explain my other concerns
I need to first elaborate on my relationship with my parents.
“I was an only daughter out of
five sons, all my brothers lived into adulthood. The eldest, Henry, took over
the estate and became the fifth baron. Upon his death, his son William Henry
acquired the title and moved into the house with his wife Amelia. You shall
meet them tomorrow when they arrive for Christmas.”
“They are your nephew and
niece-in-law.” Clara placed the photograph on a side table.
“Yes. My other brothers went
into various occupations suitable for the sons of a baron; the army, the
Church, the law. That left me. Father had left me in no doubt that he expected
I should marry when the time was right, probably to one of our cousins. He was
very despondent when no marriage proposals came my way, naturally I never
informed him of the ones I turned down.” Miss Sampford winked mischievously, “Father’s
attitude was that all his children should be independent of him and the estate,
except Henry. As a woman I did not have the option of earning my living in a
way deemed respectable to my father, my only choice was therefore marriage. But
as the years ticked by with no proposal, so father became more and more
concerned. Finally he summoned me one day and asked if I ever intended to find
a husband. When I replied I did not there was a dreadful row and father kicked
me out of the house, just like that! Thankfully, my brother John lived nearby
and I went to him. He approached father on my behalf. Henry was also there, and
there was a heated discussion over my future. Father and Henry felt I was being
deliberately obstinate, John defended me and demanded to know what father
planned should he die while I was still unmarried. He couldn’t leave me with
nothing, he insisted, I was his flesh and blood after all.
“I can only imagine the
challenge of that discussion. Father could be pig-headed and Henry was little
better. The estate was eating money faster than it came in from various family
investments and father’s biggest concern was that I would be a drain on the
estate resources once he was gone and possibly force Henry to sell the estate,
which had been in the family for three centuries.”
“That is an awful way to
think.” Clara said, deeply saddened by the story.
“Can you see why I was so adamant
women should be equal to men? So often our feelings and desires are ignored
because of financial considerations, which would not be necessary if we had the
same powers to earn a living as men do. Of course, father’s behaviour upset me
deeply and our relationship was never quite the same again. John, however, was
extremely persuasive. Before the end of the day he had not only persuaded
father to let me back home, should I wish, but he had him agree to a provision
in his will that would allow me a yearly income until my death, if I did not
marry. Should I marry the provision was lost. Henry was furious as he felt it
gave me every incentive not to find a husband, but as I was already 39 and so
far unmarried, John argued that it was unlikely I would now find a husband.
Does that not sound awful? Even my favourite brother could not fathom myself
being attractive to a man once my youth was gone.”
Miss Sampford gave a long
sigh.
“I don’t have a picture of
John. He died in 1885 and the only photos were in my brother Henry’s
possession. My father died in 1881 and since then I have been living on my
annual allowance. He had also left a small pension for my mother. When she died
in 1908 she left what money she had to me and it was enough, with the savings I
had carefully accrued, to buy this property. Henry found it most irritating
that I continued to live on in fine health, draining his resources. He had to
sell off a portion of the estate lands for a housing development. Needless to
say that put me even further out of favour. When he died in 1915 he was still
bemoaning the fact I was alive and unmarried.
I need to first elaborate on my relationship with my parents.
“I was an only daughter out of
five sons, all my brothers lived into adulthood. The eldest, Henry, took over
the estate and became the fifth baron. Upon his death, his son William Henry
acquired the title and moved into the house with his wife Amelia. You shall
meet them tomorrow when they arrive for Christmas.”
“They are your nephew and
niece-in-law.” Clara placed the photograph on a side table.
“Yes. My other brothers went
into various occupations suitable for the sons of a baron; the army, the
Church, the law. That left me. Father had left me in no doubt that he expected
I should marry when the time was right, probably to one of our cousins. He was
very despondent when no marriage proposals came my way, naturally I never
informed him of the ones I turned down.” Miss Sampford winked mischievously, “Father’s
attitude was that all his children should be independent of him and the estate,
except Henry. As a woman I did not have the option of earning my living in a
way deemed respectable to my father, my only choice was therefore marriage. But
as the years ticked by with no proposal, so father became more and more
concerned. Finally he summoned me one day and asked if I ever intended to find
a husband. When I replied I did not there was a dreadful row and father kicked
me out of the house, just like that! Thankfully, my brother John lived nearby
and I went to him. He approached father on my behalf. Henry was also there, and
there was a heated discussion over my future. Father and Henry felt I was being
deliberately obstinate, John defended me and demanded to know what father
planned should he die while I was still unmarried. He couldn’t leave me with
nothing, he insisted, I was his flesh and blood after all.
“I can only imagine the
challenge of that discussion. Father could be pig-headed and Henry was little
better. The estate was eating money faster than it came in from various family
investments and father’s biggest concern was that I would be a drain on the
estate resources once he was gone and possibly force Henry to sell the estate,
which had been in the family for three centuries.”
“That is an awful way to
think.” Clara said, deeply saddened by the story.
“Can you see why I was so adamant
women should be equal to men? So often our feelings and desires are ignored
because of financial considerations, which would not be necessary if we had the
same powers to earn a living as men do. Of course, father’s behaviour upset me
deeply and our relationship was never quite the same again. John, however, was
extremely persuasive. Before the end of the day he had not only persuaded
father to let me back home, should I wish, but he had him agree to a provision
in his will that would allow me a yearly income until my death, if I did not
marry. Should I marry the provision was lost. Henry was furious as he felt it
gave me every incentive not to find a husband, but as I was already 39 and so
far unmarried, John argued that it was unlikely I would now find a husband.
Does that not sound awful? Even my favourite brother could not fathom myself
being attractive to a man once my youth was gone.”
Miss Sampford gave a long
sigh.
“I don’t have a picture of
John. He died in 1885 and the only photos were in my brother Henry’s
possession. My father died in 1881 and since then I have been living on my
annual allowance. He had also left a small pension for my mother. When she died
in 1908 she left what money she had to me and it was enough, with the savings I
had carefully accrued, to buy this property. Henry found it most irritating
that I continued to live on in fine health, draining his resources. He had to
sell off a portion of the estate lands for a housing development. Needless to
say that put me even further out of favour. When he died in 1915 he was still
bemoaning the fact I was alive and unmarried.
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