Counting One's Blessings

by William Shawcross

From your loving E.A.M.B.L.

  PS Please tell me if I am to call Sidney Darling or Dear.

  ‘We always had cricket week at Glamis. A good many Eton people came and played … it was great fun, it really was. We played the neighbours, my father bowled. We played the Airlies* from next door. Then there was a very good team called the Dundee Drapers.† It was easier then. People stayed in the house. I don’t suppose you could do that nowadays. What used to be so good was that lovely weekend in London at Lord’s in the old days when Eton played Harrow. That died didn’t it after the last war?’

  Sunday 20 November 1910 to Lady Strathmore

  St Paul’s Walden Bury

  Welwyn

  Darling Darling Lovie

  I am writing to tell you Alec‡ is much much better. In fact he feels nearly quite well.

  Yesterday afternoon, Furgus made a big oven in the Yew Roundabout. We took down a frying pan, and roasted chesnuts and potatoes. Darling, Mother I do hope that the visit wasn’t very dull. Jockie got up early this morning and went to Holy Communion, he is going with Fergie and us again at 11. Everybody sends there love to You, Father, and Rosie. Please give mine too from your very loving Elizabeth

  Tuesday 13 December 1910 to Lady Strathmore

  St Paul’s Walden Bury

  Darling Sweetie Lovie Mother

  I hope Alec is much better. Please please don’t worry too much about him. We do miss you so! Hester Astly has got a party on the 17th of this month, it is a sort of meeting to explain the Childrens Union. If we are not to go please tell Lady Hastings. Outside your bedroom door here there is a long parcel which has the smell and touch of Umbrella’s! May is here and this afternoon we went into the wood with Ferges and her and we got some wild hyacinth bulbs in a place where they will not show. Poor Juno’s right leg is very lame! and her shouldour. I hope you won’t mind lovie, dovie but I took your rain umbrella to church with me on Sunday because it was raining so hard. […] Miss Wilkie has not been here yet, but she sent me a letter to say what she would like David and me to do she said – essays, music, geografy, and sums. Good-bye darling lovie dovie from your very loving Elizabeth

  PS David’s love and May’s and Furges’s, my love to Alec, Father and Rose.

  16 December 1910 to Fenella Trefusis

  St Paul’s Walden Bury

  My Dear Neva,*

  Thank you very very much for the delicious box of chocolates. You did not put who it was from, but two or three day’s later Rosie wrote and told me it was you. Is’nt it awful perhaps we are going to have Xmas in London!!!! Think of it Xmas in London. Yours was the first present I have recieved. It was most awfully kind of you to think of us. I have’nt the slitest notion of where you are staying so I am going to look in the Red Book. I am afraid you will hardly be able to read my writing as it is nearly tea-time and the lamps have not come yet. It has been raining and blowing for the last three days.

  David send’s his love and wants me to thank you for his chocolates.

  Good-bye with much love from

  Elizabeth

  17 February 1911 to Miss Ela Collins

  St Paul’s Walden Bury

  Dear Miss Ela Collins*

  I hope you are feeling quite well. We are at St Pauls Walden, and it is a lovely day. This morning David and I got up at 6 o clock.

  We first went and let out – Peter, Agiratem, Bumble-bee, Lion-mouse, Beauty and Delicate, our six silver-blue Persian kitten-cats. After that we went to see the ponies, then we fed the chickens, there are over three hundred. Then we went to get Judy, Juno, her four puppies, and Major. Then we went to look for eggs for breakfast. After that we had breakfast, then went for a ride. After that lessons till lunch-time. Then lessons till half past four, then we took our tea into the wood and when we came home I began to write this letter. Good-bye Miss. Ela & with

  Love from

  Elizabeth A. M. B. Lyon

  ‘I spent half my life in the stables when I was a child. And of course the groom was one’s best friend who allowed one to sit and polish bits of leather. Absolute bliss.’

  Wednesday 11 October 1911 to Lady Strathmore

  Carberry Tower

  Musselburgh

  Darling Precious, I must just write a line to say goodnight and to tell you about the journey. Well about three miles from Perth we heard sssssssss, and we found a tyre had burst. Charles only took ten minutes putting on the other one, so we only just caught the train. We had a very nice journey, but it was very foggy when we got to Edinburgh. […]

  Do give Rosie, Father and Alec my love, and a lot of kisses.

