Flowers for the Duchess

By Edwina Pogson

The lives and times of a large family in service over the turn of the last century. James Pogson was one of the youngest children. His working life started at thirteen years of age when he entered the gardeners’ bothy on the Welbeck Abbey Estate in the Dukeries, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Portland. As James progressed, gaining knowledge and experience, his love and artistry of flowers became apparent. By his mid-twenties, he was doing floristry in the Abbey and had graduated to become an ‘indoor’ servant with his own small apartment at the Abbey. His work diary for 1911, on which this book is based, gives an insight to the flowers he worked with and to the events of that year.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley
• Release date: Apr 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463071601

Edwina Pogson

Edwina was born in Portsmouth into a naval family. When she was four, the family moved to Nottingham, her father being posted there as Royal Navy and Royal Marine Recruiting Officer. In the time before eleven plus exams, she took a scholarship and won a place at Brincliffe Grammar School in Nottingham. On marriage, she moved to Derbyshire with her husband Geoffrey, who was a draughtsman at Rolls-Royce (Aero Division) Ltd. After their two sons were settled at school Edwina also joined the staff at Rolls-Royce. In the early seventies, the family moved to Cornwall where she still lives and enjoys village life but sadly is now widowed.

Book preview

About the Author

Edwina was born in Portsmouth into a naval family. When she was four, the family moved to Nottingham, her father being posted there as Royal Navy and Royal Marine Recruiting Officer. In the time before eleven plus exams, she took a scholarship and won a place at Brincliffe Grammar School in Nottingham. On marriage, she moved to Derbyshire with her husband Geoffrey, who was a draughtsman at Rolls-Royce (Aero Division) Ltd. After their two sons were settled at school Edwina also joined the staff at Rolls-Royce. In the early seventies, the family moved to Cornwall where she still lives and enjoys village life but sadly is now widowed.

***

***

Dedication

For James’s grandchildren

Michael Gascoigne, Anne Davis, Lynne Gascoigne,

James (Jim) Pogson and Garry Pogson

With memories of their late parents May Gascoigne and Geoffrey Pogson

***

***

***

***

***

***

Flowers for the Duchess

Published by Austin Macauley at Smashwords

Copyright 2018 Edwina Pogson

The right of Edwina Pogson to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with the written permission of the publisher, or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended). Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is

Available from the British Library.

www.austinmacauley.com

Flowers for the Duchess, 2018

ISBN 978-1-78848-161-8 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-78848-162-5 (Hardback)

ISBN 978-1-78848-163-2 (Kindle E-Book)

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.

First Published in 2018

AustinMacauley Publishers.LTD/

CGC-33-01, 25 Canada Square

Canary Wharf, London E14 5LQ

***

Acknowledgements

My thanks to my husband’s nieces, Anne Davis and Lynne Gascoigne, for kindly passing James’s diary to me after their mother’s death. Also to Anne for helping to trace family.

To the Harley Gallery at Welbeck for their friendly assistance in accessing Derek Adlam’s book Tunnel Vision from which I was able to put names to people and places.

For an unknown source of a small booklet, which unfortunately we have not been able to trace. From this we were able to put a few details to the stories we had heard of the eccentric 5th Duke’s buildings.

To Austin Macauley for their welcome advice and most importantly, for publishing my book.

To all my family for their support and encouragement in the writing of this book.

In particular, my special thanks to my brilliant daughter in law, Shelly