Week ending January 15th 2021. There was no TV in 1899.

 

William Beechey’s diary, written between 1899 and 1920, give us a wonderful insight into what it was like to work on the Ruperra Estate.

At first he lived with his family in a cottage called Llanfedw( see picture below) Is this the only medieval ‘hall house’ left standing in Caerphilly now, known as New Mansion? Then they moved to Ruperra Home Farm where, in charge of the crops and the animals, he provided the food for the Castle. He still found time to write in his diary every night. There was no TV in those days! 

 
On March 13th 1899 his diary entry read:

'Put 6 hens to sit in box. Rosa got shingles. Doctor been to see mother. Ivor bad in bed. Finished digging the garden. Mr. and Mrs. F Morgan came to the castle.' (Colonel Freddie's son Frederick and his wife Dorothy) 'They are not coming to Machen House. Jim Spring sowing oats the left side of New Georgy.' ( A field at Home Farm).

The names of the children were Rowland, at the back, Harry, on his mother’s lap, Gladys, on the right and Rosa in the front.