John and Olive Childe in the 1660s
John Childe was a London attorney or solicitor. He married his wife Olive, probably in London, in the mid 1650s. He himself would have been in his mid 20s and typically Olive would have been younger by several years - the average age for middle-class brides was 22. They were in Guildford, living in the Parish of Holy Trinity, when Olive gave birth to their first son, John, in 1656. She had another son, Leonard the following year but it was not until 1665 that their daughter, also named Olive was born.
We know far more about John Childe than we do about his wife Olive. With few exceptions, middle class women are virtually invisible in the historical record. Apart from terse entries in parish registers and references in wills, there is little by which to chart their lives.
The house itself occupied the space between the Crown Inn and the Castle Inn. Nothing is known of the building which previously occupied the site, but in an indenture dated 10th January 1659 between John and Richard Gardyner and John Childe Attorney, the latter undertook to buy for the 'sum of £100 of lawful English monie, all that messuage or tenement, barn, stables garden and backside with the appurtenances situate, lying and being in between the messuage or inn called The Crown on the west part, the messuage or tenant of George Price in the occupation of John Wonham on the east part, the High Street of Guildford aforesaid on the south and the North Town Ditch on the north.'
John Childe was the son of a Buckinghamshire gentleman. At one time he owned Waverley House, Farnham, which was sold by his grandson in 1747. John Childe's daughter, Olive, married George Duncombe of Weston in the Parish of Albury and it was probably her grand-daughter, Olive Duncombe, who endowed the Duncombe Charity in Guildford.
John Childe was Mayor of Guildford in 1676, 1681 and 1691. His name appears on the list of subscribers for the extension of the Guildhall in 1683. He died on 17th July 1701. his son and heir, John, was four years old when the house was built, but although a Childe's name was recorded in the Poll Book of 1705, it was the second son Leonard, also a lawyer and Town Clark of Guildford from 1677 to 1702, who inherited his father's property. On Leonard Childe's death in 1730, the property passed to his nephew Charles, who also inherited the Manor of Cranstocke at Woking where he is recorded as having held court in 1742. He sold Guildford House to John martyr in 1736 for £700.
The Household
The household was referred to as ‘family' and included servants as well as the couple and their children. A typical family for a house the size of Guildford House would have been seven or eight. As we have seen, the couple and their children numbered five. This would suggest that there were only two or three servants in residence, and this was typical for an attorney’s household. (John Childe may have had an income around £150 per annum.)
It was likely that there would have been two female servants and one man servant. The man would have principally looked after the family’s horses, stabled at the bottom of the property with a gate into North Street. He may have slept in the house or he may have had lodgings by the stables and barn. It is unlikely there was a coach: saddle horses and a pillion for Mrs Childe would be more usual at this level of society.
The two maids might have occupied the space now known as the attic rooms at the rear of the upper storey. The front room could have been the master bedroom. The Painted Closet may have been a private space for the mistress of the house to read, pray or study.
A major bedroom would be unusual on the top floor, but the quality of the staircase reaching to the full height of the building and the high ceiling of the room itself suggests a prestigious use. The smaller rooms would have been suitable for the children.
The rear room on the middle floor may have been an additional bedroom. It may be that John and Olive had separate bedrooms, as is certainly known from inventories of other houses at this time. In that case the Pine Room would almost certainly have been his.
The Mistress and the Servants
The maids would be paid around £2 per annum, but they were provided with their food and clothing as well. There may well have been a significant turnover in staff - if the Pepys family were typical - but nevertheless they would largely have freed Olive from housework. Typically the house would be swept twice a week from top to bottom, sand being scattered on the floors. Fine silver sand was mined in Reigate for this purpose. This may well account in part for the worn condition of the stairs.
It is not certain to what extent the children would have been brought up by the servants rather than their mother. The use of wet-nurses would certainly have led to less maternal bonding and many mothers saw their role in instruction and discipline, "honoured" rather than loved.
