Victorians
In the Victorian period the building was used as accomodation for workers at the Lumford mill in Bakewell. Part of the house has been retained as a Victorian mill worker's cottage. Pitt's kitchen was the main room of one of the cottages, and was used for cooking, eating and washing.
William and Mary Pitt lived here from the 1890s until 1932. They had six children, and brought them up here in the three cramped rooms.
Mr. Pitt worked as the night soil man, who removed human waste from Bakewell's privies (toilets)...a horrible job!
The waste was then taken and spread on the fields…just imagine the smell!
In the 1911 census William Pitt described himself as a 'scavenger'.
The kitchen range had a fireplace with an oven and hot water tank. This needed cleaning and blackleading regularly. This was only one of the many daily jobs which the family would have done.
A tub was moved in front of the fire and filled with warm water for baths. For most families bath day was once a week, and often the whole family would share the same bath water.
Laundry was also done in the kitchen using a copper and other equipment, including a washboard, posser, dolly tub, and tongs.
Water was squeezed out of the clothes using a mangle.
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