Housekeeping
Housekeeping presented new challenges too. On occasion, the family was able to hire “servants” to help with the chores and woodcutting. The cottage wasn’t insulated and the cold blew through the logs before they were plastered. When Anne swept the floor upstairs, dust slipped through the open floorboards, creating a stream of dust downwards in the afternoon light. Even the window glazing was unfinished because the needed putty was sold in Peterborough, so without putty, windows needed to be stuffed to keep out the cold. In the coldest nights, up to eight blankets were used.