How the Earl of Lathom rewarded his faithful servants in his will
THE Earl of Lathom left several bequests to specific servants in his will of 1899.
He particularly rewarded the dedicated service of the governess to his children.
Elizabeth Hand, born in London in 1836, had previously been a governess to the children of the widowed Countess of Caledon.
The countess, a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria from 1858 to 1878, was formerly Jane Frederica Harriet Mary Grimston (January 17, 1825–1888), she was the younger sister of Katherine, the Countess of Clarenden, who was the mother of Alice, Countess of Lathom.
In 1861, the Earl of Caledon, aged just 15, became the owner of the Caledon Estate in County Tyrone, Ireland.
Shortly after 1861, Elizabeth was engaged as a governess to the growing family of the new Lord and Lady Skelmersdale of Lathom House.
By 1871, she was governess to seven BootleWilbraham children.
It is possible that Elizabeth came to Lathom around the time the family lost their daughter, Constance Adela, in 1864.
In all she helped raise and nurture eight children for the family.
Elizabeth would go with the family to their London home, 41 Portland Place, when the earl was serving as Lord Chamberlain to Queen Victoria.
She also spent many years at Lathom House,
In his will, Lord Lathom left her an annuity of £50, which was to be paid to her half-yearly.
Elizabeth retired after the earl died and went to live with her older sister in Ealing, London, dying there in 1920 aged 84.
Zillah Wright served as housekeeper at Lathom House from 1885, when the former housekeeper Elizabeth Edwards died.
Zillah was named in the will and left the sum of £50.
She retired to live with her son in Westhead in the early 1900s and died on December 4, 1919 aged 79. Her grave in Ormskirk Parish Churchyard had been bought specifically for the estate servants in 1883 by Lord Lathom and Elizabeth Edwards is also in that plot.
The butler at Lathom House the time of the earl’s death was Robert Hartland,
Robert was born in Gloucester and came into service for the earl after being the licensee of the Prince of Wales in Lambeth.
After being the live-in butler at 41 Portland Place, he moved his wife and family up to Lathom in the 1890s while he worked at Lathom House, with his family living in one of the lodges on the estate.
Robert joined the Freemasons while living at Lathom.
He witnessed the codicil to the will and left Lathom with his family to take another pub, this time in Bloomsbury, after the earl died. He died in 1910 aged just 56.
Under the terms of the will he received a year’s salary.
John Hearn was a valet for the earl at Lathom and when the earl died he also witnessed the codicil to the will.
John was promoted to butler at Lathom House on the departure of Robert Hartland and served the 2nd Lord Lathom, also receiving a year’s salary under the terms of the will.
Head gardener Benjamin Ashton and head coachman Harry Mansell each were left £50.
Harry retired from his duties and took over the Fleece Inn, in Aughton Street, Ormskirk.
All servants and estate workers in the employ of the earl and the estate from three years before the earl’s death received a years wages under the terms of the will.
Lathom Park Trust is into year two of a project to identify and research the lives of the servants at Lathom and at the Portland Street home.
This will be a considerable task but there is much of interest to find – not least the burial plot in the Parish Church graveyard.