The
pupils of Swanley Court
This is the most up to date version but some of the pupils have not appeared until the end of both Daisy and Libby
Those
pupils who have left are indicated in italics
Note;
from 1812 if pupils are tagged as being from The Oxford School, this is the
school Emma Spink attended for a while ‘renowned for discipline’ which was such
an abusive establishment.
Abigail Meersham, b
1794
Sallow
complexion but high colour on cheeks, soft brown hair. Greenish eyes.
Founder
pupil leaves November 1810
Abigail has left the orphanage to marry
Orphaned
at 14, when her parents drowned in a bathing accident at Brighton. Quiet, bookish, Shakespeare lover. Kind to
the little ones, capable, sense of humour.
Margaret [Daisy] Ellis
b1795
Perfect
complexion, golden curls and blue eyes.
Club foot.
Founder
pupil. Leaves after Easter 1812
Daisy
entered the school a sad and angry child, but found peace and contentment with
the kindness of her preceptresses and doctor.
Her parents were out in India as her father worked for the East India
Company, and then ventured on his own account.
They died out there of some disease.
When Daisy’s grandfather died, her grandmother was not well, and was
offered a home by her sister-in-law providing she did not bring That
Child. Daisy had been highly educated by
the local vicar who arranged her transfer to Swanley Court. Daisy, having been
immobile for years, is something of a bluestocking. She also has a flair for business, as her
father was said to have had before investing all his money in some mysterious
venture that was not revealed before he died.
Marianne Seagall b.
1794
Blonde,
pale complexion, grey eyes.
Arrives
January 1810. Leaves to marry January 1811
Left
orphaned by an improvident gambler father, whose care is taken on by a distant
cousin called Cornelius Tempest, who pays for her to go to school to learn practical
skills on condition that she writes to him once a month. Marianne has received almost no education
beyond how to grace society, but she is a fine embroideress. She has a lively sense of the ridiculous and
irony. One of her father’s gaming
partners believes he won her in a game of cards and is a sinister figure in her
background.
Anne Maplin b.
1795
Dark
curls.
Arrives
March 1810. Leaves orphanage Christmas
1811 as governess, and subsequently marries.
Anne
is the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy gentleman, who reared her as his
daughter, and adopted her legally when his common-law low-born wife died.
However, he failed to make any proper provision for her in a will, and died
intestate. By law, she has no rights of inheritance and has been treated very
unkindly by the cousin who did inherit.
Having expected to inherit a gracious house and substantial fortune, she
came to school very resentful, and something of a whiner, though she tries not
to complain too much. She is well-read
and accomplished in all ladylike skills, and does not contemplate the life of a
governess with joy. She is particularly
skilled on harp, pianoforte and guitar.
Emma Spink b Feb 1796
Paying
pupil, enters after Easter 1811
Emma leaves the orphanage at Christmas 1811.
Fashionably
dark hair, full figure, developed early.
Rather
spoilt, but trying to improve; accustomed to having her own way. Plays piano with verve and feeling, but her
playing suffers for having skimped on practice.
Julia
Spencer b 1796
From The Oxford School, comes summer 1812
Blonde, very pretty, hair on the frizzy side
of curly, in a cloud.
Julia’s widowed mother remarried when Julia
was about 12, and William Brace, her new stepfather, started interfering with
Julia, finally visiting her nightly in her bed.
When Mrs Brace caught her husband at it, she immediately blamed her
daughter and sent her to the Oxford school. As Julia was both good at lessons
and pianoforte and had learned already to keep her head down she found it preferable
to home life. She befriended Emma Spink,
as a result of which the Macfarlanes set plans in motion to put the Oxford
school out of business and rescue the pupils. Julia loves learning and has
ambitions to be a bluestocking, as well as branching out in more musical instruments
than just the pianoforte.
William Brace, having made the mistake of
visiting his stepdaughter and trying to interfere with Hermione Driscoll, is
being sued for attempting to despoil a minor.
Penelope
Belfield b1796
From The Oxford School, came summer 1812
Pale gold hair, pale complexion, very
delicate suffering malnutrition even more extreme than the other pupils of that
school.
Penelope has a stutter, which began when her
parents died. Her aunt and uncle could
not break her of it, so sent her to the Oxford school with instructions to beat
it out of her so she would be able to be a governess and not be a drain on
them. In addition the Oxford school
withheld food if she could not ask for it in a complete sentence without
hesitation. The aunt and uncle have signed her over to the Macfarlanes and
washed their hands of her.
Lily
Daventry b end 1796
Comes Michaelmas 1812.
