Janie's confirmation, and Fred's ex caught in the act

Season 2, episode 21. March 24th - 26th 1882. Contains discussions of a sexual nature using mild Victorian terminology. Janie has her confirmation ceremony, we find out what she thinks of Fred’s Paris job offer, and Fred's ex girlfriend is spotted in a rather suggestive postion. 

Transcript

[Intro]
Hello and welcome back to My Love Letter Time Machine, were we are unfolding the Victorian love story contained in the letters of two ordinary people from Yorkshire — Fred Shepherd and Janie Warburton. I’m Ingrid Birchell Hughes, and I just happen to be their great great grand daughter. Each week we travel 140 years back in time to discover the latest happenings, and today Janie has her confirmation ceremony and we find out what she thinks of Fred’s Paris job offer.

[Janie's confirmation, and Fred's ex caught in the act]
Last time we discovered that Fred had been offered a job in Paris by his old associate Joe Gill to become a supply clerk. He shut down the idea almost immediately but wanted to know what Janie thought. We’ll get to that a bit later on, but first here’s one of Fred’s more ‘newsy’ letters. 

Middlesbrough, The North Eastern Steel Co Limited
March 24th 1882 

My own darling Wife
I received your nice loving very short letter yesterday morning love, for which I thank you. I should have written last night but we went to the theatre to see “Madam Angot” + after that they played “The Waterman” all for sixpence. It was after eleven when we came out + after we had had supper I thought it was too late to commence writing then, so I went to my virtuous couch to dream of my little darling + the mutual happiness in store for us when we are united.

I enjoyed the opera very much but should have like you to have been there with me, then I should have enjoyed it very much more my darling. I think you have see Madame Angot dear, haven’t you?

I will forgive you for giving me such a short letter love, I am sure you would be busy getting ready for [your confirmation] yesterday. I hope you had a happy day yesterday darling, + that home was at least pleasant for that one day love.

We will have a good long serious talk at Easter wifie, if we can manage to be alone at all, tho’ I expect that will be rather a difficult matter.

I had a letter from John Meays this morning in which he says that he has been ill for three weeks + had to be in bed for several days, but he is getting better now. You will I know be sorry to hear that old Jack has been ill, he says “I do hope next time you come over I shall see you, either at Darnall or here.” How shall I be able to manage that love, what do you suggest; you are quicker at expedients than I am.

You forgot to tell me in your last letters what I am to bring you for your birthday as I asked I think, at least I meant to ask you; because you know my darling that I am not good at choosing anything without your advice  on the subject.

You will have earned the everlasting gratitude of our Louisa by trimming her hat love, I have no doubt; I shall of course have to inspect it when I come over, + give you the benefit of my extensive experience in hats.

I am sorry to hear that Emma Gill was no better love when you went to see her; Do you think she is as bad as you said in your other letter? 

My darling wife I am glad that you are glad that I gave you notice that I might feel faintish I shall I think be able to give you something to refresh + stimulate you — my wife!

We shall as you say get over the situation very comfortably + thanks to your kind assistance in our first attempts — it has not been necessary to ask for instructions as to the mode of operation.

Oh my darling I do love you, so much, I would give anything to have you here now. I think I should not work so long if I had a nice little wife waiting for me at home. Last night it was 9 when I got home — same on Wednesday not there is time to get team, + a pipe of tobacco + then away to my virtuous couch. I would much rather the virtuous couch was shared by you my darling — there would be some pleasure in going home to see you.  I do wish it was Easter love! Don’t you?  

I think I shall not join the Choir, as I don’t want to bind myself in any way until I am bound to you by the ties of wedded life wifie. Besides you might not care for S. Paul’s church + I should not wish you to go there if you did not love — I expect you will have pretty much of your own way when I get you here — + I shall be no doubt — the most docile of husbands?

I will enquire into the whereabouts of the man you mention love, if I see Retchford to night. Is your mother interested in him? I hope she keeps well + your father too, please remember me to them + John. Have you heard from Carry love lately?