  Good night darling precious lovie duck from your more than loving Elizabeth.

  26 December 1911 to the Hon. Clarence Bruce*

  St Paul’s Walden Bury

  Dear ‘Rotton Tomato’

  Thank you very very much for the dee-licious peppermints. Its awfully kind of you to think of me. I hope you have had a very happy Xmas, and I hope you will have a very nice New Year. You know in your letter you put ‘from the Green Tomato’. Well it isn’t ‘Green’ its ‘Rotton’. I haven’t forgotten you in the least. I am afraid I cant write you a very long letter, as I have got so many to write. I hope you are very well. Thank you again very much for the Peppermints.

  Good-bye, Yours Affec Elizabeth Lyon

  PS Please excuse my bad writing.

  [With two small drawings of heads, one scowling, the other smiling. Also a Christmas card signed ‘Elizabeth Lyon’, with a piece of dried heather inside.]

  Diary: Saturday 17 February 1912

  At St Pauls Walden with Rosie, Father, David. Went out riding with Rosie from eleven o’ clock, till three o’ clock. Great fun. Lovely Day. Sunday Feb. 18 Went to Church with, Rosie, David & Father. Lovely day. Went for walk with R, D & F. […]

  ‘St Paul’s and Glamis are both very much the same in one’s mind. We loved Glamis very much. Well, I think I stayed in them fifty fifty … St Paul’s is a dear old Queen Anne house – rather lovely gardens – and, of course, in those days very, very villagey. Before buses the villages focused on each other you know. It was very medieval in a way. We all adored my mother who really ran everything. My father, as people were in those days, was rather inclined not to take great part in running the family. He lived more of his own life.’

  Diary: March 1912

  Wednesday Not at all well. Took some Gregory Powder.* Grannie and Auntie arrived in the afternoon was not allowed to see them in case I had influenzer. […] Dr Thomas came.† Felt quite well, a little tired. He said it was just a chill. So I came downstairs and saw Grannie. Michael arrived with his friend Lyonel Gibbs before lunch. They played tennis in afternoon. […] Grannie gave me a little cup. Goodnight.

  Friday 10 May 1912 to Lady Strathmore

  St Paul’s Walden Bury

  Darling Preacious Love

  I hope you had a good journey to Glamis (kiss kiss kiss). This morning Lady Kinnaird sent me a beautiful little snuff-box of tortashell tortoisshell inlaid with mother-of-peal and gold. I think I have got a little chill today because my head is aching and I cant write properly. We read the bible this morning about Samson. We have got to do lessons in a minute so my writing will be very bad. David’s bycicle has come, I cant help envying him. It is so hot today that its quite uncomfortable, one person in London has already died of the heat. I am missing you dreadfully lovie. Please give Darling Mickie a lot of love and say to him from me ‘Fie! Fie! who forgot the cigarettes’. I think it is the heat which has given me a headache because I have been to the Ahem. Please give Darling Father my love too. I simply must fly to lessons, but I will write you a longer letter tomorrow.

  kiss.-kiss.-kiss.-kiss.-kiss.-kiss.-kiss.-kiss kisskisskisskisskiss for you. Ditto for Father & Mickie. Ditto trice for you lovie from your more than loving

  Elizabeth

  XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

  19 September 1912 to Lady Strathmore

  Carberry Tower

  My Darling Preacious Lo
ve

  I hope you are having fun at Pauly. Is it nice weather. Yesterday here, it was gloriouse. We went to see Roslin Chapel.* I took some photographs of it.

  I never in my life have seen such a beautiful thing the shape, the carving its too lovely. We also went to see some Prehistoricle caves, where Robert the Bruce is supposed to have hidden. I cannot remember the name of the place but I will tell you in my next letter Love. There are huge cliffs on each side of the river, running by the house, and they are finding new ones, and secret passages everywhere.

  The Baby, Sidney and May are very well. I am writing this in bed, before I go and see May to have a cup of tea. I hope you are very well Lovie, and are having lots of fun. I believe we are going to see Nina Balfour† this afternoon, it is about forty miles there.

  Good-bye darling Preaciouse lovie duckie dodulums,

  from your very loving

  Elizabeth

  ‘[My mother] would say, now darling you must look at these two houses, we were passing. One was ugly and one was beautiful in her eyes. So we had to learn. This is the beautiful one, you see, and bypass the ugly one.’

