The Footman
The peacocks among domestics, footmen were blatantly employed for their good looks and suave manners. It even went so far as you received
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Local History
Friends of Repton Parish Church
A Friends society is being formed to support the future of St Wystan’s in Repton. It is a great survivor having seen the
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The Ladies Maid
The mistress of any large, wealthy household needed to maintain an immaculate appearance and she needed help to do this.[1] For a start,
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The Governess
The Governess was almost always a well-educated, middle-class young lady. I would stick my neck out here and say that almost no middle-class
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The Housekeeper
If the Butler was the outward sign of a house organised and well run, the Housekeeper was the engine who kept everything running.
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The Butler
Becoming a Butler was the pinnacle of a man’s career in service. Generally, it was the highest-paid role (although Calke demonstrates that was
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The Servant Hierarchy
In Victorian times, if you chose a life of service you accepted a regular wage, hard work, and a place within a strict
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Who lived at Calke Abbey?
Who lived at Calke Abbey? Were they Harpurs, Crewes, or Harpur-Crewes? The truth is, they all did. Over almost 500 years, from 1622
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Calke Abbey, Tale of Ten Baronets
Just like many large houses in England, one family governed the lives of the residents in that house, and often that of the
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The Lives of the Servants
Why is it that we are so interested in the lives of servants? Quite a high percentage of visitors to Calke Abbey have
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Ticknall Water Spouts
Visitors to Ticknall often ask about the cast iron water spouts that are seen in various places in the village. They were part
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Henry Harpur, First Baronet of Calke Abbey
Henry Harpur was born in 1579, the third son of Sir John Harpur and his wife Isabella Pierpont, at Swarkestone Hall. Henry was
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Water supplies to Ticknall and Calke
Nowadays we take a clean, constant water supply for granted. Yet it is surprising how recently this came to be the case. Twenty
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History of Ticknall
Ticknall’s name was derived from its landscape setting and land use. The first syllable ‘tic’ reflects the pastoral economy of the time showing
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Potted History
This old photo of the original Dexter’s Cottage was taken from the Limeyards immediately opposite the weighbridge office which is now part of
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Calke Abbey and Park
Midway along Main Street in Ticknall is the understated entrance to Calke Abbey, one of the National Trust’s most popular properties. A scenic
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Genealogy – Local Resources
I have collected a considerable amount of local source material which may be useful to anyone engaged in genealogical research. The following records
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Winnie and Bertie – The True Story
Winifred Harpur Crewe, always known as Winnie, was born into a privileged life in 1879. The second daughter of Sir Vauncey Harpur Crewe,
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Ticknall Potteries
There are over 30 known pottery sites in the Ticknall area. Excavations have produced 13th century Coal Measures White Wares on production sites.
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Paraffin City Services
We finished the last article warmly ensconced in the double privy in the Methodist church, which article was sent to Sharps Pottery Museum,
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Publications
The Ticknall Preservation and Historical Society, a voluntary non-profit-making group, have available many publications devoted to the economic and social history of the
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John Oliver Remembers
The Cruiser HMS Neptune sank with the loss of 764 officers and men on the night of 19 December 1941. Just one man
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Clock Restoration, St George’s Church Ticknall
The clock was made by John Whitehurst Senior (1766-1834) of Derby – a notable clockmaker – in 1813. Our clock is a particularly rare
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Delilah (Dellie) Boswell
Delilah (known as Dellie) Boswell was born in Wheldon, Northants, in 1800, a member of the well-known Boswell gypsy family. The family were
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