Alf Edwards was a valet, and Caroline Palmer worked as a kitchen maid. Over a century ago, they met because of Alf’s love for photography—he needed a warm spot to use as a makeshift studio.
The two worked at opposite ends of a grand country house, part of a vast estate with hundreds of staff. Under normal circumstances, their paths would never have crossed. But they did, and against all advice, they fell in love and married.
Their touching Edwardian love story, unfolding below stairs, has now come to light through what English Heritage calls the most significant donation of servant-related objects it has ever received. The couple’s grandson, Gordon Edwards, donated over 60 items, including photographs, letters, postcards, and personal belongings like Alf’s camera, Caroline’s gold watch, and a handmade engagement gift.
Their story could easily be a plotline from Downton Abbey, shedding new light on life at Brodsworth Hall near Doncaster—a Victorian estate once owned by the wealthy Thellusson family, known for their lavish lifestyle of winter shooting and summer yachting.
Eleanor Matthews, English Heritage’s curator of collections and interiors, called it a “fabulous story and a fabulous group of objects.” She added, “Collections like this just don’t survive.”
Brodsworth Hall has always done well in telling the stories of its staff, Matthews said, but having personal items—things the servants owned, used, or kept in their rooms—makes it “super-special.”
Alf and Caroline worked for Charles and Constance Thellusson, whose ancestor Peter Thellusson had bought the Brodsworth estate in 1791. Peter amassed a fortune, much of it tied to the transatlantic slave trade, and left behind what’s been called “one of the most spectacularly vindictive wills in British history,” leaving most of his wealth to unborn descendants.
The current Brodsworth Hall, built between 1861 and 1863, remains almost unchanged—a perfect snapshot of mid-Victorian country house life.
As World War I loomed, Alf and Caroline met because of his passion for photography. They began courting and quickly got engaged—perhaps spurred by the uncertain times. Many men from Brodsworth were conscripted, but Alf, due to poor health, couldn’t enlist.
Caroline was soon promoted to cook, while Alf took on extra duties, including chauffeur. His fragile health led everyone to advise against marriage, and the couple briefly separated. But the separation didn’t last—they married on July 17, 1916, and enjoyed three happy years together, welcoming two sons before Alf died of tuberculosis at just 34.
Caroline lived a long life and always spoke fondly of her time at Brodsworth. Among the donated items is Alf’s camera, made by Eastman Kodak, possibly bought during a 1914 trip to the U.S. East Coast with the Thellussons. There’s also what’s believed to be Alf’s engagement gift to Caroline—a hand-carved wooden picture frame with a good luck message and a horseshoe attached.
Some of these objects are now on display at Brodsworth Hall, where they may help uncover more hidden stories. The collection includes the earliest known photo of the estate’s staff. “Hopefully, in time, we’ll be able to identify them all,” Matthews said.
“These beautiful, poignant items tell a story largely unknown to us until now. Thanks to this donation, we can add another layer to Brodsworth’s rich history.”The collection is carefully catalogued and preserved, but some special items will be displayed for the first time at Brodsworth Hall starting Wednesday. These include Alf’s camera, a hand-carved wooden stool, three pipes, World War I registration cards, postcards, and Caroline’s wedding wristwatch. These objects help tell the fascinating story of Brodsworth’s past.
