John and Rachel Ketton bought Felbrigg Hall when William Frederick Windham went bankrupt. Rachel kept a diary of their lives at Felbrigg, and one of our volunteers has transcribed this for us. Read about their day to day life - what the family and the weather were doing, and who was visiting Felbrigg.
1 September 1863
William and John went out shooting. Waited dinner half an hour but they did not come till dark. John Snr in a terrible passion. The three guns only killed a cock two of them old. A very miserable day.
Miss Johnstone wrote to ask the girls to come to Northrepps and take their first skating lesson. Anna and Margaret went and lunched with Lady Buxton. The three young Pigotts and Mr Hutton came to lunch and then went to skate.
Alarming letter from Ellen to say Mamma had a return of the bad symptoms, a most wretched day of indecision, whether we should go to Norwich or not, at last decided not, but to keep the horses ready to start, bitterly cold and rainy.
Bobbie’s birthday. Very thick fog all day. No one able to go out. John very cross. The boundary a great deal of trouble to him and he did not sleep all night.
Pouring rain and none of the hay got up. Cleared up in the afternoon. While I was in the garden Mr Johnson’s two ‘jokers’ called and went into the kitchen garden.
A most awful storm of wind and rain but Priscilla, Anna and Minnie went through it to Aylmerton church, Anna succeeded very well with the harmonium. Canon Robinson’s brother did duty. The white cow calved today.
Finished sweeping the drawing room etc. Had all the china done and the stove apron put up. John went to Kelling and I drove with Anna round by Overstrand and Cromer. A very hot day, all the hay in the north park cut.
The Sheringham and Holt cricket match; a dreadful day. Bobbie went to Sheringham at 10.30 but found the match was postponed till Monday. It rained all day, except 2 hours.
John, Anna, Ellen and I went to a croquet party at Wickmere. Very slow, felt very tired and bored and hungry and expressed myself quite as I felt. Was congratulated by everyone, the only pleasant part of the entertainment!!
Mrs Feilden called. Abused all the neighbours but otherwise amiable! Dodd and Anna came and went with Margaret and Minnie to dinner at Wickmere. Met Mrs Beales (an old bore!)