Introduction
This is the story of a Victorian lady and of life around Stondon Massey told through her personal diary of 1888.
Anna Reeve (1856 – 1938) was the oldest child of Reverend Edward James Reeve (1821 – 1893), the Rector of nearly 40 years, and of his wife, Emma (1823 – 1912). Living in the family home at the Rectory (now Stondon Massey House) in the village in that year were her sisters Elizabeth Jane (1859 – 1946), referred to as ‘J’ in her diary, and Edith (1865 – 1954), referred to as ‘E’. Whenever the three sisters went out together Anna wrote in her diary, “we 3”. Also living at home was William Francis, referred to as ‘F’, her older half-brother. The family also kept servants: the maid, Alice, is referred to twice.
Anna’s only other brother was Edward Henry Lisle Reeve (1859 – 1936), known in the family as Lisle. In Anna’s diary he is referred to as ‘L’ or more affectionately as ‘Dear’. Lisle was to succeed his father as Rector in 1893 but during the time when the diary was written lived in Colchester as Curate to Revd. J R Corbett at St Botolph’s Church in the town.
The other sibling, Alice (1860 – 1893) lived with her Aunt in New Road, Brentwood (a century later demolished to build a multi storey car park and shopping precinct).
Anna’s life, like her other sisters, was spent supporting her father and later her brother in the ministry of the church among the parishioners. Her father descended from rich gentlemen and received the tithe as his income. It is said that Edward forbade his daughters to marry, perhaps on account of the fact that he had married Emma, his first cousin. Little is known or referred to about Alice, living at Brentwood, and perhaps, perhaps wrongly, it might be assumed that her shorter life may have been a consequence of some disability.
This was a personal diary, for 1888, covering Sunday 8 January 1888 to Sunday 12 January 1889. Anna used ‘Fulcher’s Ladie’s Book, Poetical Miscellany’ to record in pencil the events of each day. The diary is no larger than five inches by four inches and has a page per week. The writing is small but mainly clear.
The pattern of writing is pretty similar from day to day. She begins with the weather, and then mentions what each family member was doing that day, concluding with any special happening. Her mother is never mentioned. In later life she became housebound and had to be cared for by her three daughters.
A typical day’s work is on Friday 11 January 1889: “J[ane] & I to Green parishing.” Anna and her sisters visited parishioners at the cottages around the Green, what we would regard now as the centre of Stondon Massey around the Bricklayers Arms. The location is mentioned 53 times. Both ‘Papa’ (The Rector) and Jane did this activity on a more regular basis.
Unfortunately for us as local historians, Anna also spent time away from home. Recorded on the inside front cover is:
“To Foxholes L[isle] there. July 14th: & to Isle of Wight July 18 -20 lunched with the Paynes en route at Portsmouth.
“Sept 28th – Oct 8th. Acklam. Oct 8th – Nov 2nd At Holtby – Nov 2nd. To Sheffield with Wheal – Nov 7th.”
The daily happenings over this month or so are probably of less interest. Nonetheless, the diary is a rare survivor, telling of the ordinary life of an individual. It came in to the author’s possession from a distant and elderly Reeve family member who offered a number of books and papers to him while writing a biography of Lisle.
A Typical Week
The following are the entries for a typical week in the life of Anna and her family. It seems that she took a Boys’ Sunday School regularly at St Peter & St Paul Church. Girls appear to have been taught at a midweek class in the Study at the Rectory. The numbers attending the Services, or taking communion, are sometimes recorded. The numbers are not huge, but Stondon Massey had a population of only about 200 at the time.
“Sunday 12 February
“Fine day. White frost. To Ch[urch] twice. 4 boys in vestry. May Ethel Cook christened.
“Monday 13 February
“Bright day mostly. I & E[dith] to Church putting up Lent sheet & banners. Papa to poor Mr Hoskins funeral in Bl[ac]kmore. Mr Prance to tea here. J[ane] to Fanes & they to tea here. We 3 & Mary to Ongar concert.
“Tuesday 14 February
“Snow. Bright morning. Papa & we 3 to Brentwood. Lunch at Aunties. L[isle] there.
“Wednesday 15 February
“Snow showers. I to Mr Perkins then School. Ash Wednesday. To Church. J[ane] to Webbs & Cooks. J[ane] & I to tea at Whites. Wrote to Snez.
“Thursday 16 February
“Very cold & dull. Indoors all day. I had 5 girls in Study. Wrote to Auntie. F[rancis] to Ongar. To Smiths to tea.
“Friday 17 February
“Very dull & cold. Papa to School & Webbs. J[ane] to Wren. I to Sch[ool] & Mrs Moss. Wrote to E Bayne.
“Saturday 18 February
“Snow & sunshine. Papa to Ongar. J started for Priors & caught in snow.”
