E N G L I S H H E R I TAG E

Brodsworth Hall Education Centre I N F O R M AT I O N F O R T E AC H E R S ● the furnishings by using the

following documentary sources: • Specification of Works 1861 • 1885 Inventory • Lapworth’s Bill ● the people who lived in the Hall

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by using the: • photographs on the wall • ‘The Family Album’ • ‘Brodsworth Hall - Then and Now’ • Census returns

All activities in the Education Centre are to be led by the visiting teachers. Each of the six circular tables contains a different resource. There are no prescribed instructions written for pupils. It is up to each individual teacher to plan in advance how they intend to use them.

INTRODUCTION These notes are intended to help teachers plan their use of the resources in the Education Centre. As there is no resident Education Officer all activities must be led by the visiting teachers. The suggested approaches are offered as help but you are welcome to use the Education Centre for your own planned work. Task sheets are available to help pupils use the documentary sources. Copies of these, and of some of the documentary sources which you can use for preparatory and follow-up work, may be collected when you make your planning visit. The Education Centre is on the first floor and can accommodate 30 pupils around six circular tables. The resources can be used as part of a carousel of activities with

pupils using each of the six tables, the model and the photographs on the wall. If you adopt this approach each table should be supervised by an adult who can lead pupils’ investigations. You need to plan how your use of the Education Centre fits in with your work during your visit. Some of the suggested approaches depend upon having seen the Hall first, some can be used to prepare pupils for work in the Hall. The resources aim to provide an understanding of:

● the wealth of surface decoration

in the Hall by using photographs of details of furniture and fittings ● the work of the servants by using:

• a handling collection • job descriptions (not specific to those at Brodsworth) ● the conservation processes used

at Brodsworth by using • photographs of conservation work • samples of materials from the Hall • material used by conservators.

CONTENTS About the Room Page 2 Using the Resources Page 2

● the layout of the Hall by using:

• a model of the Hall • a large aerial photograph • 30 laminated floor plans (stored in the cabinet) • detailed architect’s drawings of the exterior of the Hall (stored in the cabinet).

E D U C AT I O N S E RV I C E

Using the Photographs Page 6 Practicalities Page 8

Briefing helpers To ensure that your helpers are used to maximum effect they need to be briefed of their role. This can be done at a briefing meeting at school or by outlining what you expect of them in the bus en route do you expect them to answer pupils’ questions directly or should they respond with further questions which encourage pupils to observe, think and deduce? After all, your helpers have given their time freely and would want it to be used to good effect. When using the resources in the Education Centre it is advisable to assign one helper to each of the tables where they can ask relevant questions and prompt pupils’ enquiries. ABOUT THE ROOM The Education Centre is housed in the Day Nursery. This room, the nearby Night Nursery and the room below the Night Nursery (originally the School Room, now used for administration), were designated for the Thellusson children. To help them understand what life was like for children living at the Hall ask pupils: ● why were these rooms in this particular part of the Hall. (They were accessible from the front entrance without having to walk through the Hall or use the main staircase and also close to the parents’ bedrooms) ● why the children needed their own quarters. (Parents were relieved of the immediate responsibility of caring all day and night for their children, their toys were kept away from the main rooms, they were freer to play in

David Walmsley

There is a collection of hats which can be used for role-play work.

their own room without damaging the fabric and objects of the main rooms and could make noise without disturbing adult activities in the main rooms) ● what activities would have occupied the children in the Day Nursery. (Younger children and girls were not sent to school but educated at home) ● who was responsible for the children in these rooms. (A governess had the main responsibility - her room, near the Night Nursery, now has an exhibition about servant life. When the children were babies it was also customary for a nurse to be employed to look after them) ● how were the rooms used after the children grew up. (The Day Nursery eventually became a sitting room at the beginning of this century).

Each room on all three levels of the model is a separate piece. They can be identified by replica artefacts which signify the use of the room.

● which rooms were larger and

taller and why ● which side were the best rooms

on and why

USING THE RESOURCES

● how the rooms inter-related. The

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The cabinet contains activity sheets for use during your escorted investigation or for extension work if you revisit the Hall. Loan copies may be collected from the custodian during your planning visit.

This unique resource offers pupils a 3D means of understanding the internal arrangements of the Hall. Refer also to the large photograph on the wall and the laminated floor plans.

