Lascelles family at Willies, Cuckfield Sussex 1891 and a family mystery

[gilligan]

I'm hoping someone might know something about a large house called "Willies" on Deaks Lane in Cuckfield, and its connection to the Lascelles family, plus its existence as a boarding house for boys.

On the 1891 census my great-grandmother, Hester Pile (her real name was Esther Elizabeth) is listed as living at Willies as "matron/servant". The family head was Percy P. Lascelles (a barrister), Lilias (his wife), and 3 children (2 boys 7 and 11, and a girl aged 1).

What confuses me is that there are an additional 8 male boarders at this residence, all between the ages of 9 and 18 and listed as "scholars". In addition to Hester as matron (what is that?), there is a nurse, cook, nursemaid, parlour maid, and kitchen maid. Why so many? And why boarders? I would have thought the Lascelles family were well-to-do, were they hard up for money and needed boarders? My father recalls Hester telling him that she went on a grand-tour with this family, so they couldn't have been poor. Also, Where would these young scholars have attended school?

Incidentally, one of the boarders was Arthur P.L. Wood, aged 14. At some point he also emigrated to Canada and became a minister at St. John Evangelist Anglican church in Montreal. He was in contact with my great-grandmother long after they both lived in Montreal, right through to at least 1940 (he attended her husband's - my great grandfather - funeral).

The real mystery for me is how and why Hester went from being a matron in 1891 in Cuckfield to married in 1895 in Montreal, Canada. I have a great deal of information about her life in England and in Canada, but I haven't been able to find her on immigration records and I'm wondering why she would have left her position to make such a drastic move between 1891-1894. The 1901 and 1911 Canadian census' show that she arrived in Canada in 1893 and 1894 respectively, but I can't find her on ship's lists.
 
Anyway, if anyone can shed some light, I would be grateful! My 86 year old father has searched for answers to Hester Gore's arrival in Canada for years and his comment has always been, "grandma why are you hiding from me??!".

[KGarrad]

Matron:

Institutions such as children's homes and workhouses were also run by matrons. The matron of a workhouse was very often the wife of the master and looked after the domestic affairs of the establishment. This was, in fact, the original meaning of the term. Its use in hospitals was borrowed from workhouses.

The term was also used in boarding schools (and is still used in some British public schools) for the woman in charge of domestic affairs in a boarding house or the school nurse. In the past, the matron was sometimes the wife of the housemaster.

More common usage was in hospitals and what is now referred to as Clinical Nurse Manager - the most senior Nurse.

[KGarrad]

On the 1901 census, the same head of house, Percy Lascelles, is now a Private Tutor.
Also in the household are a Governess and 2 Assistant Tutors. 16 students, and a Matron for Pupils.

The house is "Wyllies".

[Galium]

This mention in the London Gazette (top right of the page) makes it clear that Percy Lascelles was running a private school:

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/26726/pages/2050/page.pdf

[gilligan]

Aha!! You're right about the 1901 census, thanks. So Wyllies was a school at that time -  and Percy Lascelles must have been the schoolmaster. Which makes me wonder why Hester left her employment in 1893/4 to go to Canada. Would it have been unusual for a school matron to make such a big move? I find it hard to believe she could afford that on her own (she spent most of her childhood - 4 to 13 - in and out of Lambeth Workhouse - Norwood School).

While I was writing this Galium posted the article - thank you! So that part is solved at least - it was a school. Thank you!

[Ruskie]

Gilligan, have you considered that her move may be something as simple as: she met a nice Canadian chap while working for the Lascelles, they became very close and she moved to Canada to marry him?

As the matron of a school, and residing with a well to do family she probably would have met many eligible suitors.

Have you checked for her immigration under both her maiden name and her future husbands name?

If Hester had been gainfully employed for years as matron/servant in a live in position I imagine she could have afforded the fare to Canada, but of course her future husband,(or even her employer) may have paid her fare.

[avm228]

Another possibility is that she found a new position with another family and travelled with them to Canada.

Some passenger lists for this period contain entries for servants as "Mrs X's maid" which unfortunately means that the maid cannot be traced by name.

[gilligan]

Good thought on the romance angle but Hester Pile definitely met Joseph Gore in Montreal - he was a Home Child and was sent from Liverpool to Knowlton Receiving Home in Quebec in 1880 by Louisa Birt. And thank you for the suggestions on the ships lists, I will check that out.

I quizzed my 86 year-old dad on it today, and he thinks he remembers his grandmother coming over with a military family and landing in Halifax. He's not 100% certain, but it's a lead. She wouldn't have been with them for long, I guess.

I had a wonderful email from a volunteer at Cuckfield Museum today and she gave me a great history on Wyllies and the Lascelles family operated it as a school for boys. It was just getting started in the early 1890's.

I tried to look up Arthur P.L. Wood, the young boarder at Wyllies who later became a minister at a church in Montreal, with no luck. He might be a clue. I'd be grateful if someone would give it a go and let me know if there's any information on when he came over to Montreal.

[Heavens]

I am the archavist for cricket in Cuckfield.  Willies (the current owner changed the name to Wyllies because she did not like the sexual connotation of the name) fielded quite a powerful team in the late 1800.  I have most of the scores in full and therefore the names of all the players who were not necessarily the boys from the school.  Whilst it was a school they produced a school magazine of which about a third still exist in the hands of the owner.  I say current because I interviewed her about 30 years ago and the house may have changed hands - I hope that the magazines have stayed with the house?  Ideally they would have been deposited with the Cuckfield Musuem.  You really do need to read throuigh this magazine which is fasinating but of course I only have records of the cricket content.  You can still see the cricket square in a field to the north west adjoining the property when the crops are growing.  Have a look at my website www.booksoncricket.net and contact me direct and I will supply full details.