Chapter I: My Early Life in the Country

In what is known as the Stroud Valley, Gloucestershire, or, as it was deservedly called by Queen Victoria, the Golden Valley, stands a little straggling village called the Thrupp, in which on July 12, 1844, I was born; but my early recollections of this beautiful valley began at a village about one mile distant, named Swells Hill, to which my parents afterwards removed. This village is situated on the side of the eastern portion of the Cotswolds, a district full of beautiful hills, gorge-like valleys, dells and glades, celebrated not only for its beauty and historical associations but for its numerous industries. Swells Hill overlooks the busy village of Brimscombe and is on the fringe of the delightful Minchinhampton Common, which consists of some thousand acres of open country; its highest part being about 650 feet above the sea level; on it, there are many local traditions of great battles having been fought, and on one particular spot in the centre of the Common the celebrated George Whitfield preached in 1743 to thousands of people.

Minchinhampton Common was presented to the parish so named in the reign of Henry VIII by Dame Alice Hampton. On it are now golf links, which are well known all over the country and many notable contests have been played there by some of our most celebrated professionals. From the quarries on this Common I have often collected fossils of snakes and other reptiles which I suppose belonged to some prehistoric period, but how long ago I have been unable to learn. Pit dwellings, long and round tunnels with camps and earthworks, abound in this district. Some of the depressions in the surface of the Common vary in depth. I used to be told that they were the burying places of those who had fought in the days of the Civil Wars. I cannot of course guarantee the correctness of this statement, but I do know that these depressions have frequently given me in my school days very much pleasure, as in the winter they were often filled with snow, and a good run and jump landed one in the centre of the hollow. It was a great pleasure to see who could jump the farthest and come out the wettest.

As far as I can remember, most of my early education, or what may be called my twopenny education, was acquired at an old-fashioned Dame's School and a local Church School where the main ideas of education were answering the questions in Pinnock's "Catechism" and learning, and I must say immediately forgetting, the questions and answers from the Church Catechism; but I have no doubt I received impressions which were useful in after life.

When about nine years of age, I was sent to Amberley School. To reach this School I had to cross Minchinhampton Common, nearly two miles from my home; this distance I traversed sometimes four times a day. At that time home lessons were considered of great importance, but the weariness of them made a lasting impression upon me. However, it was at this School that I obtained the best part of my education.

With Amberley I have many associations never to be forgotten. I remember how when nearing the School I listened for the Master's whistle which he always appeared in the open to blow, and how considerate he was with the boys who came from a distance before marking them late. How on occasions when the hounds on a wintry day came at full speed past our School leave was given to some of us boys to chase with them. Many a good run I have had following them over hedges and ditches until outdistanced, but the excitement left behind very pleasant recollections, and was the cause of my writing the following verses:

Hurrah for To-morrow! 'Tis the first hunting day, And with the good hounds we'll hark hark away, For the Fox will be drawn from the thick bushy wood, It's the rascal that stole the grey duck's little brood.

You remember the time, 'twas one bright summer morn, When the hens had their chicks and the bees had a swarm, And the duck had her ducklings, and fine ones were they, As e'er swam on a pond, or play'd pranks in the hay.

Farmer Giles was out early, the sheep had gone wrong, And old Towler was with him, they scarcely had gone When that crafty old Reynard, who had watched them away, Stole the ducks and he had them for dinner that day.

How he must have enjoyed each tender young bone As he scrunched and he scrunched till each tit-bit was gone; But who would begrudge him a feast in his den, I dare wager a bet he won't do it again.

For we're off in the morn, while the true scent is strong, To capture his brush and it won't take us long, For the horses and hounds are all fit for the fray, So Ahoy! Tally Ho! Tally Ho! Harkaway!

Close by the Schools stands Rose Cottage where Mrs. Craik, then Miss Muloch, wrote her most successful novel "John Halifax, Gentleman." This was published in 1857, the year I was at school, and I have no doubt I must often have seen Miss Muloch when she was writing her great novel. The background of this story runs from Tewkesbury through Nailsworth to Amberley Common; the latter, figuring in the novel as Enderly Flats, is described as the highest tableland in England. The whole neighbourhood is identified with incidents delineated in the book, and in Amberley Churchyard the little blind daughter of John Halifax and Ursula lies at rest.