THE MODEL OF THE HALL There are separate instructions for assembling the model (including a set in braille). It provides a useful form of orientation and of reinforcing pupils learning after your escorted investigation of the Hall. Once pupils have constructed the model you can ask them: ● what rooms did a wealthy Victorian family expect in their home ● which areas are most used by the men, women and children ● how different are the family’s and the servants’ areas. Consider size of living space, bedrooms and recreational areas 2

Butler’s Pantry gave the butler quick access to the front door, the Kitchen was close to the Dining Room and the master bedroom was at the head of the main staircase ● how much labour was needed to keep the Hall warm and to provide water to rooms ● on which sides was the Hall symmetrical. Refer also to the large aerial photograph above the model and photocopied floor plans. If prepared in advance these can be used for pupils to record their findings. Please dismantle the model and store all the components in the trolley THE WORK OF THE SERVANTS This table contains: • replicas of implements used by servants in the Hall • job descriptions of servants taken from a book ‘the Duties of Servants’ written in 1894. Task sheets available.

Ask pupils to: ● link the objects in the box with the servant who may have used them (some of the items represent the work of more than one type of servant and many objects would have been used by one servant) ● pick out which items were used to remove dust. What were the advantages and disadvantages of each method ● compare cleaning methods used in the nineteenth century with those used in homes today ● suggest what materials, surfaces or objects in the Hall they would be used to clean. Which room would these implements be used in and what physical action was needed by the servants to use them? ● give reasons why people today make less use of hand brushes in keeping houses clean ● identify which items are rarely seen in modern homes and why ● record their impressions of what life must have been like for one of the servants and then imagine that they were a servant writing home about their first days at the Hall. Before your escorted investigation you could give pupils the role of different servants. In each room ask pupils to describe or record what their duties would have been. Please return all items to this table

Please supervise pupils closely when handling the hats ‘BRODSWORTH HALL THEN AND NOW’ These photographs show how rooms, mainly on the ground floor, have changed since the 1860s. These changes were caused by: • some paintings and ornaments being moved by the family as tastes changed • worn carpets being replaced • light fittings being changed after the introduction of electricity which replaced gas lighting • rooms being rearranged for special occasions. To help focus pupils’ attention on 3

specific features of each room there are number of short descriptions of features which can be integrated into your use of this resource. Use the photographs by asking pupils to: ● sort the photographs into different rooms ● sequence the changes or arrange them as ‘then and now’ ● say what evidence has helped them place the photographs in sequence ● comment on why changes have been made ● note what has not changed ● match the rooms with the descriptions (not all the descriptions need to be used. Your selection will also depend upon your pupils’ reading ability).

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David Walmsley

Explore household technology of the nineteenth century by asking pupils to identify modern counterparts and suggest the reasons why domestic appliances are different today.

HATS The replica hats are to be used to show the fashions, fabrics and formal conventions attached to the wearing of hats by both men and women. They can also be used for short role-play exercises. Pupils need to know that both the family and the servants wore hats when travelling to and from the Hall. This continued up to the mid twentieth century. Men always removed their hats when indoors and ‘doffed’ them when greeting people out of doors. Ask pupils to: ● look at the different materials used for each hat ● decide which hats were worn by servants or the family ● look for differences between the styles shown on the photographs of the Thellusson family and those of the servants ● suggest who would have worn them and when ● list special occasions when people might wear hats nowadays ● work out the function of different hats such as which hats were worn for protection, status, warmth, adornment, to hold hair in place or to keep warm or cool

The delicate condition and position of some of the textiles prohibits detailed examination during your escorted investigation of the Hall. These photographs enable you to use the rich variety of surface patterns in a comfortable environment.

