mother Elizabeth Greenwood also kept diaries from 1872, and whilst not as detailed as Annie’s, they are nevertheless full of family life and local goings-on.
Elizabeth (Parker) had married Thomas Greenwood of Embsay in 1854 and in 1858 they took over the Mason’s Arms. But Thomas died in 1871 aged only 39 leaving Elizabeth with five surviving children: Tom aged 3, Sarah 9, Richard 11, Lizzie 13, and Annie 15. Apart from running the Mason’s Arms, Elizabeth also farmed 100 acres of land in Eastby, had a flock of sheep, and a dairy where she produced milk, cream and butter from their small herd of cows.
These diary extracts cover the Christmases of 1872, 1873 and 1874, when Elizabeth was in her early 40’s (photograph c.1870), and reveal that whilst Christmas may have been a time of merriment, it also brought severe winter weather, illness, and worry about her children.
Christmas 1872
On Christmas Eve they ‘had the Embsay Brass Band and friends to Supper.’ The family also went to see ‘the beautiful Christmas Tree at Embsay Church School’. She wrote that her family were ‘all in very good health’, which was rare. They all regularly had ailments, from colds and headaches to more serious illnesses, and Elizabeth had only her copy of ‘Culpepper’s Herbal’ to provide rudimentary remedies. Her favourite remedy for toothache was ‘Volatile Salts & Cream of Tartar’. For anything more serious Elizabeth would send for one of the Skipton doctors. Before the discovery of aspirin in 1899 there was little to ease pain except laudanum (tincture of opium), which could become addictive.
Christmas 1873
Elizabeth consistently records that winters were very cold with snow lying for long periods. 1873 was an exception, which she described as ‘a Green Christmas’, and wrote that Christmas Day was ‘a fine warm day’. They had ‘a small roast goose for dinner’ and invited various friends for tea. The Whitaker’s of Bond Croft Farm had a party for their children, and Annie and Lizzie were invited, along with ‘Little Tom (now 5) in his first Top coat’. On ‘St Stephen’s Day’ the Embsay Brass Band came up and Elizabeth ‘gave them 10 shillings and something to eat and drink’. The elder sisters Annie & Lizzie along with Bella Newall of Bower House were invited to tea at Calm Slate Farm, Halton East, the home of Hodgson Demaine and his wife Hannah (Bella’s aunt). Their daughter Sarah Anne was the same age as Annie and Bella. ‘Sarah & Richard went to Embsay to a Magic concert.’
On 30th December Elizabeth went for tea at Cragg House, Halton East, the home of William Umpleby, an ageing retired farmer, who had also invited other Embsay tradeswomen: Mrs Sarah Mattock (grocer’s wife), Mrs Jane Chippindale (Elm Tree), Mrs Ellen Procter (grocer & draper’s wife), and the Misses Thompson, Hatter’s of Skipton High Street. Mrs Agnes Wilkinson (wife of the Headmaster of Embsay School) was also invited but ‘had a misfortune just before she was going out she fell and broke her ankle’. The following day her daughter Lizzie also went for tea at Cragg House. At that time a track led directly from Pinfold corner in Eastby through Studfold Farm to Cragg House, and on to Moor Lane at Halton. Annie, now 18, was invited to stay overnight at Intake Farm, Embsay, home of John & Annie Ormrod and their four young children.
Before the coming of streetlights in the early 20th century, winter nights were very dark with little light escaping from houses lit only by candles or oil lamps. When walking to and from Embsay and Eastby they would carry a lantern, and Elizabeth records that her children were often accompanied home by the father or elder son of a house.
By New Years Day 1874 she wrote again that the weather continued to be ‘very fine indeed, not at all like winter’. In the evening there was a good gathering of farmers and others from Embsay and Eastby where ‘they had a good sing both in the Bar and Taproom’. But by 2nd January the weather turned wintrier with snow followed by frost – the ‘Green Christmas’ had come to an end.
Christmas 1874
Snow began in November. The three elder children went to a Children’s concert in Embsay where Sarah, now 12, was to sing a song. Elizabeth, with a mother’s eye, described her as ‘very pretty looking in white alpaca trimmed with black velvet’.
The winter of 1874/5 turned out to be particularly harsh, Elizabeth remarking that it was ‘14 years since we have had such a severe winter. A very deal of sickness all over and a great many deaths. Also, very hard times, with no work for outdoor labourers.’ On the 16th of December ‘dreadful stormy weather and a foot of snow fell.’
By the 19th December Elizabeth herself was ‘very ill & sickly all day, and Sarah helped me nicely to a warm bed where I got a good sweat which relieved me considerably.’ The next day she wrote that she was ‘a great deal better’ but ‘felt ill in my throat’. Nevertheless, she churned 18 lb of Butter; and her son Richard ‘had to put the hens away owing to a severe storm.’
22nd December – ‘More snow fallen and still very cold. Laid in bed all day sweating, little Sarah my attendant. Did not eat anything since yesterday.’ This meant that Annie had to run the Mason’s Arms, and Elizabeth wrote: ‘Annie quite tired – my poor children.’ The 23rd of December was ‘a fine cold morning, snowing at night. Got up at 9 and managed to Bake. Annie bottling beer. A great many called.’
Christmas Eve – ‘Snow fallen a foot deep. Very dark dull day. Miss Jane Parker (her cousin) called from The Heugh, she has been ill in her throat like me. Father (Thomas Parker of Carrhead Farm, Lothersdale) made me a present of a 10 lb Goose, a very nice one.’
Christmas Day – ‘Misty wintery day. The ground all covered thick with snow. It is nearly a month since we saw the ground. Very busy all day, a great deal of company but all kept very good order. Sarah went to a tea party at Embsay. Mr William Lister came from Leeds, and several old friends.’
26th December – ‘Fine winters day. A great deal of company all day, Embsay Brass Band in the morning and nice singing at night. Richard went to Carrhead. Sarah at a party at Garnett’s’ (George Garnett and his wife Martha had a butcher’s shop in Eastby and their two daughters, Annie and Martha, were similar in age to Sarah).
31st December – ‘Very cold and frosty. Annie went to Embsay. James Hyde (Engine Tenter at Eastby Mill), the last man here. After we closed, Tom and Bill Birch (Gamekeeper of Barden Park House, with his eldest son), came to watch the new year in, also John & Tom Chapman (from Dale Head Farm next door). Annie stayed up. May God Almighty bless us and help us through another year.’
1st January 1875 – ‘This year opened with a dreadful storm, we have not seen the ground free from snow for nearly six weeks, how long it stays. It was a very hazy cold day, it froze our hands to the door latch and key, indeed anything that was iron. Bill Chapman in first this morning – first footing.
The 2nd January brought a change in the weather, Elizabeth wrote ‘Quite warm this morning and a gentle thaw all day. Richard came home from Father’s, brought a fine cat.’ Sunday the 3rd was ‘Warm and mild, very wet and slippery. No one at Church. Annie & I have colds.’ The 4th was a ‘Damp close warm day. Very bad walking, so slippery. Quite a select party singing, Mr Brown, Mr Demaine, Thompson &c. Annie rather better of her cold. I am quite hoarse, little Tom rather better.’ She described the 5th of January as a ‘Fine warm day.’ The long spell of cold and snow was over – at least for a while.
David Turner, EwE Historical Research Group
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