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The Brownlow family who owned Belton House were connected to the Royal family through close service for several generations. Peregrine Adelbert Cust – Perry Brownlow – is the most notable of these.

In 1936 he was involved in the Abdication Crisis.

Peregrine had moved in Edward, Prince of Wales’s, circle for several years staying at Fort Belvedere with his first wife. In turn the Prince of Wales would have also stayed at Belton, often along with Wallis Simpson.

Certainly Perry Brownlow would have known of their affair. His friendship with Edward was so close when Edward succeeded the throne in January 1936, Perry was appointed Lord-in-waiting and would have spent considerable time in the Prince’s company.

Therefore, because Perry was a close friend of the King’s, when rumours of Edward’s intent to marry Wallis Simpson became known, the Royal Family and its advisers turned to Perry, begging him to persuade King Edward against the notion.

Perry tried to persuade the King to let Wallis Simpson live at Belton, near Lincoln, far enough from London for the affair to remain more discreet and close enough for Edward to keep in contact with her.

However this was not to be, on 3rd December 1936 the crisis was aired in the British press and the next day the Government announced that it would not tolerate Wallis Simpson as the wife of a King.

It was Perry Brownlow who took Wallis Simpson away from Britain, to Cannes, to escape public scrutiny.

In Cannes Perry pressured Wallis to give Edward up and she did agree to and issued a statement on 7th December 1936 confirming this: Perry advised her on the wording of this. But the king would not let her go and abdicated on 10th December 1936.

Consequently, due to his close connection with King Edward, and his inability to prevent the abdication, Perry Brownlow was cut by the royal family. The King’s mother would not speak to him.

In the picture of King Edward VIII’s coronation above Lord Perry Brownlow is the one on the right by the railing. You can see the dress he wore on that day on the bed behind the picture.

Jane Lark’s debut novel is due to be published 2nd May 2013, by Sapphire Star Publishing See Jane’s website www.janelark.co.uk to learn more or click like on Jane’s Facebook page. You can also follow Jane on twitter at @janelark

We went to Belton House in Lincolnshire yesterday. It is a 17^th Century House with the usual tweaks made over later centuries. We did a below stairs tour while we were there.

The corridor, which I have taken a picture of, by the 19^th Century was used by both male and female servants. However women were to walk on one side and men on the other, a tradition which had passed down from earlier years when the men had a separate corridor on the right.

The rooms used by the male servants, overseen by the butler, were on the right. The rooms used by the women were on the left, overseen by the housekeeper.

In the butler’s areas were the wine cellar, the beer cellar, the silver store, the lamp and candle making spaces. While the housekeepers areas included the scullery, the kitchen, the linen cupboards, and the distillery where fruit cordials and preserves were made.

The servants did not dine together, the senior female servants – and visiting female servants – dined in the housekeeper’s room. The senior male servants – and visiting male servants – dined with the steward, who was responsible for overseeing the house and estate when the family were not in residence, and for managing it when they were.

There was a hierarchy among the servants as there was within the house. They sat at table in order of their status and the minor servants – grooms, scullery maids, etc – dined in a separate area completely.

The senior servants were even waited on, and had staff who cared for their clothes and rooms and served them. In Belton the steward had his own bell to call for service.

In the butler’s room there was also a cupboard containing a bed, where an under-butler would sleep at night in case one of the family woke and rang for service.

There is an entrance to the family chapel from below stairs. The Chapel was integrated into the house and used for morning service. The servants entrance to it opens into an area facing the altar, beneath the balcony where the family would have sat. The family would not have even seen the servants beneath them.

Below I have included some pictures of below stairs and in my next blog I will share some details and pictures of the house and a surprising fact about the chapel.

Jane Lark is a writer of authentic, passionate and emotional love stories.

See the side bar for details of Jane’s books and Jane’s website www.janelark.co.uk to learn more about Jane. Or click ‘like’ on Jane’s Facebook page to see photo’s and learn historical facts from the Georgian, Regency and Victorian eras, which Jane publishes there. You can also follow Jane on twitter at @janelark

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