PHOTOGRAPHS OF SURFACE DECORATION There are many different examples of surface decoration in the Hall using a wide range of craft skills. They include: • plaster work (ceilings, over-door decorations) • painting (ceilings) • furniture (wood turning carving, gilding, upholstery) • glass work (chandeliers, mirrors, windows) • pottery (tiles, ornaments, tableware)

• metal work (door furniture, fireplaces, light fittings, ornaments) • stonework (columns, statues, fireplaces) • textiles (curtains, pelmets, wall covering, carpets). Use the photographs and pupils’ own sketches taken during your escorted investigation of the Hall and ask pupils: ● to list different materials ● which decoration could only be done by the craftsperson when actually in the Hall and which parts of the decoration could be made in a workshop elsewhere ● which parts of the decoration were made especially for Brodsworth and which decorative features could have been massproduced and used elsewhere ● which patterns consist of natural (flowers, fruit and animals) or geometric (shapes) designs ● where coordinated schemes (involving different materials) have been created ● how the designs would have been applied to the object - what processes would have been used ● how many colours have been used. Pupils can produce a range of designs which could be used on souvenirs or stationery for the shop or to create an exclusive range of printed textiles inspired by those seen in Brodsworth Hall. USING DOCUMENTS Specification of works 1861 Both the original specification and a page-by-page transcription are provided. You may find it useful to use the separate copies of the instructions to individual craftsmen. They provide an insight into: • how the Hall was built • which types of skilled workers were employed • the difference between the quality of the family’s and the servants’ areas of the Hall. Pupils will need to translate the ‘old money’ to decimal currency (8/- = 40p).

Ask pupils to: ● identify the range of craftsmen and where they would have worked - architect, excavator, mason, bricklayer, carpenter, joiner, plasterer, smith, ironmonger, plumber, zinc worker, slater, glazier, painter and paper-hanger ● find the instructions given to them. Pupils could revisit parts of the Hall and decide which craftsmen would have worked in each room or before your escorted investigation they could play the role of different craftsmen identifying the work they would have been asked to do in each room. Task sheet available. 1885 Inventory On the death of each person who inherited the Hall a detailed inventory or list of possessions was made to help assess the value of the inheritance to the next member of the family. This inventory was made on the death of Charles Sabine Thellusson, the builder of the Hall, who left the Hall to his eldest son Peter. There is a copy of the full inventory as written, a transcribed copy and extracts detailing specific rooms. Extracting details from the inventory before your escorted investigation of the Hall will encourage pupils to look closely in each room for specific items. You could also ask pupils to compare: ● the information in the inventory with what remains in one of the rooms in the Hall. This can be done if you choose to revisit part of the Hall. An alternative is to ask pupils to make their own inventory of rooms during your escorted investigation and then compare with what was there in 1885 ● the possessions listed in the inventory to those seen in the photographs ‘Then and Now’ ● the family’s possessions with what is in similar rooms in pupils’ homes ● the contents of a servants’ bedroom with those in a family 4

bedroom. How different were the items provided for the beds in each type of room? How does this compare with what pupils have on their own beds? ● the family’s reading interest to books in their own home (use the list of books in the Library). The inventory for the kitchen is particularly detailed and is arranged under ‘copper, iron, tin and other metal’. Ask pupils to: ● see how many items they can find of each type of metal ● list any objects that are still made from these metals which are used in their own kitchens ● work out what has changed in a kitchen since the nineteenth century and what remains the same ● identify any changes, saying what the modern counterparts are and how they might be better ● work out what fuel or source of energy would be needed to operate some of the devices. During your preparatory visit you could make lists of objects from the inventory. Each list could be different. Give each pupil a list and ask them to find under which room they are listed and then see if they are still in the Hall. Task sheet available. Lapworth’s Bill An extract from the bill shows the different grades of carpets that were bought for the Hall. Ask pupils to: ● identify the rooms where the different grades of carpets were to be placed ● compare how long it would take to write the bill compared to modern computer billing ● prepare a similar bill for the floor coverings in their own homes. Task sheet available. Diary extracts These are from the diary of Charles Thellusson (the father of the builder of the Hall), written in 1854 and 1855. They detail his: • financial dealings

Extracts from the diary of Charles Thellusson. Snippets of information can tell us a lot about the life and character of the author as well as providing background information to the period.

