Rebecca Stubbs
The Vicar’s Daughter
© 2015 by Hannah Buckland
All rights reserved
ISBN: 978-1-62020-543-3
eISBN: 978-1-62020-451-1
Scripture quotations taken from The Authorized Version.
Cover Design and Page Layout by Hannah Nichols
eBook Conversion by Anna Riebe Raats
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my father-in-law, who encouraged me to write in the first place, and Christine for seeing potential in Rebecca Stubbs. Hartelijke bedankt! Thanks also to Helen for her observant reading and special thanks to Dad, who ploughed through the story for agricultural or historic accuracy.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
For eleven months of every year, the picturesque oast houses that are so much a part of the Kentish landscape stood silent and still, their only inhabitants being farm machinery and field mice. But as August gave way to September and the hop bines in the field swayed heavily with green flowers, the oast houses became the centre of agricultural activity. Their heavy doors were swung open, the rusty machinery was dragged out, and the field mice fled. The farm labourers swept out the oasts to a standard any self-respecting housewife would be proud of, and huge charcoal fires were lit, ready to dry the newly picked hops.
Harvesting the crop required a large workforce. The coarse, scratchy hop bines had to be pulled down and the precious green seed-cone flowers picked off by hand and then gathered into big sacks called pokes. These pokes were transported to the oast houses, where the fresh, damp hops were carefully dried in kilns over a charcoal fire until crisp and brittle. Once packed into large bags called pockets and stencilled with the farmer’s name, the hops were ready to be collected by the brewery, where the bitter pollen of the hop would give the beer its uniquely tangy flavour.
A large number of seasonal labourers was needed to harvest the hops, so year after year Londoners from the East End descended upon the rural villages of Kent in order to gain employment, a few weeks of country air, and a few shillings to put aside for winter expenses. Most farmers saw the Londoners as a necessary evil. They provided rows of hopper huts and cook houses to accommodate the multi-generation ...
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About Rebecca Stubbs: The Vicar's DaughterRebecca Stubbs, the beloved daughter of a conscientious village vicar in Victorian England, has always enjoyed a sheltered, idyllic childhood. Her parents work tirelessly for their small farm community, aiding both the church and the poor. When an unexpected outbreak of fever rages through the town, Rebecca must face growing up alone. As she matures into womanhood, Rebecca finds that she is ill-prepared for her new world. With no home, no family, and few prospects, she is determined to make her own way in life. As a housemaid at Barton Manor, she struggles to find her place in a world of double standards and man-made rules. Can she keep her faith strong amidst a lonely life of domestic service? Must she always be a bystander, watching other people’s lives unfold and flourish? Or is there something else in store for her servant heart? |
| Support Info | 9781620204511 |