I think I told you I was going in for a new suit. I have got one + remember your — preference for navy blue serge, love, I chose that — the price was 52/6 but I don’t think it dear, do you dear, think it dear?

I intended writing a little last night but it was so late that I could not very well, + to day we are again very busy.

We are making a call of £2 per share — which means sending out circulars + Call letters to each of the shareholders.

I hope your cold is quite better my darling, + that you are enjoying robust health. 

We are having wretched weather here now, raining incessantly, + to day is snow. How is it with you.

I shall love forward to another letter on Sunday my darling, I like to get them on Sundays especially they are the only source of enjoyment I have in this wretched place.

But I must not grumble, “this wretched place” will enable me to get you to share it, so it is worth a little unpleasantness to have that + remain for ever 
my darling Wife
Your loving true + faithful husband
Fred

I love looking up the music that Fred and Janie mention, some of it has survived in popularity to this day, such as La fille de Madame Angot, and other’s like The Waterman, by English composer Charles Dibdin are no longer performed. Madame Angot was by French composer Charles Lecocq who in many ways filled the rather large shoes left after the recent death of x Offenbach. Depicting the story of a Parisian florist caught in a love triangle, Madame Angot was probably the most successful comic opera by the end of the 19th century, outperforming both HMS Pinafore and Die Fledermaus internationally. It blows my mind sometimes to realise that for Fred and Janie, these productions were the new popular culture. 

In Janie’s next letter, she talks about her confirmation, and it’s rather touching that Fred’s mother Ann, came to support her future daughter in law at the ceremony, and I love that Janie took her round Handsworth Nurseries afterwards.

The nurseries were owned by Messrs Fisher, Holmes and co, and covered an area of over 200 acres that filled the local landscape between the churchyard behind the Cross Keys, west and north all the way to the boundary of Bowden Houstead Woods.  They provided employment for over 200 men, women and children, many of whom lived in Handsworth. They were not the only nurseries in Handsworth. The Laveracks, you might remember that Janie was friends with Annie Laverack - were also Market Gardeners I think running the Richmond Nurseries behind the Handsworth Nurseries. The nurseries were highly renowned in the area for supplying fruit as well as ornamental plants and flowers. Lots of prestigious events in the local newspapers seem to have been supported by lush displays of flowers from Handsworth Nurseries - and they pop up in most of the local flower shows and feasts. 

Handsworth 
March 24th 1882 

My own darling husband
I received your very welcome letter yesterday morning, they always do me good love. I thought I should have one + I was not disappointed. 

I have just been trying to fall down the cellar steps I had to fetch some bitter up. Kate had washed them + put sand on, I slipped on the sand, I caught my elbow on the beer pipes so saved myself from going to the bottom. I have only hurt my elbow a little.

I was confirmed yesterday love + I said I do. It was a happy day, our bliss will be complete when we both say I will. 

Your mother + Emily came up to the Church, they stopped to dinner, then I took them through the nurseries in the afternoon, they did enjoy seeing the flowers, the Azaleas were out beautifully, the flowers covered the trees you could scarcely see a leaf, I have never been through when they looked more beautiful. I got a nice lot for your mother to take home, we came back to tea, they went home about half past five. Your mother said she felt much better she thought the fresh air had done her good. You would have a letter from Arthur yesterday, hadn’t you love? They are all very well at your house.

My darling I am not ill, I daresay when Ted + Miss Dalton saw me I did not look very well, I have a very bad cold. I have not felt very well this week, I have had such a pain between my shoulders + nasty headaches.

I have not been fretting about you love I shall see you very soon now, only fourteen days. Mother has gone to Sheffield to day so I have to be barmaid, [Our Emma] is very much put out because she has not had a chance of getting in the bar, she has been as nasty as possible you may know how nasty that is.

I would rather go to Wharncliffe than stay at home and have to wait, thought I would much rather have you all to myself. 