CONSERVATION PROCESSES These resources show the range of conservation techniques undertaken at the Hall. They can be particularly useful if you use them before your escorted investigation as you can relate this to aspects of the Hall. A range of materials are provided for discussion and it would be useful to have one of your helpers assigned to this table. Metal - one of the coins shows the effect of being frequently touched. Not only dirty fingers but also the natural acid in our skin can, over time, affect objects. Textiles - Silk damask was originally used for curtains in the Dining Room and Drawing Room as well as on the walls of the Drawing Room. It is one of the most expensive fabrics. Repairs to panels in the Drawing Room were made in the twentieth century using only cotton damask. Ask pupils to feel the difference in

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texture in the two samples and notice how the pattern is woven into the material - the hallmark of damask cloth. Ask pupils what can cause this fabric to deteriorate. Leather - The chairs made for the Hall in the 1860s were covered with crimson leather. By 1990 some of the leather had deteriorated so much that it has been covered with a very fine polyester net to prevent further damage. This net has been dyed crimson, the same colour as the leather so that it can hardly be seen. Ask pupils why leather rather than woven fabric was more durable. Carpet - Some of the carpets were too rotten to be repaired and have been replaced with replicas made to the same quality and design. Ask pupils how have the carpets been protected from wear by all the visitors to the Hall. What do people do nowadays to protect carpets?

The deterioration of the fabric of the building is as a result of natural and man-made causes. Studying the causes and effects is directly relevant to work in science.

Ask pupils if it were not acid free how might it affect objects wrapped in it. Polyester underlay - This material, similar to that used on ironing boards, is used because it does not attract moths and insects which can damage textiles. It has been placed under the carpets and under many smaller objects. Ask pupils why a fabric made from artificial fibres is so useful to conservators. English Heritage Photo Library

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• social engagements • business contacts • recipes for medical disorders. Ask pupils to read each entry and to jot down words which build an impression of him. Use this information to stimulate creative writing (diary or extended writing), role-play or conversation work. Task sheet available.

Identifying the many different craftspeople used to conserve the objects in the Hall can lead into an analysis of materials and their properties and the chemical and physical processes which have caused their decay or have helped in their preservation.

Wallpaper - These are samples of the original paper which have been removed. One sample is more discoloured because of the composition of the paper. Ask pupils what has damaged the wallpaper. Acid free tissue paper - Many of the family’s possessions are still in store at the Hall and are protected by this special paper. 5

Conservation Photographs The conservation of Brodsworth Hall was a major project. The whole process was recorded from the beginning using photographs. They show the complicated tasks of conserving the: • outside stonework of the Hall (damaged by acid rain) • inside surfaces (affected by water penetration, due to subsidence and the effects of light) • soft furnishings (affected by damp, light and infestation) • many objects on display. Ask pupils to identify: ● the different materials which are being conserved ● the reasons for damage corrosion (chemical), erosion (natural) or wear and tear (frequent use) ● why the roof caused such a problem (rotting timbers, damage

BRODSWORTH CENSUS There are laminated copies of the census from 1841-1891, going back to the time of the previous Hall. Loan copies may be collected during your planning visit. The census can provide useful information about the people who lived and worked at the Hall and in the village. Ask pupils to find: ● the occupations of the servants ● which jobs disappeared ● what changes there were in the number and type of servants between 1871 and 1891 ● any servants’ names which appear in more than one year ● the numbers of male and female servants ● the proportion of single and married servants ● if any servants married another servant from Brodsworth ● the birthplaces of the servants in 1871, 1881 and 1891 to see whether they were recruited locally or from elsewhere in the country ● the type of work which married servants did at the Hall ● the age of the oldest and youngest servant and what they did ● what type of jobs were done by people in the village in 1851. How does this compare with those done in 1891? Task sheets available. Please return your set of loan copies to the custodian on the day of your visit.

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to slates and lead covering, and subsidence which made the building tilt and prevent the rain water running off the roof.) ● how people were able to work on the roof all year round ● the different conservation processes used to prevent further deterioration, such as freezing, and how did this help to conserve ● which processes could only be carried out in the Hall and which processes needed to be carried out in specialist workshops elsewhere ● which items could be conserved quickly and which required a long period of treatment. Sets of these drawings are provided in the Education Centre. To use them for work outside you will need to borrow loan copies from the custodian and photocopy them in advance.