Although she had at least two maids, it is highly likely that Olive Childe was personally involved in cooking. Gervase Markham wrote "The English Housewife" in 1615 and editions were reprinted regularly throughout the 17th century. He gives a very clear idea of what was expected of a wife and cookery was prominent amongst her duties. First of all she must have skill in the garden, growing herbs and salads. The Childes had a separate garden on the opposite side of North Street, with a fine brick summer house. As well as a pleasure garden, it was almost certainly a kitchen garden.
Another of the domestic arts the mistress was expected to practice was medicine. The mother was both nurse and doctor to her family and was required to know how to prepare herbal remedies. Much of this was done in the still room. This may have been a separate room near the kitchen or simply have been carried out in the Brew House. A still was essential, not only for preparing remedies but also perfumes and cosmetics.
The Parlour (and other rooms)
The grand front room of the house was certainly the parlour, and it is known that the Sheriff of Surrey entertained the Judges there when they came to Guildford for the Assizes. The elaborate plaster ceiling would emphasise the eminence of the Childes.
At street level the front door was reached by a low double staircase with an iron balustrade in the Dutch bourgeois manner. Inside would have been the hall. At one time the principle room of a house, the hall was now becoming merely a vestibule. Here there would have been perhaps a table and chairs for clients, and beyond a private study or office for more confidential work, (perhaps what we now call the alcove). There may also have been a room for a clerk to assist Mr Childe.
Beyond that, a door would have led into the family’s private space. The room at the rear, with its beautiful oriole window and plaster ceiling was probably the dining parlour. The window gave a view down the garden and orchard to the portico leading to the stables and a flight of wooden steps would have led down to the courtyard. Downstairs lay the kitchen and the cellars, and these were very much the domain of the mistress of the house. Clothing
As far as her clothing is concerned we may be sure that Olive’s was of the best quality and fashion although probably not as expensive and ostentatious as the fashions of Court. At the restoration period she would have worn a gown [as depicted] probably of a woollen material for everyday use in winter and of silk in summer. In fact silk was being manufactured at Spittlefields in London by this time and there was little difference in cost between silk and good quality wool.
This would have been worn over a ‘pair of bodies’ or corset, often stiffened at the centre front by a wooden strip or ‘busk’. In practice this meant it was impossible for a fashionable lady to bend over! No doubt the serving maids had more practical garments.
Over her gown she might wear a waistcoat for warmth, perhaps fur lined in winter and almost invariably an apron, of plain linen for household wear or finely-worked as befitted the Mistress of the House. She may have had three or more complete outfits of clothes - at a time when most working women had but one.
She could expect at least one new outfit each year costing perhaps £1 for the gown and 8 shillings for the bodies or stays. The old clothes would have been handed down to the servants or to the poor.
Food and Drink
The daily meals would have been breakfast (beer and bread), dinner (being taken by the middle classes at one or two o’clock), and supper (bread and cheese, etc). Markham was quite demanding as far as dinners were concerned. He assumed that servants would be available but expected a housewife on her own to be able to serve a series of elaborate dishes. What he describes as a humble feast for entertaining friends should consist of :
1 Shield of brawn with mustard
2 Boiled capon
3 Boiled beef
4 Roast beef
5 Roast Neat’s Tongue
6 Roast pig
7 Baked Chewets
8 Roast goose
9 Roast Swan
10 Roast Turkey
11 Roast Haunch of Venison
12 Venison Pasty
13 Kid with a pudding the belly
14 Olive Pie
15 2 Capons
16 Custard or doucets
- together with salads, vegetables, etc.
This he described as an "ordinary entertainment". It may well be that the Childes set their table with the newly-introduced forks, and followed the fashion of the court by adopting French recipes. Olive would also be expected to look after the wine and beer in the cellars. French wines were heavily taxed after 1678, leading to a fashion for port, malmsey (a strong sweet wine), Madeira, etc. In a household like hers food and drink might cost from £10 to £20 per person per year.