Following on from a previous blog about Ponteland Workhouse, this blog looks at the experience of one young girl who was a resident of Ponteland Cottage Homes. The Cottage Homes were built by the Newcastle Board of Guardians to accommodate pauper children away from the workhouse. Each block was supervised by a ‘house father’ or ‘house mother. ‘
In 1905, at the age of nine, Isabella Gardner went to live in the Ponteland Cottage Homes. She lived in cottage number six and her house mother was called Miss Swallow. Isabella states that she enjoyed living there and that Miss Swallow was a lovely lady who she always called mother. Isabella and her sibling were taken to the home after the death of their biological mother. She had owned a shop which sailors used to regularly visit to buy bread. It is thought that she contracted Smallpox from one of the men and sadly died. Isabella’s father suffered from Paralysis so was unable to look after his children. He was placed in the Ponteland Workhouse and once a month they were taken to visit him. He died in the workhouse six years after the death of his wife.
Isabella recalled that nearly every cottage had a pet cat. The Master and Matron had a couple of dogs and some of the ‘house mothers’ also had dogs which made it all feel very homely. The food was good, and she felt very well fed. They would have liver, sausages and tripe and they always had a roast on a Sunday. They grew all their own vegetables and baked their own bread, cakes, tarts and scones. They would pick fruit in the summer holidays and make their own jam.
All the children had chores to do. The floors in the cottage were white wood & the children had to scrub them. This was usually done at night. The children got up about 6am and were woken by a boy blowing a bugle! They walked to school then returned to the cottage for lunch then walked back to school again for afternoon lessons. They had leisure time though and the boys played football while the girls played hockey. Isabella enjoyed hockey and remembers that the ‘mother’ in cottage 4 had a hockey team. There were swings in the grounds and a huge field to play in. Isabella also fondly remembered that the home had a horse and trap which the gardener used to drive. Sadly, the horse was needed and was taken away during the First World War.
Isabella once won first prize for baking bread. She recalls that one Christmas the Lord Mayor came to visit so the Master asked him to dress up in his robes as a treat for the children. He asked them to show him examples of their work so she showed him the bread and won a prize. Unfortunately, she didn’t say what the prize was but seemed very proud of her achievement. It would have been an extra bonus at Christmas time along with the shilling that each child was given on Christmas Day.
The children occasionally went on seaside trips to Whitley Bay with the chapel they attended. All the ‘mothers’ from the cottages would have large hampers & they made pies and cakes so they could have a nice picnic. They went to Tynemouth Palace & had their lunch in the grounds then would always go to play on the sands. She recalls that they once went for tea in a cafe which was run by a retired sea captain. She claimed that he had built his cafe from an old boat!
Isabella remembered a young boy who eventually ended up becoming the shoe repair man for the home. He used to help the repair man when he was a boy. All shoes were made on site. The only time shoes were bought were for the girls who went into service. They also had a dress maker on site. All the clothes were made, they didn’t go to any shops to buy them. All the girls were taught how to sew and work in the laundry. The old master was very careful with money so saved as much as he could. When some of the older boys went out to work in the ship yards, there were women who were on the books of the home who were paid to take in boarders.
For her first two years, Isabella attended the school that was within the grounds then after that she transferred to the Coates school in Ponteland. She enjoyed school and left aged 14 where she then went to the Matron’s house to train for a life in service. When there was a vacancy, girls went to the Matron’s house and trained in the kitchen then upstairs then in the dining room. This training lasted nearly two years and aged 16, Isabella secured her first job as a maid at Ilderton Rectory near Wooler. It was quite a large house with 20 rooms. The week before she started, the Matron took her for a visit then the day her employment commenced, she was taken as far as Alnwick then had to make her own way there. She only stayed for a year and recalls that it was very hard work, but they were very kind to her. However, what she truly wanted to be was a cook. Her next job was at Haughton Castle where she attained the position of scullery/kitchen maid. She was very grateful as during her time there she did have the opportunity to train for her dream job. Isabella also worked at Middleton Hall and was there for 12 years. She believed that her training at the Cottage Homes was a good introduction and very good practice!