ELEVATION DRAWINGS OF THE HALL These working drawings were made to record the condition of the stonework and then enhanced by computer. Loan copies may be collected from the custodian during your planning visit. These can be photocopied at school and certain features deleted before you reproduce them for work outside the Hall. Alternatively you could give pupils only a small section and ask them to find where it is and draw in the rest of that section. These drawings can be used to make models back at school. Studying the facades of the Hall will encourage pupils to look at shape, symmetry, style and scale. They can also be used to record measurements and surface detail. Please return your set of loan copies to the custodian on the day of your visit. USING THE PHOTOGRAPHS The Thellusson family left many photographs. Some were taken by professional photographers, others by family members or servants. This unique collection provides direct evidence of life in Victorian Britain and Britain since 1930. So extensive is this collection that you may want to focus all your work in the Education Centre around them. 6

Photographs of children All the photographs on the walls feature children. Looking clockwise around the room beginning by the main landing they are: • a studio group portrait of the four sons of Charles Sabine Augustus and Georgiana Thellusson, taken c1870. The original mount is annotated with their names Herbert (standing, left, 18541903), Charlie (seated, far left, Charles 1860-1919), Gussy (Augustus, standing, the youngest, 1863-1931), Peter (seated right, 1850-1899). None of them had children, so Brodsworth passed to each one in turn and then to their nephew Charles Grant Dalton • a studio photograph of Herbert Thellusson in the uniform of the 8th Hussars c.1875-1880 • Marjorie West and a group of girls dancing, possibly on the front lawn at Brodsworth, c. 1918. Marjorie was the younger sister of Sylvia West, who married Charles Grant Dalton in 1916. The girls are performing a tableaux - the classical costumes suggest their performance was based on classical mythology • two little girls with their horsetricycle. These are probably Sylvia (on R) and Marjorie West. • Horace Grant-Dalton and his wife Constance (the younger daughter

‘THE FAMILY ALBUM’ As with most family albums this gives an insight into the lifestyle and interests of the family as well as the social conventions at the time. This can be realised by asking pupils: ● what do the photographs tell us about the person ● to compare the poses - were they posing formally or ‘snapped’ in a casual pose. What impression does the body language create? How are the poses different from photographs taken today - no smiles, formal clothes, stiff postures (due to the long exposure times)? ● what objects did the figures choose to have with them in the photographs and what do they tell us about the person. What things do people today want to be photographed with and why? ● if the figures are wearing

ordinary day clothes, dress clothes or costumes with a special significance ● if the photographs were taken indoors, outdoors or in a studio ● what differences there are between the photographs of the family and the servants ● how the backgrounds of the photographs compare with the backgrounds of paintings of family members hung in the Hall ● on what occasions nowadays might families or schools have formal photographs taken ● to describe the clothes ● to describe the hairstyles ● to look for evidence in the photographs about the way of life of children in Victorian times or at the beginning of the century. Task sheet available. For more detailed extraction of the evidence contained in the photographs you could ask pupils to: ● compare the photograph of Charles Sabine Thellusson with the painting of him on horseback in the Morning Room ● describe any differences in the styles of dress in the photograph of the four sons of Charles Sabine Thellusson ● compare the outfits worn by Constance, Aline and Elizabeth. Are there any clues to suggest whether they are wearing winter or summer costumes? ● identify how the military costume of Charles Thellusson is different from the uniform of Charles GrantDalton ● describe the gowns worn by Sylvia and Pamela Grant-Dalton for Pamela’s presentation at court. (Presenting the daughters of wellconnected families to the monarch was a tradition which continued until the present Queen’s reign.) How do these gowns compare with those worn by earlier Thellusson women in portraits in the Hall? ● look at the photograph of William Holden with other servants 7

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of Charles Sabine Thellusson) and their sons, Charles (born 1884) and Stewart (born 1886). The photograph was probably taken outside the home of Horace’s father in Somerset. Charles inherited Brodsworth on the death of the last of the Thellusson sons • a studio photograph of Sylvia Grant-Dalton with her daughter Pamela taken c1924 • a woman giving a piggy back to a girl, taken c1880. The photograph was taken outside the Target House in the grounds at Brodsworth. Their identity is unknown but as it comes from a Thellusson family photograph album they may have been relations or friends • Sylvia West. A studio photograph taken in 1904. It is inscribed on the back, “Aged 3, at Uncle Herbert’s wedding” when she was probably a bridesmaid • Reginald West with his two daughters Sylvia and Marjorie on a beach, taken c1910 • Charles Grant-Dalton aged about 13 and taken about 1897. He is reading about cars - an interest he pursued all his life.