I think you have done quite right in refusing to go to Paris darling, I could not bear to have to you so far as that away it is quite far enough where you are now, I knew that you had had the letter Mrs Gill told me, Mr Gill got your address from home, I thought you would not go I did not see how you could leave Mr Cooper very well, did you tell him you had the offer, I thought I would not say anything to you until you mentioned it, your mother wanted me to write off at once and tell you not to go, I thought love that if you thought it really worth your while going I would try not to put any hindrance in your way but Oh I am so pleased you are not going my own darling, it would be hard to spare you to go further away.

I expect our John will be at home at Easter but if you can put up with the bed in the clubroom we will manage very well. I don’t think our people will have any very strong objections to you stopping every night love.

I will write you a longer one for Sunday, I wish I could just give one kiss my darling
I remain your loving true + faithful 
Wife Janie.
Handsworth 

Continued
March 24th 1882. 9-30

My own darling husband

Mother has got home so I am now at liberty to give  you a little more, I know you like a long one for Sunday. 

Mrs Frith called yesterday + said I was to remember her very kindly to you.

I do wish I could see you darling. I do yearn for a glimpse of your dear face, I feel as if I could not wait until Easter sometimes it seems so slow in coming but I must be patient, there is only two more weary Sundays to get through, then we shall be happy together, I do love you my darling more than every, I wish I could pop over to see you to morrow + spend Sunday with you.

I wish I could get to Harrogate to see Carrie + then I should be nearer you but I expect it is no use thinking of such a thing love, Mother says if anybody goes away this summer to stop a few days it will be her. I am sure I should be pleased for her to go because she does need a change, but I hope if she does go she will take our Pem with her we could manage without her but I am sure we could not with her.

March 25th Saturday
I felt so sleepy last  night I had to give up writing so will finish to day.

My darling I received your loving letter this morning for which I thank you. I wish I could have gone with you to see “Madam Angot” + “The Waterman” played at the theatre, I have not seen it love I should have enjoyed it very much with you darling, everything is much more enjoyable when we are together husband is it not. It was too late to commence writing after you got home love, I hope your dreams were sweet that you were going to dream about me on your virtuous couch, I was dreaming about a wedding last night, I do not remember whether it was ours or not I think it was I awoke before it was over.

My home was pleasant on Thursday, for once, mother + father was in a good temper, our Emma had gone out + that makes a great difference so we were very quiet.

I hope we shall be alone some part of the time at Easter darling, if you stop at [our] house most of the nights we well manage it somehow.

I am very sorry to hear of Johny Meays’s illness, I hardly know what you are to do to see him. He says he hopes he will be able to see you either at Darnall or Wombwell, don’t you think if he can come to Darnall that it would be best to see him there, it means another day if you go to Wombwell, + I don’t know how I am to spare you to all your friends, could he not come on the Tuesday + then you would see them all together, just think if over + see if you can’t do in that way, I am rather selfish darling, wanting you all to myself but I can’t help it, I love you so much that I feel when you are here I want to keep you I feel as if I could not bear you out of sight for a minute more than is necessary it does seem a lifetime since I saw you and kissed you.

You did mention about bringing me something for my birthday love, I hardly know what you are to get for me darling, I will study it over + see what I want + let you know in the meantime, but I would rather you choose something for me but not anything expensive as I want you to save all you can + then at Easter I will tell you how soon we can be united my darling + then I shall have you for my present, the best in the whole world. 

Mother went to a sale yesterday, an old lady higher up Cemetery Road then our Williams, + she bought two dozen silver plated forks, she is going to give me half of them at least, so that will save us another sovereign won’t it love? She got them at 6/1/2 each, + the lowest price to buy new ones is 22/- per doz to get decent ones + you know she has promised me the knives with the silver plated handles so I think we shall manage with them for a start very well don’t you love? We shall have no glass to buy I can beg all that.

I shall be very pleased for you to inspect Louisa’s hat + give us the benefit of your extensive experience love.

I am afraid Emma Gill is quite as bad as I said in my other letter, she has such a racking cough, she did not get up until four o’clock the day that I went to see her she is not so far gone but that I think that she might get better yet, I hope she will.