In the small village of Woodchester, in the valley below Amberley, there is an important Monastery which contains many interesting associations, but my recollections are more concerned with the parish church of Woodchester where I remember being taken by my mother to see what is left of some old Roman villa with tessellated pavement and other remains. I believe these are uncovered at certain times and the public allowed to inspect them.

One other of my youthful enjoyments was the occasional fishing and bathing in the Thames and Severn Canal. This canal joins together at Lechlade these two great rivers. In the canal as it passed through the Golden Valley, there was always a good supply of water and the fishing here was very good. I never got beyond roach, dace and perch, but there were frequently pike and other fish caught by the expert. Anyone who has indulged in fishing, if only as I did in my boyhood, will never forget the fascination it has upon the lover of sport, and I pity the boy who has not the sportive instinct. I learned to swim also in these waters, but want of opportunity in after years prevented my ever becoming a really good swimmer.

Looking back upon my boyhood from the standpoint of to-day, I am inclined to think that, practically, education does not begin until the first steps are taken in the business of life, although from my own experience the great influence exercised upon character by a good mother, which I fortunately had, lasts with a boy and helps to mould his life and disposition more than he can at the moment anticipate. I am quite sure that through the early start I made both in the country and in London, nothing contributed more to my even routine and carefully considered actions than the influence exercised upon me by a mother's love.

In September, 1857, I was sent on trial, before being apprenticed, to a Mr. Bucknell, a bookseller in George Street, Stroud, and, apparently proving satisfactory, was afterwards apprenticed for five years, "out of doors," that is living at home, with the magnificent remuneration of one shilling per week for the first year, increasing by one shilling per week at the beginning of the next year, and to be continued upon the same ratio for five years.

Mr. Bucknell, however, after fifteen months of my apprenticeship sold the business to Mr. John Clark and I was what is called "turned over" to him, but the period of my apprenticeship was extended to seven years and a little more liberal salary given me. When Mr. Bucknell left, he presented me with a copy of Charles Mackay's poems in which he wrote the following after my name: "With an earnest wish that his future life may be deserving of that approval from his fellow-men which he now receives after fifteen months of his apprenticeship from S.G. Bucknell." Without being in any way conceited, I cannot help feeling that his good wishes have to a certain extent been fulfilled.

From a quiet village life to the busy town of Stroud was a great change. My time for work was from eight o'clock in the morning until eight at night six days of the week, summer and winter, and my only holidays were Good Friday and Christmas Day. The Bill originating Bank Holidays had not then been passed. Sometimes during the winter months the walk home was anything but pleasant, especially as I had to walk beside the canal for a considerable distance and more than once had a narrow escape from falling in. It is a truism that familiarity breeds contempt, and I must admit that this familiarity strengthened me in what to many would have been a dangerous journey, and it has no doubt helped me in keeping my nerves and my temper from running away with me. However, all's well that ends well, and although during my seven years' apprenticeship I had many temptations and dangers, yet I think I came through them stronger both in mind and body. I remember that occasionally on my morning walk through some of the lanes to business, I would meet that sportsman Mr. Paul Hawkins Fisher with his attendants, each carrying a hawk on his hand, well hooded; sometimes, I have seen them let fly when they would attack some startled bird, but I understood they were only training the hawks for future warfare. It was, however, sportive food for my imagination.

During my years of apprenticeship many events happened, both social and political, that interested me, and I can only write them down as my memory helps me and not in any way in the order of their happening. One of my earliest recollections was of an election before vote by ballot was introduced. The members for the Borough were Edward Horsman and G. Poulet Scrope, the latter an author of considerable importance. I remember that, although there was no opposition to the members, speaking on the hustings, for the nomination, continued until twelve o'clock, with the intention of nominating Lord John Russell should he not have been successful in the constituency he was fighting; but he was successful, so no nomination was necessary. I had occasionally the pleasure of seeing Lord John Russell, as he lived near Amberley, from which his eldest son took the title of Viscount Amberley.

Speaking of contests but of another character, it was in 1860 the fight between Tom Sayers and J.C. Heenan took place. What a tremendous excitement it produced! I well remember the day after the fight, having fetched the newspapers from the London train and folded them in the shop, how I stopped every minute to read another line describing the fight and how angry my master was at my taking so long. But I could not help it, for the details were quite worth the trouble I brought upon myself. Some months later I had the pleasure of seeing Sayers box in connexion with a travelling circus. It was one of the red-letter days in my life to see the man of whom I had thought so much, showing his skill as a boxer. It was generally understood that it was at Stroud that Tom Sayers had his first fight; he was a bricklayer and was engaged in work at the Stroud Brewery, and falling out with one of his fellow-workmen, a fight followed which probably led to further developments. I have also seen his opponent J.C. Heenan boxing in a circus, but I did not consider him in any way an equal to Tom Sayers.

