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The year 1850 was to be the happiest in all Lewis Carroll's life. He spent the whole of it in Croft preparing for his Oxford entrance Although he worked hard at his studies, at 18 he still had time to play games with the family and found much pleasure in simply being with them. He loved the river in all its mood ,the enduring charm of the little church and the great bridge which had seen so much history. There were the continued delights of the large, well stocked beautiful garden and the large greenhouse packed with blooms and a peculiar & unusual cactus plant, the night blown Cereus, which bought many visitors to the Rectory. Croft was at this time a most interesting place to live in. Besides its historic charms it boasted one of the finest coaching inns in the North - the Croft Spa. The mineral waters of Croft had attracted visitors since the C17th. In 1713 the waters were being sold in sealed bottles at very high prices. Horse-racing and the training of hunters also attracted many visitors. Charles helped his father by teaching the Sunday school along with his elder sisters. They also visited many of their father's parishioners, their favourite being Granny Pickersgill who lived in Lilac Cottage. On many an afternoon they were entertained by the grand old lady to tea and girdle scones, of which they were particularly fond. But there was still time to help his hard-worked mother who never complained or spoke an angry or unkind word. Charles also found time to talk to his father for although of stern countenance Carroll's father was a kindly man, well loved and respected throughout the parish. As well as Croft he was responsible for Halnaby, Dalton and Stapleton and went on to become a Canon of Ripon Cathedral and Archdeacon of Richmond. Despite these pressing duties Charles still found time to write several books on religion and theology. He also wrote some treatises on mathematics, a subject for which he had a special liking, it being one of his Firsts at oxford. During this year at home Charles produced more family magazines, the most notable being 'The Rectory Umbrella', a much more mature venture than his previous efforts. He included stories and poems from one of which came the following: Fair stands the ancient Rectory
The Rectory of Croft,
The sun shines bright upon it
The breezes whisper soft.
From all the house and garden
Its inhabitants come forth,
And muster in the road without,
And pace in twos and threes about,
The children of the North. So the golden year of 1850 passed - a year which Carroll was to remember for the rest of his life. On January 24th 1851 he left Croft again to proceed to Christ Church Oxford. Two days later he was summoned home. His gentle, loving mother who had meant so much to him, had collapsed and died suddenly. With his sad family, he stood by the grave beside the door at the north end of St. Peters with tears streaming down his face, while his mother was lowered to her rest. This was the saddest day of his life and it was a shock from which he never quite recovered. |
