Chapter 51: Country Life

June, 1812

The June weather was sunny and moderately warm when the Carters’ Landau coach drew up in front of the entrance steps of High Matcham. Tony and Harriet had settled all urgent business in London, had sent billets to their friends and closer acquaintances, and then closed their Camden Court house for the summer. Tony had also notified the Admiralty that he was spending the summer in Berkshire, but he sensed that Their Lordships had no plans for him anyway.

From what he had picked up, many of those in power resented him for his low birth and for being a Jamaican. In turn, Tony heartily resented those who had attained lofty positions without a shred of competence, but using their interest in Parliament and at Court.

Also, the last months had convinced him that he was not cut out for staff work. Having reconnected with his children over the preceding months, he was not keen on a seagoing command either. Therefore, he and Harriet decided to spend the summer at High Matcham.

There was a halt in the preparations for the move when the President of the United States of America asked the Congress for a declaration of war against Great Britain. War was imminent, but what signals Tony received convinced him that he was not needed. After all, the preparations he had initiated himself had long since begun, and the reinforced ships of the Halifax station would quickly institute a blockade against the important American ports. The Carters decided to move to their country home.

Part of the household staff had been sent ahead, and the manor house was already habitable. They had hired a tutor to further Emily and Richard’s education. Harriet had picked her after New Year, and Miss Erica Walcott gained Emily’s adoration immediately, for she was well read, had an understanding of algebra and geometry, and played both the violin and the fortepiano with competence. She also showed patience teaching young Richard his letters and encouraging him to read simple children’s books.

Tony’s first official act as the squire was to meet with Mister Brown, their caretaker. He arrived together with his wife, the former Elspeth Holland, now of course Missus Brown. Harriet welcomed her former protégé cordially and led her into their tea room for a chat, whilst Tony and Mister Brown retired to the estate office, where Brown gave a verbal report of estate affairs. The last year had neither been exceptionally good nor overly bad, and the tenants had managed to pay the rents without hardship. The Woodbridge estate was also showing solid earnings after years of neglect, and Tony expressed his satisfaction with Brown’s work.

After a thorough clean-up, the woodlands were also more productive, yielding firewood but also wood for construction and cabinet making. Tony understood that cultivating woodlands took a long-term perspective and continuous replanting, not for immediate gains but for their children’s future livelihood. With this in mind, he agreed to Mister Brown’s suggestion to reforest some of the fallow lands, which had provided only poor crop yields, with oak and beech saplings. The fringes of the arable lands and the river banks would be planted with fast growing maple trees, to provide cheap wood for heating and construction on the estate.

After a brief noon meal into which the Browns were invited to share, Tony had horses readied for an inspection of the lands. Mister Brown pointed out the changes instituted over the last year, and Tony had to concede that his aim to transform Matcham into a model estate was not far from completion anymore. This was satisfying, but also meant that he would have little to do with the estate over the summer.

A day later, Tony spent an evening with the tenants and the vicar at the Oak and Cross inn in Matcham, to hear grievances and suggestions, but apart from the large tab he had to pay, he only learned that his tenants were quite happy with Mister Brown. There was a little grumbling about the fact that the Carters insisted on boys and girls both attending Sunday school, but that was something on which Tony and Harriet would not budge, and he made that clear.

Reverend Carleton, the vicar, complained that two tenants were notably absent from the Sunday services more often than not, and that their children’s attendance was only sporadic. Tony had mixed feelings about mandatory church attendance, having lived under the Admiralty rules for fifteen years which allowed dissenters to abstain from church service, and he told Carleton to use persuasion if possible.

On the matter of Sunday school attendance, he backed the vicar and made it clear that he did not view Sunday school as optional. He could tell that two of his tenants did not like that, necessitating a somewhat sterner address, making it known that with his Navy background, he was used to having his commands obeyed. This marred the evening just a little, but he felt it important to establish control over his lands. Besides, the costs for the Sunday school came out of his pockets, and he did not tolerate wastage.

Indeed, he stayed behind after the next Sunday service to look into Sunday school attendance, but also to address the children. He was wearing his uniform, too, to give more weight to his presence. After greeting the children and a strong admonishment not to skip Sunday school anymore, he told them of his own school attendance in Kingston and how it had helped him as he advanced from a lowly second mate in an insignificant nutshell to a senior captain in the Royal Navy, and how he still took lessons from learned men to better his knowledge.

To the girls he explained how knowing letters and numbers would put them on better footing with the merchants and make them less likely to be cheated.

Tony then announced that every year henceforth, the best pupil would be sent to the Latin school in Maidenhead, on the estate’s penny, and with a small stipend for his livelihood there. This was tempting for the second and third sons of the tenants, but Tony felt that those needed a goal, too, other than serving their older brothers as farmhands.

He then stayed to listen in to the class, and when school closed with a lengthy prayer, he began to understand why some pupils and their parents had a poor opinion on Sunday school. Reverend Carleton was a bore. If his sermons were uninspiring, his teachings were a certain cure for insomnia.

Those children needed a better teacher, and the only way to achieve that would be to hire one. Better yet, Missus Walcott, Emily and Richard’s tutor, was an immeasurably better teacher than Carleton. Tony decided to task her with teaching the village children once weekly, of course against extra pay.

After a late noon meal, he conferred with Harriet about the matter, who immediately agreed to ask Walcott. Two hours later, she brought the woman to their tea table, to further discuss the plans.

Erica Walcott was not only willing, but enthusiastic about the new task, and she made several good suggestions. Firstly, she was against having the classes after Carleton’s Sunday school, claiming that the children would be tired and hungry, but also that Sunday dinner was important for the tenants’ families. Instead, she suggested the Saturday afternoons from Guy Fawkes Day to the start of Spring sowing, with three hours of classes. This was sensible, for the children were needed by the tenants during the rest of the year. As an incentive, Walcott suggested a free supper for the children at the end of the classes. This, too, was agreeable for Tony and Harriet. Walcott’s next idea did not immediately meet with Harriet’s approval, although Tony recognised the benefits. The idea was to have Emily and Richard attend the classes, too. It would help the future squire — Richard — in getting to know his future tenants, and Walcott wanted to have Emily as her helper and assistant. At thirteen years of age, Emily had had five years of tutoring already, and she would know the subjects of the lessons and be able to help with the youngest pupils. In the end, Tony was able to convince his wife of the benefits for their children.