Lady Llanofer

In 1861, a girl called Margaret Davies, daughter of William Davies, agent to Lord Mostyn, went to Llanofer, and stayed for a year. During the following months she had various duties including time spent in the kitchens, the workroom and acting as an assistant secretary to Lady Llanofer. She recorded her impressions of her stay in a diary, which gives an insight into the social customs of the day.

Nov. 4th. Mrs. Manuel, Mr. Rees and I began to go to collect the names of the poor and to see what they were most in need of. ............. I never dreamt there was such poverty about. It certainly was a blessing and charity to give them clothing. ...
Nov. 8th. Mrs. Manuel, Mr. Rees and I again went about the poor...........
Nov. 29th. We were very busy these days, the charity goods having arrived. The servants' hall was like a warehouse, and we all like 'counter jumpers', measuring, cutting and making the bundles and labelling them. After that process was finished were were two days giving the bundles to their respective owners. Her Ladyship and little grandchildren gave them away. Each individual was called in from the yard by Mr. Rees and ushered in by Elizabeth to the servants' hall, and the person's name called out by Mrs. Manuel, and I had to find the bundle to give her Ladyship, who spoke Welsh to each, and was very particular in noticing that each was dressed in the Welsh style.
Dec. 19th. We were very busy all day making up the clothes for the poor here again. Mr. Edwards and his daughters came to assist us.
Dec. 20th. We distributed the clothing to above a 100 of the surrounding poor. Some few of them came in their Welsh dress, evidently they had not worn it since the last time they came for their clothing. ......

Dec. 23rd. We were all busy making flags etc. etc. to decorate the hall. The gardeners dressed it with holly and mistletoe etc. very beautifully. Our finished flags were put up and the servants' hall really looked beautiful.
Dec. 24th. After supper we were all very busy dressing up candlesticks with coloured paper to be ready for us to go to the Plygain [matins] next morning. It was almost morning when we got to bed.

Christmas Day 25th. I got up at half five o'clock and found everybody stirring. I took my decorated candle and rallied out into the darkness with others. The path down to the Church was quite illuminated by the many candles. Her Ladyship, too, went down carrying her lighted candle. The Church looked very bright when we all arrived with our candles. The choir sang a few pieces, and the Canon preached after the service was over.

After breakfast we were very busy preparing for the dinner for about two hundred of his Lordship's tenants and workmen.
The dinner was at one o'clock. At one o'clock the big bell rang and about 100 sat down. Grace was sung by her Ladyship's choir, and after the first 100 had done justice to the dinner, the others did the same. The tables were very nicely laid out without a drop of intoxicating drinks.
After dinner the hall was cleared and speeching, singing and repeating poetry (of their own composition) went on. There was no dancing allowed because the Prince Consort's death on the 14th inst.
We were very merry all the next days, dancing and games being in the hall every night.

January 1st, 1862. I got up rather early. We had been very busy the few days before, making suitable flags to decorate the breakfast table with appropriate mottoes on them for the day.
Each gentleman's and lady's flag was stuck in an apple that had been ornamented with oats and flowers. In the evening a harvest home supper was given to about 40 persons, and after that, singing, dancing and games. Blind man's buff was the favourite owing to big "California" joining in.
Some of these next days we got a "Mari Lwyd" amongst ourselves. I think it was on the evening of January 10th that the "horse's head" was exhibited. Harry Vaughan acted as the horse, Lemmy as hostler, Richard as Punch and John as Jeudy.
The harp played under the Library window after tea so as to attract his Lordship's notice. I never heard of such a thing before. It was very amusing.

September 23rd. Lady Llanover called for me to say goodbye to me as she was going to London next day, and I should be gone home before her return. She spoke a great deal and told me I had been a very good girl, and felt quite sorry I was going, but she said too that she hoped to hear from me, and that I was quite welcome to go to Llanover when I pleased, and as often as I pleased; with a shake of the hand the interview was terminated.

On my return home, to surprise my friends, I used to slip away from the company and dress in Welsh Costume as I wore in Llanover - Sugar loaf hat with a leek on it, a flannel dress (Llanover Christmas Gift), a stiff apron and a shoulder shawl and accost them with a curtsey and South Walian dialect - much to their amusement.