  17 October 1912 to Lady Strathmore

  Glamis Castle

  Glamis

  N.B.*

  My Darling very Preasious LoveableLove

  I hope you had a very good journey. Please give every kind of message to David.

  And do bring him up if you can. Lovie I was so sorry to have cried when you went away. I couldnt help it though. Love if you could get something for the dessert for our party do and put it down to Father. I am writing just as I am getting into bed, your train is just passing through Glamis Lovie darling.

  Good night Love, I hope David is all right.

  Your very very loving Elizabeth

  David had started prep school at St Peter’s Court in Broadstairs, Kent, in September 1912. Elizabeth missed him greatly. Princes Henry and George, two of King George V’s younger sons, also attended this school.

  Diary: 3–7 January 1913

  January 1st

  Overeat myself.

  Thursday Jan 2nd

  Headache in the morning. very good tea. Christmas cake, Devonshire Cream, honey, jam, buns & tea. eat too much.

  Friday Jan 3rd

  Not quite the thing today Breakfast very good. Sausages, kedgeree, Brown Bread, Scones & honey. Excellent lunch – beefsteak – 3 helps – ham and roley poley. I eat a good deal.

  Sat Jan 4th

  I am putting on weight. My waist measurement today 43 inches. Appetite good.

  Sunday 5th

  Appetite still good, After healthy breakfast went to church. Came back very hungry for lunch. Roast beef, chicken, Yorkshire pudding, Plum pudding, cheese, cake & oranges. Oh, my poor tummy. Just going to have tea. Am very hungry.

  Monday Jan 6th

  Quite an ordinary breakfast. No jam today! Rode Wonder in the morning & came in simply ravenous for lunch. Omelette – two helps of roast chicken, finished up the bread sauce – five chocolate éclairs rium rium. Chocolate éclairs for tea – as no one else liked them, finished them up. Wish I was allowed more supper – always so hungry by the time I go to bed.

  Tuesday Jan 7th

  Barrel of apples arrived today – had one for breakfast. 10 am eat an apple. 11 am had an apple for 11 oclock lunch. 12. had an apple. Roast pigeons and chocolate pudding & apples for lunch! 3 pm eat an apple. 3.15 pm David and I fought and have got bruise on my leg because he said I was greedy. eat two apples for supper.*

  Diary: Tuesday 15 April 1913

  At present we are at Poggio Ponente. This evening we are starting to Florence, Mother, Auntie, David & me, by the 7.30 from Bordighera. We are very busy packing. I have got 25 francs to spend, but I can always get some out of the Post Office Savings Bank if I see anything extra pretty. We are only staying till Friday evening.

  Diary: Wednesday 16 April 1913

  We have arrived in Florence at about 7 o’clock. We went straight to the Hotel Minerva. It is just next door to the Santa Maria Novella Church. Poor Mother was not feeling at all well, but she came with us all the same. First to the Duomo, then the Baptistry, the Singing Gallery, then we went and had lunch at 11.30 at a resterant. We also went to Cettepassi, and arranged about the pearls. I also bought an old cross, pearls & red stones, it was very pretty £6.0.0, but Mother paid half. In the afternoon we hired an open motor and drove right around Florence, up to Fiesole, where we saw the old roman remains and the Cathedral. It was lovely. 50 francs. In the evening Auntie & I did a little shopping.

  Diary: Thursday 17 April 1913

  Mother was quite well that day. In the morning Mrs Jefferson took David & I to see St Marco’s Convent, where Savonorola was a long time, we saw a lot of Michael Angelo’s pictures. On the way back I bought 4 very pretty old cups & saucers. Then Mother, Auntie [Vava], D & I went to see Meacci,* Auntie gave us each a picture by him.

  Very pretty ones, she also gave Mother a lovely one. Then we went back to lunch. Directly after we went to the Pitti Gallery, and then to Canta Gali, David & I each bought 3 plates, & Mother gave us each a pretty blue jar. Then Angelina took us to see Caponi, I love it. After that we met M & A at Jiacosa and had tea.

  ‘When we were children both my grandmothers lived in Italy in the winter, and I just loved Italian things. I had a very clever Cavendish-Bentinck aunt, who took us to the Uffizi in Florence. She only allowed us to look at one picture … it was wonderful. Instead of poor little legs getting flabby with exhaustion, I remember looking at the Primavera. I can see it now. I suppose I was ten. I thought it was very clever of her really.’

