The following was sent to me by my cousin Belinda after we had visited the area on Saturday and there's a photograph of where the house was and is.
"Elizabeth Fountain (nee Wright) and her husband lived at 15 Elm Hill in the house behind the small single story building which is now known as the Jade Tree Gift Shop. She was remembered as a tall woman with very pale skin with white hair and she always wore a white full length pinny.
Her granddaughter Alice Steward (nee Tuttle) used to play in the little alley which leads from the shop to the house behind. She wore button up boots which had nails in the soles and heels so that they would last longer. She loved the sound they used to make as she skipped down the little passage. She would often go to the pump for her grandmother.
Washday meant that the boiler was lit and coals were used to generate heat for the water. On this particular day, once Elizabeth had finished the washing, there was still some heat in the coals and so, as not to waste them, she decided to add them to the coal fire in the hearth.
It was the fashion to have a mantle cloth above the fire and Elizabeth’s had a long fringe which fell down the front of the fireplace. As she threw the coals onto the fire, sparks flew up and set fire to the fringe on the mantle cloth. The flash of fire went into Elizabeth’s face and scorched her eyes. She was in agony.
The local doctor had just got back from his holiday and came at speed with his suitcase still in hand and removed Elizabeth’s eyes on the kitchen table and sewed her eyelids together.
Family stories say that local “boys” would knock on her door and run away causing Elizabeth to come out onto the street. The boys would then run away screaming that the ghost was going to get them as a tall whitehaired, pale-skinned woman in a white pinny came down the alleyway with her hands outstretched.
Her greatgrandchildren (Belinda's grandmother Marjorie, and her sisters Doris and Elsie, both Stewards) remembered visiting her and being asked what they were wearing. She would ask what colour their clothes were and she would also feel their clothes texture. She would also ask what the buttons were like.
This story was validated when Belinda found a newspaper article on Ancestry from the Eastern Daily Press newspaper of 8th December, 1903, under the heading:OLD MAN'S DEATH AT NORWICH. This bore out the fact that Elizabeth Fountain had been blind. Here is the transcript of that article.
"The sudden death of an old man named William Fountain, aged 80 years, a carrier's porter, of Cooks Yard, St Stephen's Alley, was the subject of an enquiry by the City Coroner (Mr R. W. Ladell) at the George Inn, Hay Market, yesterday.
The coroner in the course of his opening remarks said that the circumstances of the case were very peculiar. The last time the deceased was seen was on Wednesday evening, when he was at the Coach and Horses public house.
When he left the house it was evidently to go home. Since then however nothing was seen or heard of him until his house was broken into last Saturday night. The deceased was then found lying on the floor in an unconscious state. Mr Mills was sent for and he attended the deceased, but soon after he left him the deceased passed away. The old man had been living alone.
He (the coroner) was inclined to think that the old man had not had sufficient food to keep him going. A search had been made of his house but no food was found. It appeared that the deceased had not paid any rent for the last twelve months. The deceased would not entertain the idea of going to the workhouse.
After the body had been viewed, the Coroner said after he had seen the wretched state the house was in he could only emphasise the remarks he had made at the opening of the enquiry. The jurymen also expressed their disgust at the state of the house.
William Fountain of Martin's Yard, Elm Hill, a carman, son of the deceased, said that his father lived alone and was a widower. He had been living alone for the past six or eight years and enjoyed fairly good health for his age.
He last saw his father on Thursday, when he was as usual, but was suffering a little from bronchitis. He was in the habit of visiting his father and had noticed the condition of his house, but was unable to do anything in the matter. His wife used to see after his house, but she had of late gone blind. His father had often been told that he would have been better off in the Old Men's Hospital, but had declined to go there.
Last Saturday evening a man came to witness from the Coach and Horses and told him that his father had not been seen since Wednesday. Witness at once informed the police, and, in company with Police Constable Horner, visited the house. Finding the door fastened from the inside, it was broken open, and they saw the deceased lying by the side of the bed. He was not then dead, but was in an unconscious condition.
The deceased was lifted onto the bed, and Dr Mills was sent for. He ordered some hot water bottles. Witnesses tried to give his father some brandy, but he could not take it. Dr Mills suggested that the deceased should be removed to the workhouse. Dr Mills was away for half an hour and before he returned the deceased had passed away. The deceased had not complained of being in want, and the neighbours had often visited him. Ellen Avis, landlady of the Coach and Horses said she had known the deceased for some time. She last saw him on Wednesday night at her house. Which he left between seven and eight o'clock, when he said he was going home.
During the last two or three months she thought he looked in a more dirty state than usual. She thought that he was often in want of nourishment and she often gave him some. As he did not come to her home as usual on Saturday she went to his house about six o'clock, and about nine o'clock she heard of the occurrence. His son was then communicated with.
Dr R. J. Mills said he received a communication from the police and in consequence he went to the deceased house. He was unconscious, and was perfectly cold. There was scarcely a perceptible pulse and an extremely slow heart action. Hot water bottles were placed next to him, but he appeared to be in a dying condition. He advised that the ambulance belonging to the Guardians should be sent for as the only chance to save his life.
In half an hour's time he called at the house again, and found that the deceased had died. He then made a further examination of the body. He found a bruise on the knee and also on the outer side of the ankle and also two on his eyes. The skin was also inflamed on parts of the right and left legs. The injuries were caused by pressure on the floor and deceased had evidently lain on the floor for not less than thirty-six hours.
In the house there was no money and no provision with the exception of five uncooked potatoes and five uncooked onions. The deceased had evidently got out of bed and then fallen and remained in that position until he was found. He was of opinion that death was caused by cold and exhaustion through lying on the floor and want of food since last Wednesday. PolicenConstable Horner corroborated the statements of Dr Mills as to the condition of the house. The verdict of "Death from cold, exhaustion, and want of food, attributable to deceased remaining in one position for so long a time"
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My piece about my grandmother's house and the toilet in the yard certainly brought back some memories. It was pointed out, however, that my ancestors wouldn't have marched out manfully or womanfully into the night to scrape away the snow in order to have a wee. They would have a chamber pot or po or potty or slop pot of gazzunder to go on which they would empty in the morning - when they would still have to scrape the snow away.
It was called a gazunder simply because it went under the bed. I'm sure health and safety would have something to say about that today.
Incidentally I always refer to the house in Rupert Street in Norwich as my grandmother's because my grandfather died before I was born and so I never knew him, although I was told that he was a good musician.
Incidentally and of no relevance is the fact that I came across a CD by Sandy Denny entitled "19 Rupert Street". That Rupert Street was in Glasgow and where Denny recorded much of the album. Just thought that was an interesting aside.
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Monday evening brought the latest Hethersett Parish Council meeting on zoom and it was the usual varied fare concerning the village. One of the main items saw councillors state that they will fight to keep a post office in the village. It does look as if the existing post office will eventually shut although postmaster Kevin Salmon told the meeting that he is likely to stay on until late next year.
It is likely that the post office will move to within an existing building/business. That's obviously not ideal but it's certainly much better than nothing. It never ceases to amaze me how as our village grows the facilities at times seem to dwindle. We have, over the years, lost shops and a bank. At times it seems to make no sense at all.
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Yesterday I went on the latest Steward Stroll towards Wymondham on the B1172 and took few pictures as the light was interesting. They are below.