Introduction

This is the second part of the letter from George Haywood to his married daughter Clarice. In the first part (Early days to leaving home) he documented his boyhood, his relationship with his parents and grandparents, a broken leg and his stepmother's role in his leaving home. Here, he moves on to examine the world and family of his grandfather.

The letter, continued

To go back to the old Primitive Methodist Church to which I have alluded. This was situated in Lee’s Land at South Normanton, Derbyshire, England. It is about one and one-half miles from Alfreton station (depot) on the Midland Railway, and about 2 miles from Pinxton station on the other side of Normanton. Since the time of which I write, there are stations nearer to south Normanton than the ones I mention. Of the surrounding towns within a radius of 16 miles, I will mention Alfreton, Wingfield (this is where Wingfield Manor is located, in which Mary Queen of Scots, was held prisoner on her journey from Scotland to London where she was beheaded), Belper, Stratton, Shirland, Tibshelf, Blackwell, Blackwell Colliery, Morton, Sutton, Kirkby, Manfield, Pinxton, Somercoates, Riddings, and some others I can’t remember the names of.

Grandfather Haywood was superintendent of the Sunday School at the Methodist Church (Chapel) for fifty-four years, and the old Haywood home in which all members of the family were born and raised, was about a stone’s throw from the Chapel. This house was built of brick, two stories high, and was set back from the street about eighty feet. It was approached by a path made of flagstones (sandstone), about 4 inches thick and 3 feet wide, and on each side was a row of Sweet William and Jillivers (wallflowers) in the summer time, which looked very pretty. It was one of the treats I had as a boy, to go down the street (lane), from the Chapel when the first lessons were over, to get a large piece of rice pudding or a piece of custard pie, and it seems to me I have never had any of either since then that tasted just like that did. The rice pudding was always delicious, and the custard pie was such as you never see now-a-days. Think of a boy walking along the street with a piece of custard pie in his hand, and the filling four inches or over, thick. And the crust as luscious and nice as could be. I surely enjoyed custard pie in those days.

Returning to the Sunday School, after the first lessons, it was my duty to look after the writing lessons of those who wished to learn how to write. There were many married men in those days who knew neither how to read or write, and the only chance they had to learn was to attend the Sunday School and take lessons there. Tuition was free, and many a man owed what education he had to the first instruction gained in the Sunday School.

In front of the old home was an apple tree, large enough for me to climb in, and high enough to enable one to look into the bedroom window, and it was quite close to the house. Grandfather Haywood told me that this tree had grown up from a seed or apple pippin dropped by one of the boys while he was leaning on the garden gate. The fruit of this tree was not inviting except to color and size, both of which were good, but to get the best results the apples had to stop on the tree until they were ripe and then be put away for a month or more until they became soft. But say, they surely made fine apple dumplings. And when Grandmother made one of these with suet crust it was just about as fine as her custard pies.

A large family

They raised large families in those days and Grandfather Haywood’s family was no exception. It consisted of Samuel, Richard, Abraham, Joseph, George, John, Phoebe, Elizabeth, and Lydia. All of these married and had sons and daughters who would be your second cousins.

Samuel Haywood married Sara Gascoigne (listed as Gaskin in the Marriage Indexes), and they lived in a house next door to Grandfather Haywood. Of this union came issue Fanny, Catherine, Harriett, and Jonathan. It was one of the very pleasant duties I had to carry a present to my Uncle Samuel from my father on Christmas Day, Whitsuntide, and in Wake’s Week, which occurs at South Normanton about the last week in September. Uncle Samuel was a cripple, and unable to get from his bed, and in all the years I knew him and his family he had never been able to do a days work. I never did learn just what was the matter with him, but understood that he had been permanently injured in the mine. The present I took to them always consisted of a roast of beef or mutton, some plum pudding, bread, and a bottle of ale. We always had a barrel of ale on tap at home at holiday times. Sometimes, I also took half a crown, or 2s 6d worth - a little more than our fifty cent piece.

Fanny and Catherine were servants in the house where I first became acquainted with your mother, and it was while visiting there at Nottingham, that I met your mother. Fanny married one of the Hills of Nottingham. They were silk manufacturers, and I understand after her marriage she became quite 'uppish' and did not know her poor relations, although she herself had been brought up in such indigent circumstances. At the time I spoke of, when I took presents to Uncle Sam from Father, her mother was teaching what would now be called kindergarten school, but with none of the modern kindergarten advantages.

Continued in column 2...