Brown hair and eyes, the younger of the two
daughters of Squire Daventry from Daisy’s village. Lily wants to get away from her sister,
Rosalie, and grow up without her spiteful influence. She is a paying student.
The
Goyder Twins b. 1797
Founder pupils
Red-gold hair. Orphaned by a rather feckless father whom
they hardly knew, who shot himself over his debts. They are more bereaved by the death not long
before of their beloved governess, Miss Philpot, or ‘Fippy’, whose death
shortly preceded that of first their mother, who faded away, and then their
father’s suicide. They are naturally mischievous and have dealt with their bereavement
with different bad behaviour.
Felicity
Goyder
Felicity subsumed her grief into being a vain
and selfish little madam. However, she
has responded well to compassion, and if inclined to vanity, is a normal,
mischievous child, no more thoughtless than any other. She is claustrophobic. Felicity has ambitions to be a modiste and is
an enthusiastic dress designer.
Philippa
Goyder
Philippa has a passion for rescuing animals
in need, which has been known to extend to human children. Her compassion is infinite but not always
wise. She is a bit of a chatterbox when not being quiet to help her current
waifs.
Frances
Partridge b. 1797
Comes end June, 1810
Family ruined by debt, father went mad and
shot his son and wife and himself, but forgot Frances who was kept out of the
way. Frances has a mental age of about three, but
can be trained to simple tasks.
She is beautiful, with rich golden hair and
big blue eyes, but nobody at home behind them.
Hermione
Driscoll b. 1797
Comes end of July, 1810
The child of the vicarage, Hermione’s father
had more conscience regarding his parishioners than regarding his own family,
since his sick-visiting led to him bringing typhus into his own home. Hermione lost her parents, and her siblings
Electra, Iphigenia and Orestes. Her
older brother Nicostratus is a year older than she, and has been sent to sea as
a ‘captain’s servant’ to train as a midshipman.
Very pretty, very blonde and pale. Seems insipid until she is speaking with
animation when she is a pale flame.
Witty, fine needlewoman, clever, reads Greek and Latin. No very great imagination however.
Kitty
Walker b. 1797
Comes November 1810
Flaxen hair and rich brown eyes, pretty.
Kitty is the oldest of 4 children. Her father, Thomas Walker, was a foreman on
the canals who died while making sure his underlings were safe. Her mother was the daughter of a naval
lieutenant. Her mother, Catherine, after
whom Kitty is named, did not survive the birth of a baby after her father’s
death, and nor did the baby. She has two
brothers, Tom, b 1800 [flaxen hair, green eyes] who is horse mad, and Harry, b.
1802 [darker gold hair, hazel eyes with gold flecks] who wants to be an
engineer. They are in the care of Renfield Chister, Baron Chisterley. Kitty
also has a little sister Amelia, qv.
Hannah
Loring b. 1798
Founder pupil.
Pale, rather lank brown hair, both complexion
and hair improve with country living.
The daughter of a vicar who died whilst
trying to prevent a riot. Hannah, whose
mother had died when she was little, resented his death whilst helping other
people not her. She was the most obnoxious pi brat at first. Once able to deal
with her grief, she rapidly settled down and because a much nicer child.
Rachel
Cohen b. 1798
Sort of a founder pupil
Solemn, piquant little face, dark curls.
Rachel is not an orphan, she is the sister of
Rabbi Simon Cohen who helped out with Phoebe [see below]. She is an obedient
and quiet child who takes her duties as Phoebe’s surrogate sister very
seriously. She likes having a younger
sister-figure, being the youngest in her family.
Barbara
Ainsworth b1798
From The Oxford School, came summer 1812
Mousey hair but does not care much about her
appearance. Startlingly blue eyes.
Horse mad and also very wild and undisciplined
motherless girl. The last straw for her
father was when she rode a horse she was forbidden to ride, and stayed on by a
miracle but almost ruined its mouth. Mr.
Ainsworth is entirely indifferent to how harshly Barbara has been treated but
is happy for her to be at Swanley Court so long as she learns to behave. Barbara is also a surprisingly competent
needlewoman. It reminds her of her
mother.
Eliza
Bradbury b 1798
Joins orphanage Summer 1812
Daughter of the schoolmaster at Queen’s
Hasely and educated as a boy; a tomboy and accustomed to dress as a boy until
taught to be a girl by the new viscountess, Grace Hasely. Fond of Emma Hasely.
Alice
Dewell b 1798
Comes late summer 1812
Brown hair and eyes
Daughter of an author of history books, who died
of complications following getting wet in investigating some local
earthwork. The cottage where they lived
was copyhold nor freehold, and the bailiff suggested some most inappropriate
rent. She ran away with her horse, Bucephalous, and tried to win a race at
Newmarket where she was rescued by Marcus Belvoir and escorted to the school.
