Bringing Mrs Crocombe to Life

by Kathy Hipperson

I have been portraying Mrs Crocombe at Audley End House, where she lived and worked in the 1880s, since 2008. I am a historical interpreter and what I love about my job is that it gives visitors to Audley End the chance to see an extraordinary project – one wholly focused on recreating the kitchens, clothing and methods of one particular servant from history.

‘Historical interpreter’ is the term given to those who dress up in historically accurate costumes, play a specific character from history, and perform in the first person to educate and bring history to life for a modern audience. It is usually easier to portray kings and queens, or characters whose lives can be researched in detail, but it is more difficult with lower-status characters, as less was written about them. Avis Crocombe is a prime example: a servant in Queen Victoria’s time when servants were barely noticed, let alone recorded beyond the census. When Mrs Crocombe’s great, great, step-nephew, Mr Stride, donated her hand-written recipe book it added an exciting layer to this unique experience for the visitor. And for me, seeing her handwriting for the first time, on pages she had touched, in a notebook she must have treasured, is something I will never forget.