Further memoirs of William Orchard, Sub-Postmaster
A rude welcome for the Prince of Wales
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"I was too young to remember the Camerons - G.F.Watts - Ellen Terry - or the Princeps - the first people I have a slight recollection of at the Briary were the Gurneys - they were big people in the Banking World & lost a lot of money over the South Sea Bubble business - probably Sir Henry Gurney killed in Malaya a short time ago was one of the same family.
When the Gurneys were at the Briary Edward, Prince of Wales, came in his yacht to Alum Bay - landed, & and drove over to the Briary & paid them a surprise visit - after having tea with them he walked up to Farringford to call on Mr Tennyson - as he was then - at this time they had a very cheeky page boy at Farringford, a local youth named Jackman, who of course did not know the Prince from Adam - the Prince rang the bell & this lad answered it - The Prince asked if Mr Tennyson was in, and the boy said no he was not, the Prince then said, when he comes in will you tell him that the Prince of Wales called - this was too much for this youth he said ' the Prince of Wales indeed you'd like to be' - and shut the door - This story may or may not be true but I think quite likely that it is true, visitors often used to try & see the poet on some pretext or other." |
Farringford House circa 1898
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