The Mount and the Dashwood Family

In the middle of Yarmouth Common was the Mount, a large house owned by the Dashwood Family. In my life time there was Mr Cuthbert, Miss Constance, Miss Teresa and Miss Caroline.

I remember my Great Uncle George used to go and help a Mr Harry King who did the garden there at this time. There was a lot of garden, a big lawn in the front and back and lots of flower gardens. I can remember my great Uncle George pushing barrow loads of animal manure from the Toll gate to the Mount garden to feed the rose trees.

Now, all four of the Dashwoods painted. They could often be seen sitting around Yarmouth painting. Miss Caroline often painted on Yarmouth Common. My Aunt Alice would often take me to see what she was painting. I loved this as I think I was born ‘arty’. I spent hours with my crayons and pencils, colouring. I remember telling her this, and she asked to see some pictures. I remember taking her some but I don’t remember her saying, ‘Have you ever tried to paint?’ Apparently I said I could not, because Mummy, Daddy and Granny said they could not afford to buy me boxes of paints. I did not know I had said this until Aunt Alice said about it later. But what I do remember was a couple of days after I had taken my pictures for Miss Dashwood to look at, Gran opened our back door one morning, and there on the step was a most lovely box of paints with my name on. No message or who they were from. I just could not believe it. Gran said they were from the Dashwoods and Aunt Alice said the box was like the ones the Dashwoods used. When Dad was told, he said I must say to Miss Dashwood ‘that I had had a lovely surprise. I found this lovely box of paints on the door step. It was the best present I’d ever had.’ I had to keep practising this until I got it correct. When I saw Miss Dashwood, I managed to get it right. She grinned from ear to ear but never said a word.
Delia Whitehead nee Hunt b 1934

Oil painting of Brooke point by one of the Dashwood family given as a prize to Eileen Smith nee Lansdowne