My Father by Ann Eliza Kirke

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: Kirke Wrench

As told to H V Currie by her 1st Cousin once removed Mrs. Wrench . Mrs. Wrench's father was William Kirke

" My Father, Wm Kirke, was born March 29th 1799, I believe in Ireland, & sent with his nurse to his grandmother in Retford his Father being in Ireland with his Regiment at that time.

I remember my Father's hair - dark mixed with grey, very soft & curly. He had a beautiful voice and sang well. Was fond of buying any new invention especially lamps also trying any new dishes for dinner.

He had at least 5 carriages. One an old fashioned large yellow chariot with rumble behind & 3 steps that let down to climb into the body of the chaise. Then there was "The great Bee", "the Little Bees" & the Pilentum and Barouche & I forget the rest.

He had a table made out of one of his walnut trees, to fit around the fireplace for desert. It had a kind of railway on it to pass the wine decanters. We called it the horseshoe table.

My Father was universally liked for his good temper & kindness. Although he was a decided Liberal, Whig of those days, & often laughed at for saying what would happen in later years, he was friends with all parties & had the keep of all the parks & grounds of all the estates for many miles round & permission to fish in the private rivers etc.

I used to go shooting with him to help carry the gamebag & remember his once giving e a couple of rabbits on a pole over my shoulder which I found an immense weight. How far I carried them I forgot. They were shot at Shakefield (?) then a hopyard of which we had several at that time. Father was fond of the young tops of the hops cooked like asparagus. We had several dogs, a pointer, a setter and a Black Spaniel, a pair of grey horses and a pair ob black. The latter used in farm work. Three lovely cows I learnt to milk. We made our own cheese as well as brewed our own alre. Had grand Harvest Homes & sheep shearings, fets of ????. The year when the corn did not ripen well we had bad bread for months no foreign wheat then!

The coach referred to in another extract (I'll try to find that, ed). was hving drawn the barge with postillions & being slow but v pleasant way to travel.

A small boy & a donkey employed all day long to carry water in a barrelto the Hall from spring below the Hall in Mark Lane.