Although my time was fully occupied, I was able to enjoy a good game of cricket with some of my many friends on Rodborough Common. We used to meet at five o'clock in the morning, and, after a good game, had breakfast before starting work at eight o'clock. I also joined a class to learn Latin: there was a dear old gentleman bachelor who loved literature and education and he took in hand some half-dozen young fellows to teach them Latin. We used to meet at his house at eight in the evening for one hour's tuition. I enjoyed it and managed to master the early chapters of Virgil's "Æneid," and, though I am afraid the results have not been very great, the little knowledge I obtained has been useful. I was also much interested in a singing class, over which a Mr. Helmore, brother to the Rev. T. Helmore, the great Church choirmaster, presided. We gave performances in the Subscription Rooms of "The Messiah," "The Creation" and other musical classics. I have often thought of the absurdity of one of the choirmaster's eccentricities when performing "The Creation." Very early in the oratorio the words are, "And God said let there be light, and there was light." Before the singing began the lights were turned down and I was placed near the man who turned on the gas. At the opportune moment I had to give the signal, the light was turned on and light became a fact. I have often thought how almost profane it was, but I believe it passed without any serious protest.

Another yearly event which became fixed in my mind was the appearance of Dr. Cumming to speak on the coming end of the world. There was a wealthy lady of Amberley who was a great believer in Dr. Cumming, and each year he came down and stayed with her and always delivered one of his unfulfilled prophecies. It was my duty to take the tickets and see the audience into their seats, but, as the audience year by year grew smaller by degrees and beautifully less, this was very easy work. Like most moderate-sized towns at this period, Stroud had its Young Men's Institute, of which I was a member, and it was the custom during the winter to have lectures, etc. I well remember the great success that always attended the lectures given by George Dawson, a preacher, lecturer and politician, and George Grossmith, the father of the well-known actor in Gilbert and Sullivan's plays. These lectures were usually of a literary or biographical character and undoubtedly laid the foundations for thought and study in the minds of those who listened to them.

During my apprenticeship, my master, Mr. John Clark, was sometimes very exacting, and I know I had to thank Mrs. Clark and some of their daughters for helping to an extent to ease my work, and for making my strenuous life run smoothly. Part of my work was to learn printing. This I did, and was able to set up the type of a volume of sermons by a local vicar. The volume made no reputation, either for the vicar or the producer of the work.

It was, however, in the buying and selling of books that I was most interested. These were the great days of the poets, who then had large sales, Tupper's "Proverbial Philosophy," I think the greatest. What a change from then to now! I have no doubt that if you asked for this book to-day in a bookseller's shop no one would know of its existence, but, without doubt, those of Tupper and other poets were the principal books given as presents. I remember that Tennyson's "Enoch Arden," published by Edward Moxon in 1864, even in such a small town as Stroud had a large sale. I understand that 50,000 copies of this book were sold during the first year of its publication.

There is one thing I was greatly blessed with--a good memory; and I can safely say I knew every book in our stock. When a traveller came round for orders, I was always stationed near my master and the traveller and if an order was being given I had to say whether the book was in stock or not. Those were also the days when booksellers sold patent medicines, in which a large trade was done; especially with such articles as Holloway's, Morrison's, and other pills, with various preparations to cure every disease under the sun.

In looking back to those times, I have often dwelt upon the thought whether it is best for youths to be brought up under severe discipline or under easy surroundings and have come to the conclusion that the happy medium is most desirable, for in my own case and although my master Mr. Clark was a straightforward honourable man, he was not a man who sympathized with labour, but looked upon it as something one had to put up with; but where a man is just and honourable as he was this influence is for good, and labour is made more pleasant and agreeable. I have much to thank Mr. Clark for, especially in the directions mentioned, and always feel that the thoroughness of his business habits had a lasting effect upon me. I can look back upon my seven years' apprenticeship with much thankfulness, not only for my personal good health but the many pleasant associations with which I was surrounded.