On This Day… in 1826 – Walter Cecil Macfarren by Donna Schlachter

The only known portrait of Walter Cecil Macfarren (Wikipedia)

When we think of great musical composers in history, likely names such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach jump instantly to mind. And while it is unlikely that the name of our featured guest would spark any connection with these legendary greats, he does hold a special place in the hallowed halls of musical composition.

Walter Cecil Macfarren was born August 28, 1826 in London, the youngest son of dramatist George Macfarren, and the less-famous brother of musician George Alexander Macfarren. At the age of four he showed some musical promise, and by age ten he was serving as a choir-boy at Westminster Abbey. He sang at the coronation of Queen Victoria when he was 12, in 1838.

However, soon after, his voice changed as he entered puberty, and he briefly considered becoming an artist, even taking painting lessons. When that didn’t suit him, he worked as a salesman for pianos in Brighton.

Not finding that to his liking either, he entered the Royal Academy of Music in 1842, studying piano and composition. On his graduation, he remained on staff at the Academy, first as a sub-professor of the pianoforte, and eventually as a full professor. Macfarren served for 57 years, lecturing six times a year and teaching piano.

In 1852, at the age of 26, he married Julia Fanner, the daughter of an artist. The story goes that “her mind gave way” in 1878, which implies she suffered from some form of mental illness. She died in their 50th year of marriage. The couple had no children.

In 1862, he was appointed musical critic to The Queen newspaper, and later he edited Popular Classics and Mozart’s complete piano works and Beethoven’s sonatas.

During this time, his classical education inspired his composition of many small but solid piano pieces, always pleasing to the ear and stylistic, reminiscent of Mendelssohn. He also conducted concerts at the Academy, and served as treasurer of the Royal Philharmonic Society for three years, before turning his attention back to composition. In 1881, he wrote a concert piece for piano and orchestra, proving his ability and skill at writing for more than one instrument at a time. As if he wasn’t busy enough, he also released his Scale and Arpeggio Manual in 1862.

On his 70th birthday, Macfarren founded two prizes for pianoforte playing at the Academy. He retired in 1904 from all other work apart from remaining as a contributor to The Queen, and he published his autobiography in 1905, Memories. He lived his remaining days in Osnaburgh Terrace, London, usually spending his vacations at Brighton. He died later that year and is buried in St. Pancras and Islington Cemetery in East Finchley, London.



About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers' groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching committed writers eager to tell their story.

www.DonnaSchlachter.com

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Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Cecil_Macfarren

https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Walter_Cecil_Macfarren Includes a list of his works

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1912_supplement/Macfarren,_Walter_Cecil Includes more about his earlier life

 

UNDERWATER DANCING

By Mary Davis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRqcZcrgPaU

Not that kind of of underwater dancing—the kind in fancy dresses . . . but under water.
 
Sounds pretty strange.
 
Well, it is strange but possible.
 
I love eccentric people because they do and create the oddest things.
 
Out side of London in 1890, Whitaker Wright purchased the Manor of Witley and several other adjoining properties to form what came to be known as Witley Park, a 1,400 acre estate. The Manor of Witley dated back to before 1066 and was occupied by a variety of owners, including kings, queens, earls, lords, and baronets.

Wright built a lavish mansion with thirty-two bedrooms, eleven bathrooms, a drawing room, two dining rooms, a library, a theater, a palm court, an observatory, a velodrome (a cycle-racing track), a stable for fifty horses, and a private hospital. What more could a person want? Apparently, he felt he was missing something. One of his final projects was having three man-made lakes constructed. That’s one way to get lakefront property. One of the lakes has what appears to be a floating statue of Neptune rising out of the water. But Neptune guards a secret.

This looks like something from a Harry Potter movie. What lies beneath does as well.
 
Under Neptune’s feet sits a secret room. In then woods, if you go along the low stonewall to a small stone building with an arched doorway, descend a spiral staircase, traverse the subterranean tunnel, you will enter the “ballroom” bathed in muted light beneath one of these created lakes. The domed ceiling is made up of nearly 200 panes of algae-covered glass. No one is quite sure what Wright used this room for. It could have been a unique ballroom, or a billiard room, or a smoking room. Whatever its intended purpose, it has been dubbed the underwater ballroom.
 