Her father attended the funeral of Rev. Thomas Hoskin of Blackmore on Monday 13 February. He had been the incumbent at the time of his death, and was buried immediately next to the porch of the church in the parish he had served. There is no record of the induction of Rev. Walter Layton Petrie on 5 May that year. “Mr Petrie called & tea from Bla[c]kmore” on 6 June.
In 1888 Stondon Massey had a school directly supported by the Rector. This was a Church of England school for Anglican children. The Rector refused to admit non-conformists. The sisters were frequent visitors as assistants to the schoolmistress, Miss Progger, who had been at Stondon Massey School for 17 years. Her name is mentioned 24 times in Anna’s Diary (as “Miss P”). There are 109 entries referring to the school.
William Wrenn was the Parish Clerk.
‘Papa’ travelled often to Ongar on a Saturday. He was a J.P. as well as Rector and was sometimes recorded as going “to bench”.
Many names are mentioned throughout the diary. Those that regularly appear are the Whites, Lockwoods and Fanes who were friends of Anna and her circle.
The sisters were great friends with the Lockwoods whose name occurs on 38 occasions. A typical entry, on 28 February, “We 3 to tea at Lockwoods & played ‘Spoof’.” On Sunday 10 June the parents made one of many visits to the Rectory: “Mr & Mrs Lockwood to tea & garden.”
Events during 1888
Shelley Church dates from 1888, replacing one built earlier that century on the site of a medieval church. On Tuesday 5 June Anna records, “Fine day & cool. Papa F[rancis] & I to Stone laying of Shelley Ch[urch] & luncheon. E[dith] to School.” On Monday 10 December the Church was consecrated. “Lovely bright & white frost. Papa & I to Consecration of Shelley Ch[urch] & met B[isho]p of Colchester at Richards luncheon. Mrs Tanner & friend to tea here. J[ane] to Fanes.”
Another occasion was at Kelvedon Hatch Church. On Friday 29 June, “We 3 & Papa to reopening of Kelvedon Church. B[isho]p [of] Colchester preached.” This was the church which predated the present building which was constructed in the 1890s.
At his own church on Tuesday 15 May, “Papa in Vestry meet[ing]s in re[gard to the] Spire.” This is reference to the belfry which was repaired in 1888.
On Monday 11 June, Anna visited the Garrison town of Colchester, which was also the home of her brother Lisle: “Mabel R & I to Colchester to see ‘March Past’ & new colours presented by Duke of Camb[ridge].”
A Flower Show was held at Stanford Rivers on Wednesday 26 September: “J[ane] & I to Flower Show at Stanford Rivers.” Then on Wednesday 21 November, “We 3 to Chrysanthemum Show at Ongar.”
On Friday 28 December Anna was “Getting ready for dance at Budworth Hall“, which had opened only two years previously.
National sporting events are also recorded. Cambridge won the Boat Race on Saturday 24 March. Ayrshell won the Derby on Wednesday 30 May. Two days later: “‘The Oaks’. Sea Breeze won.”
Point to Point races were held at Thaxted on 9 March, although it is not clear who, if any, of the Reeves attended.
Local sporting events were part of the social round. Cricket is mentioned eleven times between May and August. “E[dith] & I to Cricket Concert with Tyn[dale] Whites” on Thursday 17 May. The Stondon Massey team played on Tuesday 29 May: “Cricket match here v. ‘Blake Hall’. Stondon won in 1 inn[in]gs.” Three weeks’ later: “Cricket match v. Blackmore. J[ane] & I to see it.”, and on Thursday 21 June “J[ane] & I in hired trap to Blackmore to see Brace’s cricket.” A boys’ cricket match was held at Navestock on 22 August.
Francis, her half-brother was a keen cricket supporter travelling, presumably by train from Ongar, to Leyton: “F[rancis] to Leyton with Mr Barnes to see ‘Australians v. Oxford [University Past and Present]’.” It was the first of a three-day match, in which Australia won the toss and decided to bat. They eventually won by 74 runs.
From May to September the sisters played tennis, sometimes twice a week, and often at the Fanes. The activity is mentioned 22 times of which once, while on holiday, and twice when there was “no tennis”. Tennis parties were very common for example on Thursday 6 September, Anna’s birthday (she was 32 years old): “Very lovely bright after[noon]. We 3 to tennis party at Banks. Very nice.” On Tuesday 10 July in the Rectory Garden it was their turn to host: “Fine day. Our garden party. 19 came. Very pleasant tennis. Papa’s birthday presents etc.”
Wimbledon tennis winners are not mentioned in Anna’s diary. The championship was just over a decade old in 1888.
At the Lockwoods croquet was played. Games are mentioned on three occasions.
The Countryside
Birdnesting, the hunt for and stealing of eggs from a bird’s nest, is now illegal but was in 1888 a legitimate pursuit. Anna’s diary records on 20 April: “J[ane] & Bessie D birdnesting.”
