It was in this place that I first saw my future wife. She had come into the same service as housemaid, and Mary Ann Newson (the future wife of George Anguish) as cook and dairymaid. Very industrious servants they were, considering Oulton Hall was not the best constructed residence. There was a flight of stairs from the kitchen, but they led to the mistress and master’s room. I was only permitted to pass through that room by special license, at other times having to pass through the parlour on my way to a corridor which led to my bedroom: the family had not then retired to rest. We had reading and prayers at half past eight o’clock, then I had to go out and see if all was right, and pass quietly to bed at nine. There was always plenty of work requiring to be done—horses and chaises to be attended to, going out when ordered, gravel and grass in front to keep in order, crops in garden to keep up in succession, weeds to keep down, walks to keep neat, fruit to protect from a hundred and one enemies, against some of which I had to wage war, and make their destruction sure, no longer to cause any annoyance. The season of summer quickly passed away, and the 11th of October, 1834, arrived, when my agreement expired, as also did the female servants’, and new situations were now sought. For myself, I thought I would turn my attention to the boot line, at Lowestoft, but soon found my work would not pass, as being not altogether suitable for town inspection, consequently, I agreed with Mr. R. Winyard, a practical bootmaker, of the High-street, to club myself to him for one year, he to find me all the work I could fairly do, and himself to instruct me in the art, where he saw my knowledge defective. My future wife (Hannah Cox) obtained a situation as housemaid in the family of E. Norton, Esq., solicitor, London Road. There had been two young men, just before, in the service of Mr. Winyard, who had sickened and died. This was rather a singular, as also a discouraging circumstance, yet I thought if the good Lord was pleased to continue unto me good health, I would try to do my best, so that I should be able in future to obtain employment. I soon found my work had to pass through a different process to what I had been accustomed. The master was patient, and set before me what he considered correct lines, in preference to those which I had acquired in the country, for although he had served his apprenticeship in the country at the time I was serving, but not with the same master, yet, after his time expired, he worked in large manufacturing towns, such as Norwich, Northampton, Cambridge, and Bedford, from which latter place he brought his wife, and settled down in Lowestoft, and obtained a good fair share of the work of that town.