I wasn’t able to obtain public domain or royalty free photos of the underwater chamber, but there are some good images at https://www.messynessychic.com/2014/12/11/the-rotting-underwater-ballroom-of-a-victorian-bernie-madoff/
 
Wright made his money the old-fashion way—by swindling people. He was eventually caught, tried in 1904, and sentenced to seven years in prison. Unable to face that future, he swallowed a cyanide pill and died in the courthouse.
The estate again passed through various people and was parceled off. In 1952, the house burned down, but the underwater ballroom was spared.

Here is one of the surviving buildings, Thursley Lodge.

Today, the portion of the estate with the underwater ballroom is privately owned. The owner very rarely allows anyone to go inside it, but people have trespassed and taken pictures.

THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) #TheDamselsIntent #HistoricalRomance #FreeKU #KU #ChristianRomance
Can Nicole learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher?
   Nicole Waterby heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband, not realizing women don’t wear trousers or carry a gun. She has a lot to learn. Rancher Shane Keegan has drifted from one location to another to find a place to belong. When Nicole crosses his path, he wonders if he can have love, but he soon realizes she’s destined for someone better than a saddle tramp. Will love stand a chance while both Nicole and Shane try to be people they’re not?

Free on Kindle Unlimited, or $2.99 to buy ebook.

Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/Damsels-Intent-Quilting-Circle-Book-ebook/dp/B089DTXDCN/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=The+Damsel%27s+Intent&qid=1590863747&s=books&sr=1-2

MARY DAVIS s a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her 2018 titles include; "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, Courting Her Amish Heart, The Widow’s Plight, Courting Her Secret Heart , “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , and Courting Her Prodigal Heart . 2019 titles include The Daughter's Predicament and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-five years and two cats. She has three adult children and two incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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High Tea . . . or Afternoon Tea?

by Kathleen Rouser

(Picture above from Pixabay.)

Though tea time is considered a very British thing, the Chinese were enjoying tea before the time of Christ. Coffee spread from the Middle East through Europe first. Then Dutch and Portuguese traders brought tea from the Far East.

In the 1660s, the wife of Charle II of England, Infanta Catherine de Braganza, from Portugal, made tea drinking popular. It was nearly 200 years later when afternoon tea became a custom.

The start of afternoon tea is attributed to Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford, who was a good friend of Queen Victoria and Lady of the Bedchamber between 1837 and 1841.

During the nineteenth century dinner was being served later and later, usually between 7 and 8 p.m. When luncheon was served between breakfast and dinner, the two main meals, it was light fare. Late in the afternoon, the Duchess experienced “hunger spells” or “that sinking feeling.” She asked for tea, bread and butter, and cakes to be sent to her room. Once she had begun this habit, she began inviting friends. The daily custom caught on and others began inviting friends to their homes as well.

Duchess of Bedford
By Unknown, from Wikimedia Commons, [PD)

The Duchess went even further, sending cards to her friends to invite them for the afternoon repast--for tea and a walk on the fields of her estate. For the upper classes these teas became known as "afternoon" or "low" tea. They were moved from the boudois to the drawing room and served on low tables. Soon it was all the rage in fashionable society to sip tea and nibble little sandwiches together in the afternoon.

At the end of a long working day, the middle classes began having tea around five or six o'clock in the evening. This was a more substantial meal and often took the place of a later main evening meal. It was served at a dinner table, so it is called "high" tea and actually started during the Industrial Revolution.

(My attempt at serving tea on low tables above.)

During the Edwardian period, people preferred to go out for tea rather than stay at home. Both ritzy hotels and high-end department stores offered tea rooms. Eventually, music and then dancing were added to these afternoon teas.

The height of the afternoon tea as a social craze was in the 1920s. Tables were set with fancy linens, silver teapots, the most expensive china teacups, and best teas. The whole affair, with many guests, would be doled out by servants, embodying the Downton Abbey-like elegance we Americans often picture.

Savory tea sandwiches - cucumber and smoked
salmon with cream cheese. Yum!

