Our good Queen Victoria was proclaimed on the day following, as sovereign of these realms, and on the 28th of June, in the following year, 1838, the coronation of Her Majesty took place amidst great rejoicing.
My affianced still resided at Yarmouth, and during that summer she came on a holiday to see her parents, and I obtained leave of absence to meet her there, that we might talk over our present affairs and also the future, as to continuing in service or declining that position and commencing a boot and shoe business on our own account, and ultimately the latter was decided on, and we returned to our homes to complete our engagements, and to apprize our superiors that we declined to remain in their service after the coming Michaelmas, things were thus far plain and understandable.
As a beginning to make preparations for the change in my condition, I hired a cottage and garden of Mr. Johnson George, miller of Oulton, at £6 per year, and on the 16th day of October, 1838, was married to Hannah Cox, whose parents resided in the village. Mr. Denniss was the clergyman and Mr. John Osborn was clerk of the aforesaid parish.
I am now arrived at something like the middle of my journey, and will just take a retrospect, all the way the Lord my God hath led me, to guard me, to try me, to prove me, and to see what is in mine heart. Now let me just ask myself am I thankful?
“When all thy mercies, O my God,
My rising soul surveys.”
Is my heart filled with gratitude for all those supports and deliverances? And then again as to the prospect here, I stand as it were on a narrow neck of land with boundless seas on either side, if God preserves I am perfectly safe, but if left to follow the devices and inclination of my corrupt and stubborn heart, shall be weighed down with perplexing cares and sorrows, out of which it is no easy matter to be delivered, except by divine interposition, then looking onward I must labour, working with hands and mind, to obtain the bread that perisheth, as also that which endureth unto eternal life, being identified with and living in Him who is the bread of life which came down from heaven.
I may just say in passing, that the housekeeper, Marianne Rous, was soon after married to Christopher Leman, a cooper of Lowestoft, the mistress, also, after a little while went forth from her residence, and during her temporary absence was married to Mr. George Borrow. That gentleman having visited several times while I was in Mrs. Clarke’s services, although, by the way, I knew not the secret.
I had now to look out for employment. Mr. Winyard promised to give me some, so after it I went, and soon got up a little connection at home; all wanted boots and I wanted to work and obtain the money, although in this I was often disappointed. I soon taught my wife to work in the boot trade, the work was all performed by hand in those days, machines had not come into use, and although I could not undertake to bind women’s boots, yet I knew the method by which they were done, as also the materials required for the purpose, the difficulty was soon overcome; she was blessed with good eyesight as well as with very pliant fingers, and after a year or two she would do neater work in even men’s boots and shoes than I could: there was a willing mind and thus obstacles were overcome; customers were accommodated, the little business obtained an impetus, and the earnest and humble promoters received encouragement.
When harvest arrived, my wife prepared to go out in the fields gleaning, and gathered up two or three bushels of good wheat, which was a great help, as during first year of housekeeping flour was two shillings and ninepence per stone, even that was trying to young beginners, for there was in reality a good number of things wanting, and our little trade seemed to absorb the cash in the purchase of materials, so that we had but little left for food and other necessaries. However, under the blessing of God we made progress, having more than a handful of meal in a barrel, and more than two sticks to refresh the languishing fire, the Lord did provide.
There was a large pear tree in our garden, two nice apple trees, and a cherry tree, all bringing a little delicious fruit; we had not many pears the first year, but the second year there was a good crop, and we sold more than twenty shilling’s worth, beside what we gave away and used ourselves. I built a pigsty and put a pig in, that my wife might have something to look at when she walked in the garden, the pig settled and did nicely, and when it was killed it weighed 13 stone; we were cheered as the pig prospered, we felt we prospered also, and no doubt we did begin to get on nicely while we occupied the cottage and premises of Mr. Johnson George, at Oulton.