Cleopatra
[Cleo] Ashley b. 1799
Joins orphanage shortly after it opens
Blonde hair, pale complexion, light blue
eyes, skinny like a piece of chewed string but muscles like whipcord.
The daughter of the school nursery nurse,
Cleo was born right after the Battle of the Nile, at which her mother was a decorated nurse, for
having been working on the orlop deck with the surgeon right up until she gave
birth. Cleo grew up on board ship, until
her father’s death in battle at Trafalgar. He was a Gunner, so Mrs. Ashley had
a reasonable pension once she had fought for it. Cleo loves words and is something of a poet. She and her mother also support the Chartist
movement and are quite radical. Cleo is not a lady, but she loves learning, and
the preceptresses do not see why she should not learn.
Augusta
Crookshank b 1799
From The Oxford School, comes summer 1812
Dark brown hair.
Augusta is a poet with a lot of potential,
but her ambition outstrips her ability.
When she sneaked out and tried to sell her works to a publisher. The publisher took her back to her father who
sent her to school with the intent that she be stopped from becoming ‘an
affected little ninnyhammer.’ Mr. Crookshank
however was horrified to find his daughter had untreated broken fingers from
having her knuckles beaten if suspected of writing poetry as well as by the
cruel music master for failing to play accurately with her already broken
fingers. He is happy to let Swanley
Court help his daughter.
Anne
‘Nancy’ Baswin b 1799
From The Oxford School, comes summer 1812
Auburn hair
Oldest of three sisters, see also Amelia and
Amanda.
Nancy is a good natured girl, who loves her
sisters dearly and has tried to shield them, taking punishments for them. She is well-read and a bluestocking. The Baswin girls were sent to the Oxford
school by their new stepmother who considered three bluestocking red-haired
stepdaughters only a few years younger than she is to be unmarriageable, and a
threat to her dominance over their father, as the servants refer her orders to
Nancy. Mr. Baswin has lost his
daughters in letting his wife declare that their sufferings have been
exaggerated and they may as well transfer to this other school.
Amelia
‘Mimi’ Baswin b 1800
From The Oxford School, comes summer 1812
Red hair
Amelia is the tallest of the Baswin sisters,
and is currently gawky and clumsy. She
is well-read, though less of a bluestocking than Nancy. She tried to keep her
head down at the Oxford school, but hating injustice often got herself into
trouble for speaking out of turn. Like
her sisters she loves reading and is warm natured.
Georgiana
Throgmorton b 1800
From The Oxford School, comes summer 1812
Golden curls, very pretty. She is also
musical.
Georgiana is the child of a wealthy
manufacturer who has become involved with the canals. He has spoilt his little girl, impressed that
her mother was the child of an impoverished peer, whose estates Mr. Throgmorton
saved in return for a gently-bred wife.
His wife died in childbed, and Mr. Throgmorton spoiled his daughter, and
regretted it when he could no longer control her self-willed behaviour. The final straw was when Georgiana had a
temper tantrum in front of a potential business partner, ruining a deal, and
Mr. Throgmorton lost his own temper. Georgiana is also hot tempered and found
herself in the Oxford school for her excesses.
Mr. Throgmorton was another father horrified to find out how his
daughter has been ill-treated, but having been put in touch with the Spinks by
the Macfarlanes has agreed to pay for his daughter to do a few terms in Swanley
Court to subsidise other orphans.
Phoebe
Goldstone b. 1801
Founder pupil.
Dark brown hair, peachy complexion
Phoebe’s parents died when their coach
overturned, as they moved to a smaller house, her father having lost all his
money on the ‘change. Phoebe was thrown
clear. She was taken in by a kindly
Stage-coachman, though he thought it ‘not right’ for a little lady to be reared
by lowly folk such as himself and his wife, and gladly passed her into Philippa
Goyder’s care as the twins were on their way to the school. It transpired that Phoebe is nominally
Jewish, which has led to the school’s association with a Rabbi and his family.
Mary
Foley b. 1801
Comes just before Christmas 1809
Dumpy, flat face without much expression,
mousy hair
Mary is a very clever girl, though not much
shows on her face. She is also
horse-mad. Her mother died in childbed,
and her father died in a hunting accident, after which it was found that his
finances were in a real mess.
Harriet
Palmer b 1801
Comes summer 1812
Dark hair, green eyes, freckles, not pretty
but interesting face
Orphaned daughter of a sergeant who died in
the ‘flying artillery’. Harriet has been
living with the officers’ wives who have been treating her as a skivvy. Harriet is quiet and withdrawn, but clever.