Fox hunting, a recent thing of past, is mentioned also in the diary. The sisters were frequent spectators, as shown in the following examples: on Monday 23 January “Lovely bright & mild. We 3 to ‘meet’ at Blackmore. G[rea]t fun.”, and Saturday 11 February,”Dull day. J[ane] & I to Meet at Myless, long walk & didn’t see much.” On Saturday 7 April “We 3 drove to ‘meet’ at Bentley.” As an aside, the sisters took themselves to Bentley by horse and a cart of some variety. (The motor car had not been invented, and there are no references at all to bicycles because penny farthing was used for sport by men rather than a mode of transport.)
There are, though, many timeless occurrences:
Saturday 14 April: “Saw brimstone butterfly & planted primroses.”
Saturday 28 April: “J[ane] & I to Church Wood. Heard 3 nightingales.”
Saturday 5 May: “Sowed flower seeds.”
Wednesday 16 May: “Sowed more flower seeds.”
Friday 13 July (also 21 & 24 July): “Picking raspberries.”
Thursday 26 July (also 4 & 10 August): ”Picked currants.”
The diary does not mention the harvest or gleaning, probably on account that this was not lady’s work, or the harvest festival service or supper, because Anna was away from Stondon on holiday during the latter part of September.
The weather
The diary provides a snapshot of the weather each day suggesting that 1888 was considerably colder on average than the weather now. There were 20 days, from January until 9 April, when it snowed, with one such event in October while on holiday. There are 15 references to frost. There are 13 references to ‘skating’, from 1 to 3 February, 27 February to 5 March 1888 and 4 and 7 January 1889. Adults skated at Priors or the Fanes. The entry for Friday 2 March reads “Lovely bright & thawing. Wrote to L[isle]. Papa to School. J[ane] to Fanes skating. I to School. E[dith] & J[ane] to Gilberts & Fanes. Mrs Fane & F Bloom here for skating.”
Thunder or thunderstorms are mentioned on 11 occasions. On Wednesday 1 August, a “very wet day” there was a “Thunderstorm from 8 to 12P.M. [midnight]” which resulted in floods the following day: “I to School in morn through Lockwoods garden because of flood. Papa to Nichols at [Hallsford?] B[ri]dge. Floods tremendous!” Presumably the road, which has a dip between the Rectory and the School, was impassable. The entry indicates that the Lockwoods were near neighbours.
The word ‘hot’ appears on 14 occasions, once in connection with thunder. There were only three days during the summer of 1888 when words such as lovely bright and sunny coincided in the diary. Perhaps summers of old are not as good as ours now?
Christmas in 1888
Diary entries for the week up to and around Christmas are interesting.
The first reference to the season is on Thursday 20 December: “Fine day. Papa to Miss P[rogger] at Assers. I to School. E[dith] to Green. Miss P[rogger] to tea here. Wrote to L[isle] & sent off Xmas cards. Practice. All went. Presentation to Miss P[rogger].” This was also the day which marked the end of Miss Progger’s employment as schoolmistress and, it seems, pianist to the choir. Anna records the following day, “Presentation to Miss P[rogger] by school children & Goodbye! to her after 18 years.”
On Saturday 22 December: “Fine day. Doing decorations. Papa to Green & dined at Whites. Sent off cards” with the Sunday before Christmas, much as usual, “Fine day. To Ch[urch] twice. Sch[ool] once. F[rancis] to Doddinghurst 6P.M.”
The preparations for the big day began on Christmas Eve: “Fine day. Putting up decorations. Papa to Ongar. Sent off Xmas cards.”
The entry for Christmas Day, Tuesday, reads “Christmas Day. To Ch[urch] twice. Bright morn[ing]. Rain after[noon]. Lots of cards by both posts.” There is an absence of references to presents – which we assume were given, much like on birthdays – but strikingly the cards received by both posts that day, from the Post Office at Kelvedon Hatch.
Anna visited the School on Wednesday 26 December: “Fine, shower of rain. Fine. E[dith] & I called on ‘Elise’. I to the Scho[ol]. E[dith] to Howes. Major & Mrs Gilbert to tea.” The only other reference to the season is “Herbert Gibson to turkey dinner with us” on Saturday 29 December.”
Conclusion
Anna’s life is told through her diary. It tells on the one hand of her support to her father in caring for her neighbours and of a Christian ministry: a Sunday School teacher, as support to the schoolmistress. On the other hand it also refers to the social circle in which she revolved. These were the expectations of a Victorian lady, and spinster: expectations which were to continue after the death of her father and throughout the 42-year ministry (until 1935) of her brother, Lisle, as Rector.
The diary also opens a field of further research. Each entry is only a glimpse on life in and around Stondon Massey in 1888. Pursuing each topic, such as the Cricket match at Leyton, and each name, through census research, would enlighten further these life and times. Having transcribed the diary and written these notes, there is much more that could be done – if time allows!