The Ames Family

Henry Metcalfe Ames purchased Linden in 1861 having moved from Pimlico, London with his wife, four daughters and one son. Two years later, another son, Felix was born at Linden followed by the birth of two more daughters, Anne and Moselle, at their Pimlico house.

The Ames Family were originally merchants and bankers in 18th century Bristol and any North East connection does not appear until 1808 when Henry Metcalfe Ames' father married Anne Metcalfe of Seaton Villa, Northumberland. Henry Metcalfe Ames was a Northumberland Magistrate, as was Charles William Bigge of Linden before him. He died in 1874 and was buried at Felton, Northumberland. His wife, Elizabeth (nee Cadogan of Brinkburn Priory) died in 1868, aged only 33 and having produced eight children, was buried in St. Helens Church, Longhorsley. According to the 1871 Census, the following servants were resident at Linden Hall: English Governess, Housekeeper, Nurse, Nursery Maid, Schoolroom Maid, Kitchen Maid, Scullery Maid, two House Maids, a Laundry Maid and Hall Boy-12 in total, compared with 8 in 1851, during Matthew Bigge's residence.

Louis Eric Ames (1856-1933) inherited Linden Hall from his father in 1874. He was a Lieutenant in the Life Guards, and according to 'Pax Brittanica' an account of Victoria and her Empire by James Morris, he led Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 probably because at 6ft. 8ins. he was the tallest soldier in the British Army. Louis Ames, like his father, was a Morpeth Magistrate. Having been converted to the Roman Catholic faith, by his wife Margaret, Louis Ames had two sons, John and Robin, who moved away from the North East after their mother's death in 1915. According to his niece, the priest from Longhorsley would visit Linden Hall to hear confessions and hold a service of Benediction in the old nursery on the first floor of the Hall.

Louis Ames later built the Roman Catholic school in Longhorsley village, possibly in memory to his wife. In 1895, he built the glass conservatory on the south side of the main hall, which was the only major alteration to Linden Hall throughout its history as a family house from 1812 until 1978. The style of living in a mansion such as Linden would have been at its most splendid during this time in late Victorian England.

The 'Lady' of the house, Mrs. Ames would have run her staff in a very strict and formal way, with her having the final word in any household problems. Mrs. Ames would keep the diary of visitors received and calls made around the county. In the Hall, she would give all instructions for household duties, functions and menus to her housekeeper or steward who would then dispense the duties down the line, to cooks, maids, butlers and at the bottom of the scale, the general scullery maid. This girl's duties began before dawn, opening window shutters, sweeping the breakfast room, blacking the fireplace and cleaning the ashes, followed by relighting the fire and polishing the silver. She would repeat these jobs in all the other day rooms and passages before starting in the bedrooms, emptying pots and water bowls, refilling jugs, making beds and polishing silver. An hour before her master and family retired to bed, she would light the fires, turn down the beds and prepare the candles. The male household staff was ruled by the butler who also supervised the serving of meals. He was helped by a footman, who also ran messages for his master and answered the door.

All these servants lived inside the Hall in two storeys of the wing which lead to the courtyard. All other employees either lived in nearby cottages or in Longhorsley village. They comprised a coachman, groom and stable boy, a chauffeur for the carriages, gardeners, gamekeepers, laundry and dairy maids.

However, Louis Ames was forced to sell Linden Hall in 1903, possibly due to the rising costs of keeping such a large home and he built himself a house at Ghyllheugh, a mile north of Linden on the Wooler Road near Weldon Bridge. It was here that he died and was buried in 1933.

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