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Langley Dale
The letter that follows was given to us when Club members visited Langley Dale homestead in December. It was written in 1927, from the memories of obviously a staff member who had worked there 68 years before in 1859. Her name was Sarah Mary. Who she was we don’t know. I said I would type this out to be read in the Vintage viewpoint as it was quite hard to read, but very nice writing. Interesting that the signature of Sarah on the letter was different to the person who wrote the letter so she was obviously a very elderly lady by that time and perhaps recited the letter to someone else.
Provided by Chris Bird
Renwicktown 10.9.27 Dear Mr Adams,
It is 68 years this month since I came to Langley Dale. I might say here that there was not a road in the Wairau and very little fencing, so we went anywhere for a track. We crossed the river at Rock Ferry, the East end of the run.
The first fence was a paddock, fenced with a Hawthorne hedge. How many acres were enclosed I do not know; and from there to the house was manuka, tussocks, fern &Irishman bushes.
I cannot remember how many acres were fenced in round the house. This fence was made of posts and rails.
There was a crop of oats in the east side of it. There was a piece with vegetables and then a large lawn, and in the centre of the lawn was a sun dial. From the lawn to the house was a path, ten or twelve feet wide. This was all on the East side of the house.
From the lawn to the Hills was planted in an orchard. The trees were then beginning to bear.
The house downstairs was divided into four compartments. the room East and South was the dining room. The front door faced east. The windows were on the South side, the door faced the East.
The kitchen was on the north and east side of the house. A very small room was built on the north side. Which was used for a cellar. From the kitchen door, North and west were left open for a large verandah. Under this verandah was a meat safe, a large bench, a pump and wood box. The room facing South and West was a dairy. There were two large cheese presses on the West side and the windows were on the South side. There were shelves down the middle of the room for the milk pans.
The back staircase was on the East side of the room, it ran North and South.
Mrs Adams bedroom was on the left hand side of the top of the stairs. There was a
landing, part of which was partitioned off for my bedroom. The room looking west was the spare room. Going through Mrs Adams bedroom to the East side of the house was another landing. A piece was curtained off at the top of the stairs, where the two little boys slept.
The front staircase descended from the north to the South and came into the dining room. Under the staircase was a cupboard. There was a double chimney in the dining room, which was used for dining room and kitchen fires.
In the kitchen fire place there was a large fountain. There were two bars across the fireplace where we cooked in camp ovens. The floors were all bare, on account of being unable to purchase floor coverings in the country.
There was a verandah on the East and South side of the house. On the South side there was a path about for or five feet wide.
There was a plot with flowers, and in this plot were two gum trees. These were the only two gum trees on Langley Dale.
The track known as the road led to a five acre paddock. This contained the stable. Outside this paddock going towards the back yard was a stock yard.
In the corner of this stock yard was a building. The South side was used for cow sheds. The piece looking North was used for a workshop. Above the workshop was a storeroom.
In the back yard were two whares of one room each.
Mrs Davis cottage was by the creek, by the orchard.
Crossing the creek looking up the valley was farm for a little was and then dense bush. Coming from the creek, when one mounted the Rock, all that could be seen was flax swamps with a drain in it. From the swamp to the river, was known as the Scrub, it was very rough. As far as I can remember, the Hills always looked beautiful to me.
I did not travel far from the house because I was afraid of being lost, because I was once lost in the swamp.
There was not a wool shed, because there were very few sheep on the place; there were a lot of cattle.
They were milking 16 cows: the butter was put into casks to send away.
I might say here that every Sunday morning Mr and Mrs Davis, the cowman, if he cared to come, and myself were invited into the dining room and the church service was read. The forementioned comprised the staff.
There were only a few horses. One for Mr and Mrs Adams and one for the man.
The only vehicles on the place was a bullock dray, wheelbarrow and a crude sledge. All the work was done with the bullocks.
Your Grandmother and the two little boys, went in the bullock dray, driven by Mr Davis, to visit Captain and Mrs Baillie. After this, Mr and Mrs A P Seymour and family came to visit your Grandmother; their conveyance was also a bullock dray.
I often think of the time when His Excellency, the Governor (Brown) came around Top House. There were no roads, and had to ford the rivers. How glad he must have been when he reached Langley Dale to have a rest. How your Grandmother entertained him and nine other gentlemen, in the small house and all the cooking to be done in the camp
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oven. The more I think of it the greater the puzzle. It all passed without and confusion. After spending the weekend at Langley Dale, the whole company left on horseback to go to Waitohi, now Picton. The road between Picton and Blenheim was only being formed. He would be taken as far as the beach and then use a rowing boat and taken to a Steamer; there not being a wharf at Waitohi.
Being Chairman of the Road Board it might interest you to know the first road to be formed in the Wairau Plain was from Jack Parsons corner to Blenheim, now known as the Old road. This was in 1864.
If I keep on you will have the History of Marlborough.
With kind regards to Mrs Adams. Hoping yourselves and family are quite well. You will be pleased to know my Rheumatism is a great deal better.
Yours Sincerely, Sarah Mary.
Note: Chris sent this in beautiful Victorian script but unfortunately this was not easy to read when printed.