As far as food went, the Duchess's bread evolved into the savory portion while the cakes became scones and all kinds of sweets. With the development of such a social event came rules of course. For example, don't hold your pinky out when you drink tea from a china cup or hug your teacup like a mug. How gauche! When stirring your tea, move your spoon back and forth between twelve and six o'clock, not round and round, making a racket! Also, when you sip your tea, look down into the cup instead of over it at others. And whether you were from Devonshire or Cornwall--or wherever--might determine whether you spread the clotted cream or jam on your scone first.

After going through both World Wars, and tea rationing into the 1950s, the daily habit of afternoon tea ebbed. Coffee grew somewhat in popularity.

The afternoon or "low" tea has become more of a pastime for tourists. Tea rooms and hotels serving tea abound throughout England.

Loved making some of these sweets--lavender shortbread and blueberry

scones were both new recipes to me.

Since I have a collection of beautiful china teacups handed down from my mother, I decided it was time to have a casual afternoon tea in my home this

past August. It was time to take them out of the curio cabinet and use them.

I had a lot of fun looking for recipes. I made blueberry scones, lavender shortbread cookies and brownies, and bought chocolate truffles. Along with these I made cucumber sandwiches and smoked salmon tea sandwiches.

By John Everett Millais - Artdaily.org, Public Domain

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11329817

It always seemed a lovely, though Victorian tradition, to take time in the afternoon to relax with a cup of tea and a treat of some kind, but life gets so busy. Though I'm sure my little tea party was very Americanized, I wanted to stop and have a special time with a few friends. It was a fun thing to do and good to slow down for a couple of hours in the afternoon. It is worth the time whether at home or out at a special tea place with friends.

What about you? Have you ever been to an afternoon tea?

Kathleen Rouser is the award-winning author of Rumors and Promises, her first novel about the people of fictional Stone Creek, Michigan, and the novella, The Pocket Watch. She is a longtime member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Kathleen has loved making up stories since she was a little girl and wanted to be a writer before she could even read. She longs to create characters who resonate with readers and realize the need for a transforming Savior in their everyday lives. She lives in Michigan with her hero and husband of 36 years, and the sassy tail-less cat who found a home in their empty nest. Connect with Kathleen on her website at kathleenrouser.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kathleenerouser/, and on Twitter @KathleenRouser. 

The Story of a Woman Writer: Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre

Charlotte Bronte, Painted by Evert A. Duyckinick, based on a 
drawing by George Richmond
- University of Texas: Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Ever since its first publication in 1847, readers have loved Charlotte Bronte's novel of Victorian young womanhood, self-realization, triumph over adversity, and romance-with-a-dash of intrigue: Jane Eyre. I teach this novel every year to my tenth grade class, and it tends to be one of those students remember longest, even for kids for whom reading a 500-page novel doesn't come easily. I even had an 11th grader choose to do her research paper this year on Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre, such was the impact the story made on her the year before.



So who was this mysterious little woman behind what is now considered one of the greatest Victorian novels? I always enjoy learning the "story behind the story," so I thought you might too!



Charlotte Bronte was born in 1816, the third of what would be six children. Her younger siblings Patrick, Emily, and Anne soon followed. After their mother died, the older girls were sent by their ailing clergyman father to a school similar to the horrifying Lowood described in Jane Eyre. After the two oldest sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, died of tuberculosis at school, Emily and Charlotte were thankfully brought home.



Anne, Emily, and Charlotte Bronte. National Portrait Gallery, {{PD-1923}}


Now with their sibling circle reduced to Charlotte, Emily, little Anne, and their brother Patrick, a season began that would eventually lead to literary fame for three of the four: they developed imaginary worlds called Angria and Gondal, wherein countless stories were acted out courtesy of Patrick's toy soldiers. It was these imaginative dramas that sparked the idea of novel-writing for the three girls, whom we now know as famous novelists Anne, Emily, and Charlotte Bronte.



It wasn’t easy to be a woman writer in early Victorian England, however. In fact, the Bronte sisters published their first successful novels—Emily’s Wuthering Heights, Anne’s Agnes Grey, and Charlotte’s Jane Eyre—under the gender-neutral pen names Ellis, Acton, and Currer Bell, to avoid the prejudice female authors faced.