  18 July 1913 to David Bowes Lyon

  St Paul’s Walden Bury

  My Darling David

  I hope you are very well. We have come down here for good now, at least till you come home. Fraulein* goes to Germany on Tuesday 22nd next. Well, and ‘ow are yer, Hay? Boo, you haint no good, you haint woggeling yer tooth. Oi ham. Dur. Whats the good o’ not woggeling. Hay? Aint no good at all. Arthur Duff has given me a new pony. Its 16 years old, but awfully good still. Only 11 more days now [until the summer holidays].

  HOORAY,

  WHAT HO!

  PIP, PIP.

  Its a very short time. Everybody’s well. Do write me a letter soon.

  Please do Ducky.

  Goodbye your very very very very very very loving Elizabeth

  Xxxxxxxxxoooooooo

  30 November 1913 to David Bowes Lyon

  St Paul’s Walden Bury

  My darling David,

  Thank you so much for your delightful pc. I’m afraid Ive been a dreadfull long time writing but Ive been horribly busy, trying to knit Xmas presents and doing lessons.

  Only 18 days to the holidays. 2 weeks and 4 days. It’s nice to think about. Mother got two enormous stockings the other day. I do look forward to us two opening them. I suppose next week you’ll write and wish Fergie a happy Christmas and a bright New Year. I really don’t know what to give him Its so awfully difficult to give a man something which he really likes, except guns and motors. Good thought. I might send him a motor. Shall we give it between us? Only a few hundreds! […]

  Ta Ta young-feller-me-lad

  From your respaactible E

  Friday 26 June 1914 to Lady Strathmore

  Glamis Castle

  My Darling Mother

  Most terrible goings-on here. At this present moment Fraulein is crying and sobbing in her room, and David is doing lessons with Mr Hewett. They had a dreadful quarrel just before tea, two at lunch, and I really don’t know what to do. For the last week I haven’t had one single moment of peace, even in my room, and its too awfull. I cant tell you how I look forward to Thursday, oh it will be nice. I really cant help just one tear now and then. But I do hope you will enjoy your weekend at Ham House, was Bisham fun? Only six more days! Hooray. We are going to tea with Freda Robertson tomorrow Saturday, and Gavin* is going to take us out in his motor, one day. Everybody is very well, I d
on’t know about Fraulein, but I do pity her poor thing, and I’m afraid she’ll go away for good, with a bad feeling against this family, though I believe she quite likes me. I had such a nice letter from Mikie this morning, so funny, I’m going to wait till I’m cheerfull again to reply to him. Good-bye lovie, from your very very loving Elizabeth

  Saturday 27 June 1914 to Michael Bowes Lyon

  Glamis Castle

  My Darling Mike

  Thank you most awfully for your delightful episal. I was glad to get it, and it made me laugh some, you bet. I suppose you’r moving around pretty slick just now, dinner, balls ect. I hope you are having plenty of champenge, clarit, ‘oc, mosel, and baeer, Baaeer, Baaeer, wonderful baaer, fill yourself right up to here (neck). That was by Shakespeare. Oi ad an horful noice toime yesterday playing ‘opscotch with Fairweather,† oi can taal you he got a talent for ‘opscotch.

  We are coming down on Thursday next, it will be nice seeing you all again. I’ts not very peaceful here! I am sorry to see by your picture that Spicer has’nt been shaving his nose lately, do tell him before I come down. Williams is playing the concertina most wonderfully, it’s really a delight to hear him, he attracts crowds of people from all round. How’s old Rosie. I hope your health is good. Been to ‘Hullo Tango’ lately? I went to the Alhambra last night, jolly good show. Waal, good-bye Mike old gump, (Mike Gump) Ha Ha I do call that funny. From your very loving and sweetly Elizabeth

  ‘The war broke out on my birthday. We went to the theatre and two people in the box were called up and one was a [young man called] William who had been in the Eton Eleven. I can’t remember who the other one was. The streets were full of people shouting, roaring, yelling their heads off – little thinking what was going to happen.’ Soon after this, Elizabeth went to see her brother Mike off at the station, on his way to war: ‘There was a very young little officer going off, and his mother – I can see her now – was weeping. And I remember my brother leaning out of the train and saying “Don’t worry, I’ll look after him.” And do you know, he was killed the next day. It was so awful when one thinks about it.’