Marjorie Honeyball earning a living
Marjorie left school at the age of fourteen and went to work at Brook House
for two years looking after a two year old boy. At the age of sixteen
her father decided she should be a dressmaker, earning one penny and three
farthings an hour.
At around this time a Mrs Wood, who lived at Chantry Cottage, and who was aunt
of the late Lord Hailsham, employed Marjorie's sister. Her father looked
after the garden. Mrs Wood wanted Marjorie's sister to work for her as
house-parlourmaid in her Regent's Park house, but the sister was scared to go
to London on her own.
Meanwhile, Marjorie was working for Mrs Lonsdale, who lived opposite the
recreation ground, She had a twenty year old daughter who had a flat in
Sloane Square and needed a lady's maid to keep the flat tidy and look after
her clothes. Marjory was asked if she would like the job, and she
accepted, so both sisters went off to work in London. Both Marjorie and
her sister enjoyed their eighteen months in London, and both were well
treated.
Village life went on comparatively unchanged in Leigh. Her father, PC
Beadle, the village policeman, had considerable status in the community, and
they were not hard up. The gentry looked after their policeman well.
So there were presents of pheasants, rabbits and turkeys at Christmas.
When PC Beadle was on "point duty" his area covered Flanchford, Charlwood and
Newdigate as well as Leigh. He walked everywhere when on duty, but
when he had to meet the inspectors he rode a bicycle. Later in his
career he was allowed to ride a bicycle all the time. He would be on
duty either in the morning or afternoon, and was always on night duty.
His wife was at home to take messages. In this way Marjorie's father
knew the ways of the village and its inhabitants, and it helped him to know
how to handle the varying situations that were part of his job.