Jane Eyre original title page; transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.;
University of Leeds Library, Public Domain


Jane Eyre was an instant success, though controversy also abounded, both as to the identity (and gender) of the author and because of the novel’s “radical” themes. While it might not seem at all radical to us today, Jane’s insistence on standing up for herself against ill-treatment and stance for the human equality of women rubbed some readers the wrong way, as did her biting satire of hypocritical Christians such as the Rev. Brocklehurst.



Charlotte responded to the latter criticism in her preface to the second edition, where she wrote,



“Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion. To attack the first is not to assail the last. To pluck the mask from the face of the Pharisee, is not to lift an impious hand to the Crown of Thorns…narrow human doctrines, that only tend to elate and magnify a few, should not be substituted for the world-redeeming creed of Christ.”



And indeed, Jane Eyre herself has a strong faith in God, though her temper, impulsive spirit, and craving for human love keep her delightfully relateable and human, in contrast to some more “proper” heroines of the day. And no doubt that is why she has been beloved for so many generations.



Just as Jane refused St. John Rivers and waited for the love of her Mr. Rochester, Charlotte Bronte refused several suitors throughout her young womanhood. At last, at age thirty-eight, Charlotte married Arthur Bell Nicholls, despite the objections of her brother, Patrick. We can only assume she truly loved him. Tragically, Charlotte died less than a year later, due to complications in early pregnancy. But the story she left the world of one young woman’s love, hope, and perseverance continues to touch lives and inspire hearts today.






Kiersti Giron holds a life-long passion for history and historical fiction. She loves to write stories that show the intersection of past and present, explore relationships that bridge cultural divides, and probe the healing Jesus can bring out of brokenness. Kiersti has been published in several magazines and won the 2013 ACFW Genesis Award - Historical for her manuscript Beneath a Turquoise Sky. A high school teacher and member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Kiersti loves learning and growing with other writers penning God's story into theirs, as well as blogging at www.kierstigiron.com. She lives in California with her wonderful husband, Anthony.

Queen Victoria's Small Diamond Crown

Photo of Queen Victoria by Bassano, 1882. Public Domain.

Although Britain's Imperial State Crown seems as if it could be a single crown worn by monarchs through the ages, there have actually been a series of State Crowns since the fifteenth century, all symbolizing the king or queen's sovereignty. Since the Restoration in 1660, there have been 10 such crowns, and Queen Victoria (who reigned from 1837-1901) wore two crowns on State occasions--one crown "regular sized," and the other a miniature. 

Victoria's original Imperial State Crown, created in 1838. Public Domain

Queen Victoria wore her "regular-sized" State Crown at the usual occasions which called for it, including when she left her coronation and at the State Opening of Parliament. At the State Opening in 1845, The Duke of Argyll was carrying the crown before the Queen when it fell off its cushion to the ground. She later described it like a "pudding" that had been crushed.

Coronation Portrait by George Hayter, 1843. Public Domain

After the death of her beloved consort Prince Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria went into mourning and withdrew from public appearances. She wore only black and white (aka "widow's weeds) for the rest of her life. In 1870, the government convinced her to make public appearances again, but she refused to wear her Imperial State Crown. It was heavy, of course, but it also didn't fit neatly atop her widow's cap.

To work around those problems, the Crown Jewelers, Garrard & Co., created a new, small crown which met her requirements and would be appropriate for her ceremonial duties. The openwork silver frame was set with 1,187 brilliant-cut and rose-cut diamonds, and the band supports four crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis, with half-arches surmounted by a monde and a further cross-pattée. The diamonds were taken from a necklace belonging to Her Majesty (white, unlike colored gemstones, were considered appropriate for mourning.) 

The crown weighs six ounces, is four inches across and high.

Queen Victoria wearing the Small Diamond Crown, 1887. Public Domain.

Queen Victoria wore it for the first time at the State Opening of Parliament in February, 1871. It became the crown most associated with her by her subjects. It was even placed on her coffin during her funeral.

Because the crown was crafted of her personal diamonds, it was her property, not part of the Crown Jewels. However, she bequeathed it to the Crown in her will, and it passed into the collection of Crown Jewels at her death in 1901. 

Her daughter-in-law, queen consort Alexandra, wore it on occasion, as did the next queen consort, Mary of Teck. However, once Mary became a widow, she ceased wearing it. The next queen consort, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, mother of Queen Elizabeth II, did not wear it, so her husband, King George VI, had it sent to the Jewel House at the Tower of London, where it is currently on display. 