You bad lad if I had you here I would pull your nose for saying such naughty things, I dare say you will only be too pleased to introduce yourself (in) to me + mine, you bad lad. I am quite shocked at you. I am sorry you have been troubled disturbed again at night you see you want a bed fellow + then perhaps you would not be so uneasy. I have seen + felt the point, in fact the whole of it + taking it has it stands, you have a lot to put up with, I quite agree with you there, forgive my rudeness husband, I do love you.

The weather is rather rough here but not very cold so I still think we will go to Wharncliffe rather than stay at home to wait because you would sit in the kitchen very likely + I should hardly have a minute with you + I begrudge a minute away from you. 

You spoke about buying a clock love. Tom Gibbins has such nice little black marble timepiece he wants to sell you for a pound I told Polly I thought we would have it but I would see what you said about it, it cost a good deal more but the engagement is broken off between he + his young lady so he wants to sell it, it is a bargain I am sure love what do you think darling? it would be less money than the one you thought of getting wouldn’t it love + would be a nice ornament for our mantelpiece we shall have to be careful in laying out our money.

I think Ted would be able to start business on £30 but they would have to be careful, I hardly think they could furnish all through on that it would all depend how they think of doing it.

My darling we would see to getting the dinner service to the station so the you would not have to carry it, I am afraid it will be a biggish box to hold all the things, Louisa said I could have a box of hers + then you could bring it back at Whitsuntide.

I have not time for more past time.

I love you more than ever my darling

I remain 
your loving true + faithful 
Wife Janie

While Janie made some euphemistic mentions of her and Fred’s intimacy, in this next letter from Fred, please be aware that he gets a bit more explicit, but still only uses mild terminology. We also get a bit a gossip concerning one of his old girlfriends, Lucy Craven.

 21 Church Street, Middlesbrough
March 26/82.

My own darling wife,
I received your nice letter yesterday morning, which was an extra treat love. I hardly expected it as I had had three from you, but you are so good my darling in giving me these treats. I will reward you at Easter as well as I can for your kindness my little wife — I wish I could kiss you just now. It is a beautiful afternoon. I should like to go for our usual Sunday afternoon’s walk with you love. I intended going for a walk this afternoon but I thought you would want a letter tomorrow morning, so I am staying in to give you one love.

I was sorry to hear of your falling down the cellar steps, I hope it won’t be serious darling; + I was glad to hear that my mother had been up to your confirmation. I think it would do her good if she were to get out a little more, + she might do so now without it being inconvenient. I wish I could have been there as well, I should so like to have seen you you would be sure to look nice you always do.

I am glad to hear that you were not ill my darling. Ted must have seen you when you had that severe cold. You must take care of yourself love, while I am away, of course when I get you here, I shall be able to look after you. I hope the pain between your shoulders + the headache will soon be better my darling, you must take something for them.

I am glad that you agree with me wifie, in refusing the Paris offer. I thought you would do so, we always do agree so well love. I appreciate your tact love in not mentioning it first, which shall be rewarded. I am afraid I quite forgot my mother being interested in my not going, I only thought of you. I cannot think of anybody else, you occupy my mind altogether, my darling, + it would be very hard to be father away from you. I hope I have not done anything to regret in not following it up.

I shall be quite satisfied with the Clubroom love, at Easter, if it is not inconvenient to you to keep the somewhere else. Last night I slept there I could smell the meat all night, + my very delicate organisation was slightly inconvenienced thereby. 

I must now turn to your nice long loving letter received this morning. I do like a long one for Sunday darling, as you say.

I am pleased that Mrs Frith remembers me. You must please remember me very kindly to her. Have you heard from Betsy Frith lately love? 

I wish like you darling, that I could see you, but it only wants thirteen days now love, + when to day is over there will only be on more Sunday to get over without you love + then bliss.

We will not think of Harrogate love, then. I hope your mother will give herself a few days rest love this summer, I think she might have don so last for she needed it I thought. She ought to take your Pem love with her, I am sure you would be able to manage without her.