‘Brodsworth Boy’ This photograph of a boy leaning on a column has yet to be identified. Copies are provided for pupils to study and speculate. This is an ideal stimulus for many forms of creative writing. If you introduce this task at the beginning of your visit pupils can collect background information during their escorted investigation and then follow this up by using the resources in the Education Centre. Ask pupils: • where might this photograph be taken (indoors, outdoors or in a studio) • why is he resting on a column • why is he dressed like this • what do his clothes tell us about him • what does his expression say about what he is feeling • who wanted this photograph taken • who might have it been given to. Once pupils begin to give this boy an identity they can relate this to the Hall by asking: • where might he have slept, played or eaten • who would have looked after him • which rooms was he not allowed to go into • what might he have liked or disliked about living at Brodsworth • which objects might he have used or been fascinated by

for any clues as to his status among the servants ● say if they can tell from the photographs of the Holdens that they were servants ● state why they think the family wanted images made of their pets (both photographs and paintings). Creative writing The photographs provide an excellent stimulus. Ask pupils to imagine they are one of the children in the photographs and: ● describe what they are wearing ● suggest where the photo was taken ● say what these children were feeling at the time. Pupils could create imaginary conversations with the children in the photographs and ask: ● what are they doing ● what was it like to live at Brodsworth ● which were their favourite rooms ● what they used to do in the Education Room when it was their Day Nursery ● how they feel about the present use of their home. Other suggestions for using the photographs to stimulate creative writing include asking pupils to: ● describe what was happening immediately before or just after the photograph was taken. This could be presented as a conversation or as a narrative ● create a character outside the picture such as the photographer, parent, onlooker, friend or family member and suggest what they might be saying to the person in the photograph as it was taken ● describe a photograph and then to give the description to another pupil to find it. This exercise develops observation and language skills and can be used to prepare pupils for further work ● choose three photographs as the basis for a story. This could be drafted in the Education Centre, enabling pupils to collect

Selling a painting Choose a painting of one of the Thellusson family or their pets. If they were sold at auction they could be valuable. Ask pupils to write a description of their favourite painting for an auction catalogue. Try to flatter the painting to impress potential buyers, for example the following descriptions could be used to describe the portrait of Charles Sabine Thellusson in the cavalry noble, endearing, gallant, dashing, theatrical, sweeping, romantic, dynamic, respectable. background information in and around the Hall. Encourage them to include detailed descriptions of one or more objects in their stories ● invent a caption for each photograph. As a paired exercise one pupil could do it from the family’s point of view and another from the point of view of a servant ● link a character to one of the rooms. This can be done by suggesting what that person could be doing there, what objects they would be using. Or you could ask pupils to imagine they were a person in a photograph and to walk through one or two rooms, describing what they see. THE ORAL-HISTORY UNIT This unit features original recordings of people who lived and worked in the Hall. Transcripts of each recording accompany the unit and copies can be loaned from the custodians during your planning visit for follow-up work at school. Give each pupil a person to study. Ask them to record information about their life and how these people regarded others living in the Hall. Ask pupils to build up a picture of the person and to try to describe their character. Task sheet available. Please return loan copies to the custodian on the day of your visit. 8

PRACTICALITIES ■ All consumables need to supplied by the school. ■ When using the Education Centre and the Hall all activities need to be led by teachers. The custodians will only offer support. ■ To return to the Hall from the Education Centre groups must be accompanied by a custodian. ■ For conservation reasons pupils should not eat or drink in the Education Centre. ■ Photography is allowed in the Education Centre but not in the rest of the Hall. ■ The custodians in the shop welcome school parties as all proceeds contribute towards the continuing work of English Heritage. English Heritage is the national leader in heritage education. We aim to help teachers at all levels to use the resource of the historic environment. Each year, we welcome over half a million pupils, students and teachers on free educational group visits to over 400 historic sites in our care. For free copies of our Free Educational Visits booklet, our Resources catalogue, and Heritage Learning, our termly magazine, contact. English Heritage Education Freepost 22 (WD214) London W1E 7EZ Tel 020-7973 3442 Fax 020-7973 3443 www.english-heritage.org.uk

Text by Hazel Moffatt, David Walmsley and Peter Hepplewhite Edited and produced by David Walmsley Designed by Small World Design Printed by Palladian Press English Heritage 1998