***

Susanne Dietze began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, she's the award-winning author of over a dozen historical romances who's seen her work on the ECPA and Publisher's Weekly Bestseller Lists for Inspirational Fiction. Married to a pastor and the mom of two, Susanne lives in California and enjoys fancy-schmancy tea parties, genealogy, the beach, and curling up on the couch with a costume drama and a plate of nachos. Learn more about her and her newest novel, A Mother for His Family, at www.susannedietze.com.

The Regency Governess

A woman in Regency England (approximately 1810-1820) who found herself in the position of governess was typically not to be envied.

"The Governess" by Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin,
 1739. Public Domain PD-1923

She was a woman between worlds, in a way: a lady of virtue, character, learning and "good" breeding, who was also a servant. She was a woman who must make her own way in the world.

In the early nineteenth century in Great Britain, bank failures, famines and economic struggles caused many a middle-class, or gently bred, family to lose their fortunes. Young men could take any number of respectable jobs considered suitable to their class, but their sisters faced a quandary. Jobs were fewer for females in general, and many of them, like working in a shop, were considered beneath a gently bred, "groomed" female. 

Teaching was the only realistic possibility these young women faced. Some took jobs in girls' schools, while others became governesses, living in the homes of their students. 

Her position was unique in a wealthy household. In Georgian-era society, a governess' standing was considered "good enough" to educate a nobleman's children, but she was not of high-enough standing to be treated as a friend or member of the family. 

"The Governess" by Rebecca Solomon, 1851. Public Domain PD-1923. The governess, seated on the right, is present but almost invisible to the parents. 

Neither did she fit in with the servants of the house, who likely came from humbler origins than she did. Therefore, governesses often dined alone, used the schoolroom as her sitting room, and had little in the way of adult company in the household.

Jane Austen described Jane Fairfax's decision to become a governess in Emma this way:

“With the fortitude of a devoted novitiate, she had resolved at one-and-twenty to complete the sacrifice and retire from all the pleasures of life, of rational intercourse, equal society, peace, and hope, to penance and mortification forever.” 

Clearly, the lot of a governess was not viewed as a pleasant one. It could be a lonely life--but it kept her stomach full and a roof over her head.

"The Governess" by Richard Redgrave, 1844. Public Domain PD-1923

Pay was not usually enough that a governess could save for retirement. In 1841, Charlotte Bronte earned twenty pounds a year. While some supposedly earned two hundred pounds a year, many governesses worked for room and board alone. 

Some families grew attached to their governesses and maintained caring relationships (like Emma did with her governess, Miss Taylor, in Austen's Emma). Some mothers, however, resented the closeness their children developed with their governess, and a resentful or jealous parent could dismiss a governess on the spot. Others, like one of the families Charlotte Bronte served, treated governesses as slaves, forcing them to do sundry tasks in addition to teaching.

Charlotte Bronte by George Richmond, chalk on paper, 1850. Public Domain. Bronte was a governess for a time, as was her fictional creation, Jane Eyre, perhaps one of the most famous literary governesses in history.

And what did the governess teach? Young charges would learn to read, write, and do math. As the children grew, they would probably learn French, history, and globes (geography). Boys of the household might go away to boarding school at age eight, but the governess would continue to teach their sisters music, art, needlework, and deportment, preparing her to attract suitors when they came of age.

Suitors were not easy for the governess to come by, however, but most governess positions were short-lived, allowing them to return home and re-establish themselves with their families or marry. 

Those who never married or received enough pay to save for retirement found themselves destitute when they reached middle age. In 1841, The Governesses' Benevolent Institution was set up to help such ladies receive pensions.

Despite the bleak life many a governess endured, others were well-loved by the families who employed them, allowing them to live comfortably in their later years.

***

BIO:

Susanne Dietze began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, she's the award-winning author of over a dozen historical romances who's seen her work on the ECPA and Publisher's Weekly Bestseller Lists for Inspirational Fiction. Her newest novella, Three Little Matchmakers in the Regency Brides Collection, tells the story of a governess and her three mischievous charges.

To learn more, visit Susanne's website, www.susannedietze.com