Sarah
Ryland b. 1802
Comes New Year 1810
Auburn hair, talks with her hands a lot.
A quicksilver child, who is a talented
artist, and has a visiting teacher to develop her talent. She had lived with a
horrible aunt and uncle who were glad to get rid of her to a charity school.
Sarah is a chatterbox and has a witty tongue, though she does not like written
work.
Emma/Emmie
Hasely, from end 1811, once Emmuska Kovacs aka Emma [Emmie] Smith b 1802
Comes June 15th 1810
Dark curls and rosebud mouth.
Daughter of Viscount Anthony Hasely and his
mistress, Piroska Kovacs. Piroska died
and Emma’s father’s wife refused succour to his daughter.
She is quiet and shy, and admires and adores
her father, a distant figure until he was able to take her into his household
when his wife died. He has always been a rock for her. He rescued her from her uncle, Attila Kovacs,
who had planned to turn his niece into an expensive whore like his sister, on
whom he was living. Indeed Kovacs
intended her to dance naked even at her tender years.
Emma is graceful and dances very well. She is of average intelligence but a hard
worker. She loves her three half
brothers, Chris, b 1793, Cecil, b 1796, and Aubrey, b1799, and her half-sisters
Cecily,b February 1812 and Priscilla, b Jan 1813, named as the English version
of Piroska.
Amanda
Baswin b 1803
From The Oxford School, comes summer 1812
Strawberry blonde.
The youngest of the Baswin girls, qv, Anne
[Nancy] and Amelia. Like her sisters she
loves books and reading, and is naturally kind and outgoing but has been much traumatised
by the Oxford school and is very withdrawn.
Lucy Regina Lamming [Sanderville] b
1803
Founder
pupil
Lucy has left the orphanage
Chestnut
curls
Lucy
was born out of wedlock to a vicar’s daughter by a soldier, whose full name and
regiment her grandparents did not know, so were unable to contact him when
Lucy’s mother, Amabel, died in childbed. When Lucy’s grandfather died, the new
vicar would have turned the ‘bastard child’ and her sick grandmother out onto
the street had not the village folk cried shame on him. As soon as her grandmother died, he drove
straight to Swanley Court
to dump her [though it may be said he also hoped to court the supposedly dying
heiress who founded it.]
Lucy’s
father did not know of all this, and when he arrived home, crippled, he set off
in search of her. )
Eva
O’Toole b 1804
Comes April 1812
Dark hair, blue eyes
Second daughter of the family, but too much
for her newlywed older sister Fenella; the younger boys, Brian, b 1800,
Patrick, b1803, Maurice and Martin, b 1805, and Fergus, b1807 are at Viscount
Chisterley’s school for orphaned gentlemen with the Walker boys. Eva is a moderately capable child, having had
to bear much of the care of her younger siblings. She is happy to be a child again.
Jane
Tissot b 1804
Comes end July 1812 with new governess, Miss
Tissot.
Light brown hair, green eyes.
Jane is the daughter of Matthew Tissot, a
captain in the Rifle Brigade. His
pregnant wife brought her daughter with her to his mother in 1809, as the
pregnancy was causing her problems, only to find that the older Mrs. Tissot was
dying, under the care of Miss Tissot.
Jane’s mother and brother both died in childbed, and Jane has been in
the care of Miss Tissot ever since.
Amelia
Walker b. 1806
Comes November 1810
Golden hair, green eyes
Baby sister of Kitty Walker, qv. Prefers to be with her sister over having a
governess. The school baby until the
little O’Tooles arrive.
The
O’Toole Twins b 1808
Come April 1812. Both dark with blue eyes like all their
siblings
Kathleen
O’Toole
Deirdre
O’Toole
INFANTS
IN NURSERY
Arthurina
(Rina) Renfrew b Jan. 1810
In orphanage from birth, being the daughter
of the tapster’s eldest girl and Arthur Renfrew, Lord Milverton.
Elizabeth
Macfarlane b May 1810
In orphanage from birth
Daughter of orphanage founder, Elinor
Macfarlane, née Fairbrother and her husband, Dr. Graeme Macfarlane
Brigid O’Toole b
summer 1810
Comes April 1812. Will grow up bereft of the Irish accent of
her siblings in all probability.
Will Thicknesse,
b May 1812 of seduced servant girl Nellie Clarke
Ruth and Naomi
Knollys b May 1812 of raped servant girl Nancy Cartland, b with cleft
palates, saved initially by Daisy Ellis
Fairbrother Thomas
[Tom] Macfarlane b June 1812
In orphanage from birth.
Second child of Dr. and Mrs. Macfarlane.
