nature, kill two stags one morning. The first she shot through the heart. With the aid of a powerful pair of fieldglasses, I watched her stalk the second. First she crawled on all-fours up a long burn; emerging hot and panting, not to say wet and dirty, she then continued her scramble up a steep hill, taking advantage of any cover afforded by the ground, or remaining in a petrified attitude if by chance a hind happened to look up. The stag, meanwhile, quite oblivious of the danger lurking at hand, was apparently enjoying himself. Surrounded by his hinds, he trusted to their vigilance, and lay in the bracken in the brilliant sunshine. I could just see his fine antlered head, when suddenly, realising that all was not well, he bounded up, making a magnificent picture as he stood gazing around, his head thrown back in defiance. ‘Crash! Bang!’ and this glorious animal became a maimed and tortured thing. Shot through both forelegs, he attempted to gallop down the hill, his poor broken limbs tumbling about him, while the affrighted hinds stood riveted to the spot, looking at their lord and master with horror, not unmixed with curiosity. I shall never forget the sight, or that of the dogs set on him, and the final scene, over which I draw a veil. If these things must be done, how can a woman bring herself to do them. 30
The increasing inclusion of women in such activities soon became the least of John Brown’s and his colleagues’ worries; the sudden death of Sir Robert Gordon brought to the estate a pall of gloom with much fear of loss of jobs. But soon a rumour started to circulate that Queen Victoria and her family were intent on the tenancy. And so it was that the Fife Trustees successfully negotiated the lease of Balmoral with Prince Albert. The royal family had now grown to six children – Princess Vicky, Albert Edward (b. 1841), the Prince of Wales, Princess Alice (b. 1843), Prince Alfred (b. 1844), Princess Helena (b. 1846) and Princess Louise (b. 1848) – and Queen Victoria planned to include them all in her September 1848 Scots holiday. It was the beginning of a new era for the area around Crathie and the commencement of immortality for John Brown.
One of the greatest changes was the prospect of new employment. The royal family’s decision to make Balmoral their Scottish home meant steady work for coachmen, footmen, gardeners, housemaids, launderers and labourers, as well as an increase in groundsmen and gillies. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert took great interest in the lives of the Crathie folk, particularly the families of those who worked at Balmoral. Throughout her life Queen Victoria made regular visits to the cottages on the estate and to Crathie, and she knew well not only John Brown’s immediate family – his uncles, aunts and cousins – but also their lifestyles, too; she sampled their diet of oatmeal and milk, oatcakes and scones, black puddings and potted head (boiled sheep’s head in jelly). She admired the women’s skills in making blankets, plaids and clothes from local sheeps’ wool they spun themselves, and often tailored her gifts to them to supplement their diet and apparel. Just as she enjoyed taking a glass of whisky with her tenants – probably illicitly distilled nearby – she turned a blind eye to the poaching of salmon from her stretch of the Dee or of venison from the hills.
John Brown and the Crathie folk who were to be employed at Balmoral soon realised that their new employers were very enlightened in their views concerning servants. Encouraged by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria was generous in ensuring that the working conditions at Balmoral were conducive to getting the best out of their employees. In later years John Brown and his family would all profit from Queen Victoria’s largesse and many estate families benefited from secure tenancy agreements and annuity schemes which were introduced at Balmoral from 1849.
A record of Queen Victoria’s attitude to her employees
The increasing inclusion of women in such activities soon became the least of John Brown’s and his colleagues’ worries; the sudden death of Sir Robert Gordon brought to the estate a pall of gloom with much fear of loss of jobs. But soon a rumour started to circulate that Queen Victoria and her family were intent on the tenancy. And so it was that the Fife Trustees successfully negotiated the lease of Balmoral with Prince Albert. The royal family had now grown to six children – Princess Vicky, Albert Edward (b. 1841), the Prince of Wales, Princess Alice (b. 1843), Prince Alfred (b. 1844), Princess Helena (b. 1846) and Princess Louise (b. 1848) – and Queen Victoria planned to include them all in her September 1848 Scots holiday. It was the beginning of a new era for the area around Crathie and the commencement of immortality for John Brown.
One of the greatest changes was the prospect of new employment. The royal family’s decision to make Balmoral their Scottish home meant steady work for coachmen, footmen, gardeners, housemaids, launderers and labourers, as well as an increase in groundsmen and gillies. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert took great interest in the lives of the Crathie folk, particularly the families of those who worked at Balmoral. Throughout her life Queen Victoria made regular visits to the cottages on the estate and to Crathie, and she knew well not only John Brown’s immediate family – his uncles, aunts and cousins – but also their lifestyles, too; she sampled their diet of oatmeal and milk, oatcakes and scones, black puddings and potted head (boiled sheep’s head in jelly). She admired the women’s skills in making blankets, plaids and clothes from local sheeps’ wool they spun themselves, and often tailored her gifts to them to supplement their diet and apparel. Just as she enjoyed taking a glass of whisky with her tenants – probably illicitly distilled nearby – she turned a blind eye to the poaching of salmon from her stretch of the Dee or of venison from the hills.
John Brown and the Crathie folk who were to be employed at Balmoral soon realised that their new employers were very enlightened in their views concerning servants. Encouraged by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria was generous in ensuring that the working conditions at Balmoral were conducive to getting the best out of their employees. In later years John Brown and his family would all profit from Queen Victoria’s largesse and many estate families benefited from secure tenancy agreements and annuity schemes which were introduced at Balmoral from 1849.
A record of Queen Victoria’s attitude to her employees
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