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I was one who attended, and I remember that the so-called school consisted of four long forms placed lengthwise from the door, on which were seated from 12 to 20 kiddies, none of whom were over 8 years of age, most of them were only 5 or 6. In keeping order, teaching them letters, etc. Aunt Sara was surely trying to do her part, with a crippled husband upstairs, and all this being done in what was their living room, a place perhaps 12 feet by 12 feet or a square room. The floor was of brick set in cement, and when school was over, the forms were carried outside. Catherine was my chum, (Kate, we called her) and of all the cousins I had I considered her the best. She was good looking, always had a pleasant smile and a cheery word for me, and many, many times after she went into service at Nottingham, I enjoyed her hospitality. She supplied, in very large measure, the advantages of which I had been deprived by the loss of my mother, and I think that she enjoyed my company as much as I did hers. She married a carpenter (I forget his name), and they moved from South Normanton to one of the small villages near Matlock Bath or Cromford in the Peak of Derbyshire. I think that both Kate and her husband are dead now, and I never heard whether they had any children or not. Harriett died several years ago, but Jonathan is still living at South Normanton. He is the one who became possessor of the recipes which Grandfather Haywood used in the manufacture of 'Haywood’s Cooling Oil,' 'Haywood’s Liniment' for sprains and sore joints, and 'Haywood’s Root Beer'. Even when I was a boy, Grandfather had quite a sale for all these articles, although he had no place for making them other than at home. His 'Cooling Oil' was a really wonderful success in healing all kinds of cuts and bruises, burns, scalds, etc. and his liniment was in great demand in the mines, and it was just as good for use on human beings as on animals. I have often thought that if these preparations could have been transferred to the United States, and advertised here as 'Jacob’s Oil' is, and 'Mustang Liniment' and many other patent medicines, they would have been just as much a success (and perhaps more) as these others have been. But Jonathan was the only son of the eldest son of the family, and it was right and proper that the secret of their manufacture should be entrusted to him.

Grandfather Haywood was a great 'herbalist', and one part of their large garden was devoted exclusively to the growing of herbs, some that I remember rosemary, thyme, wormwood, horehound, balm, catnip, anise, sage, chamomile, and some others. These were used, along with the herbs that grew wild in the fields for various ailments, for we had no doctors and from the fact that both men and women lived to a ripe old age, and as a rule, were larger in stature than they are now, it showed the efficaciousness of the simple life.

Emigration near and far

Richard Haywood moved to the north of England (Durham county) before I was old enough to know him, though I afterwards got to know him very well by correspondence, by a visit he made to South Normanton, and by a visit I made to him in Durham county when I was about 17 years old. While in the north, he married and they had a large family, but I don’t remember the names of any except George. The last I knew of him he was a cripple, was hurt while at work in the mines. Both Uncle Dick (Richard) and his wife are dead.

Abraham Haywood emigrated to the United States before I knew him and settled somewhere near Pittston, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. I used to write letters to him there for Grandfather, and later he returned to England and lived somewhere in the neighborhood of Ilkeston, Derbyshire. I never knew much of him or his family (he was married) as they were away from South Normanton practically all the time I was there.

Joseph Haywood was my father and he married Hannah Housley, my mother. When I grew old enough to understand these things, I was told that at the time of my father’s marriage, my mother was considered “belle of the village” that is, she was the handsomest woman in the town, and my father was considered a very lucky man because he had secured the best prize there was in the marriage market. Mother was a good singer, and from what I remember of her looks when last I saw her alive, it is no wonder to me that she was considered handsome. From this union came George (myself), William, Lydia, and Joseph. William married but has been dead for many years as also his wife. They left five orphan girls, Hilda, Hannah, Emily, Alice and Nellie. Of these, Hilda and Emily and Nellie live at South Normanton; Hannah and Alice somewhere near Chesterfield in Derbyshire. These are all your cousins, and I think it would be nice if you could get acquainted with them by correspondence. Hilda was married, but her husband died last year. He was badly injured in the war. I have not heard anything from Hannah or Alice for a long time, but one of these I think lost her husband and she was left with a large family. Emily is married and she lives at No. 5 King Street, South Normanton. Her husband’s name is Joseph Hunt, and I think he is a coal miner. Nellie is the only one single and she lives with Hilda. Nellie is a school teacher, and Hilda keeps a small store. Joseph Haywood is married and lives at Glebe House, South Normanton. They have three children, Horace, May and Olive. Horace is in business with his father and I think they have a very thriving furniture and general merchandise business. In addition to this, your Uncle Joe builds houses and either rents them or sells them, so that he seems to be in comfortable circumstances, judging from his letters to me.

Lydia Haywood, my sister, married Joseph Baker at Rock Springs, Wyoming, where they have lived ever since they were married. They now live at No. 125 M street. They have a large family, but I don’t remember the names, and I think most of them are married and have families of their own.

To be continued ....

Proceed to Part 3. Staff and distaff

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Last updated - April 13th 2012

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