Sharon Delaney has vivid and fond memories of visiting her beloved poppy, Richard Delaney, as he worked in the gardens of the Abbeyleix estate.
“I must have been three or four years of age when my grandfather took me to work for the first time. My grandfather grew the flowers from seed and had perennials as well. Roses were his favourite and many awards were won. His ‘office’ was beside the garage and the floor was a dirt one. I could see ribbons that had been won attached to the wicker flower pot displays. Packets of seeds were attached to the wooden walls.
"Some spring days, my grandfather would go over to the estate several times to expose the seedlings to more cold air and remove some of the hay in the greenhouse structures.”
Just arriving at the estate was an experience in itself. Most of the delightful features Sharon describes were not in existence before her grandfather came to work at Abbeyleix.
“The driveway off St. Vincent Street wound up to the front of the property. In a thickly treed area, a large blue copper frog spouted a spray of water.
"I could see this out of the car window. The property had numerous English beds of flowers. Through the gates, next to the summer cottage, there was a slate pond, which was stocked with fish each year.”
The scenic approach to the house ended at a large circular driveway. Sharon was treated as an honoured guest in the Brock sisters’ home.
“All of the staff were very kind to me. The staff would put out biscuits on a small tray for me.”
As the small girl enjoyed her treats, she had plenty of time to take in the grandeur of the stately home from another era.
“Inside the main entrance was the grand room. A tall grandfather clock could be heard and, on the hour, it would chime. The kitchen was downstairs beneath the grand room. There were bells and buzzers from the rooms going into the kitchen, and a dumb waiter, too.
"There was also a black and white cat clock ticking on the wall with the tail moving back and forth, and the eyes moved as well.”
Sharon has another wonderful source of recollections through her aunt, Margaret (Delaney) Toner. Margaret is one of the little girls who sailed to Canada in 1930 and she can fill in her own memories of the early days of the Delaneys’ connection to Abbeyleix.
At that time, there was a definite Downton Abbey feel to the estate, as the staff were expected to know their place and act accordingly.
Margaret still recalls many of the staff members’ names. Arthur Cochrane was the chauffeur and he was often seen taking the Brock sisters out for summer drives in their 1920 Cadillac through the streets of Barrie. She can see Arthur still, in his grey uniform, driving the three sisters, each holding a parasol, seated in the back seat of the open convertible.
Lexie Gillies, who had worked as a nanny for members of the Brock family in England, had been brought to Barrie by the Brock sisters. Lexie was one of those staunch adherents to the belief household staff should always act properly.
When Miss Darby, one of the other servants, became engaged, Lexie warned her never to wear her engagement ring around the Brock sisters.
Rather, she should keep quiet and wear the ring on a necklace hidden under her uniform. In those days, engagement, marriage or pregnancy usually meant immediate dismissal.
The house was not without its eccentricities, of course. Margaret remembers a large and flirtatious parrot that resided in the home.
The bird liked to call out, “Give us a kiss,” to anyone who passed.
An acquaintance recently told me his father made regular deliveries of firewood to Abbeyleix, into the 1960s. Although electric stoves had been available for decades, the Brocks insisted all their food be cooked on a wood-fired stove.
By the late 1950s, Richard Delaney, the estate gardener, was one of the few remaining staff members at Abbeyleix. The rigid mistress and servant lines had all but gone, and the gardener became a sort of caregiver to the Brock ladies.
Garden walkways were kept clear and free of trip hazards as Richard assisted the sisters, on foot or in wheelchairs, to a sunny spot to take in the view of the lake.
Muriel Brock was 82 years old when she died in 1959. She was followed by her 101-year-old sister, Lillian, in 1965. The last of them, Gertrude, lived to be 95, and died at Abbeyleix in 1969.
Richard Delaney remained connected to the sisters, and to the estate, to the end. If he enjoyed any retirement years, they were short as the dedicated gardener died in 1971. This was truly the end of an era.
Each week, the Barrie Historical Archive provides BarrieToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past. This unique column features photos and stories from years gone by and is sure to appeal to the historian in each of us.