The wedding you dreamt about must have been ours love, who’s else could it be, it was a pity you woke up before it was finished. When you do wake on the happy wedding night love, it will have been finished won’t it + will be very small then. 

I am glad your home was pleasant for Thursday darling, it make a difference evidently when your Emma is away. 

Respecting John Meays, I think I shall ask him to make it convenient to go to Wharncliffe on Easter Monday, + then I shall see him + save the Tuesday as well. I don’t suppose he would care to come to Darnall on the Sunday, + I expect his shop will be open on the Tuesday so that he will not be able to get away on that day.

I admire your selfishness darling, in wanting to keep me all to yourself, I am quite agreeable. Think over what I am to get for your birthday love, you might mention several things that you would like + then I might get one of them — I really don’t know what to get for you — I think I should like to get something useful. I cannot buy you another “Lady’s Companion” because you have one + when I am over you will have another.

You must express my thanks to your mother love, for the silver forks — she is very good. She has evidently made up her mind to the inevitable now, tho she held out a long time didn’t she? She got them very cheap didn’t she love? She could not have given you anything more useful darling, or more to my taste, for I detest steel forks, don’t you. I think they spoil the taste of the food so much.

I wish you had me there love, I would willingly submit to have my nose pulled for I should kiss you after saying “such naughty things” you duck! I am sorry you were shocked at my remarks darling I did not mean to shock you, tho I have no doubt I shall give you a shock at Easter for I assure you that it has not got any less, but larger I think + I feel sure that I shall be able to extinguish myself + it (especially it) + do justice to you at the same time. I expect it will be tight at first love as usual in fact, I shall be disappointed if it is not, for it is nicer when it is a tight fit — don’t you think so. (My trousers are feeling tight at this moment, oh I wish I was with you.)

I do want a bedfellow love as you say but I only want you, nobody else would do for me, because we suit each other so well you see, it could not be better love, could it? I thought you would see the point of my remarks. Oh! you naughty girl, to say you “have seen + felt the point, in fact the whole of it” I am shocked? + then to say that I have a lot to put up with, how should you know my darling; surely you have never seen it + been touched  by it, have you? + then to say you agree with me. Shocking!

My darling wife, I forgive you for saying such naughty things? is it naughty between us love, to speak of things, we will be good love, at Easter then, + not mention it at all, there, I feel so good even now. But if the subject should crop up, you can always rely on the whole ‘I have to put up with’ being entirely at your service, + I think I should not be very offended if you requested the favour of it, for you know my darling wife, that it is yours + has never been, + never will be, anybody’s else. I love you too much my darling, to trifle with anybody else, I should not be faithful if I did so, + we have promised my darling to be “faithful till death us do part”.

Shall I write to Ted + tell him that we shall be sure to go to Wharncliffe on Easter Monday love? I think it would perhaps be better, + then we could go at the same time as they do. It will almost be like our Whitmonday reunion. I forgot to tell you that Ted said in his letter, that Lucy Craven + Johnny Mortar had been seen up Shirland Lane in a very undignified + suggestive position, viz clothes up, trousers unbuttoned etc. I am afraid that all she would experience would be a slight tickle sensation because he has nothing that would take her breath away, or bring heaven to her. Excuse my remarks darling. 

Respecting Tom Gibbin’s Clock I am quite agreeable love, to have it, shall I send you the money or will it wait until I bring you a further instalment at Easter, to my wife. I shall tell Ted that £30 will be sufficient — I think, as you say. You did not anticipate spending even as much as that did you love?

I shall have to give up now, as it is post time.

Oh! my darling wife, I do love you so much. More + more very day, + shall always remain
Your loving, true + faithful 
husband
Fred

We’ll leave it there for now.

[outro]
Thank you for listening to My Love Letter Time Machine. 
Next time the racey village gossip and the even racier pillow talk continues. 
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Until next time, take care.
© Ingrid Birchell Hughes 2022