Freda Jane Blair

It is acknowledged that Horace Phillips’ Morcove masterpiece is Pam Willoughby.  Perhaps he was inspired to create Pam after introducing Freda Blair to the world of Morcove in SO 295-303, Freda Blair New Girl, (SGOL 529 The Girl Who Didn’t Like Morcove). SGOL 529 is heavily edited – to what length is unknown as only have SO’s 295, 296, 298, 299, 300 and 301.   Another famous character he created was Pat Lawrence, who arrives in SO 473-478 Pat Lawrence New Girl Feud With Betty (SGOL 693 Study Against Study).  Both Pam and Pat seem to be based on the earlier character of Freda, with Pam leaning more towards Freda, than Pat.

For further information on the similarities of Pam and Pat, refer to  Pam and Pat, Two Spirited Girls by Dennis L Bird, published in Collectors’ Digest Annual 1994.  This article gives a good insight into Pat’s character, and it gives possible reasons for Horace Phillips toning Pat down.

Phillips’ description of Freda early on in the story:  She looked, and was, such a splendid specimen of British girlhood, and her worst faults the sort that only make a girl lovable – just a little inclined to be unruly, just a trifle thoughtless!  But her old school – ah, the old school that she loved so dearly! – it could have spoken of her keenness on games, her hatred of anything “unsporting,” her lavish generosity.

And even the old school and her old chums did not know of some of the things that were so greatly to her credit.  For some of Freda’s best deeds – her kindness to others – had been done on the quiet, as good deeds should be done.

Freda loses her parents twelve months before entering the Morcove saga, and so becomes the ward of her unmarried Aunt, Jane Blair.  Phillips describes Aunt Jane as a ‘Cantankerous Ogress’.  They live in a fine old Queen Anne house at Lowmoor, where, incidentally, Pat Lawrence hails from, and where her previous school, Lowmoor was.  Freda is an heiress to a vast fortune left to her by her parents.  Also, Aunt Jane is wealthy in her own right , plus draws a very generous allowance from the estate of the Blairs.  Freda inherits her Mother’s beauty, serenity and poise, and is completely unaffected by this vast wealth.  Freda’s mannerism’s are Pams, such as ‘high stepping’ and the ‘Yes Well….’ Phrasing.  Aunt Jane never approved of her brother marrying Freda’s Mother though, and their methods of raising Freda.  She thinks Freda (Whom she calls Jane) is out of control and becoming rebellious because she had her hair shingled without permission.  Freda attends Barncombe House where she is best friends with Beryl Blythe and Cicely Drummond.  Beryl’s Mother and Freda’s Mother were best friends and it was Freda’s Mother’s wish that if any happened to her or he husband, that Mrs Blythe become Freda’s legal guardian.  Of course, nothing was written down, and indeed the premature death of Freda’s parents was totally unexpected, so Aunt Jane Blair being next of kin, intervened.  Aunt Jane quarrels with Mrs Blythe, and she thinks that Beryl is a bad influence on Freda so she withdraws Freda from Barncombe House and sends her to Morcove.

The story opens with Freda packing her suitcases for Morcove and saying a tearful goodbye to Clara, Aunt Jane’s faithful housekeeper but who also has an extremely soft spot for Freda.  Freda then says goodbye to Aunt Jane, and is stung by her hard and unrelenting attitude.

Freda arrives late due to circumstances beyond her control and is put into a Study with Dolly.  Dolly takes an immediate liking to Freda.  Dolly is very similar in character to Betty, in being able to see far more than a lot of girls.  Although from vastly different backgrounds, Dolly understands Freda and does a lot for her, for which Freda is grateful, however she doesn’t really extend the hand of friendship back to Dolly and hankers only for Beryl and Cicely.  Cora then tries to befriend Freda, although is rebuffed due to Freda’s instinctively recognising Cora’s character.  Freda makes an unfortunate start when she realises that she is put into the Fourth, instead of the Lower Fifth, like she was at Barncombe House.  She also, perhaps unfortunately, remains aloof from the other girls which is a shame because it doesn’t make for friendship.  Betty does come to Freda’s aid though more than once, in shielding her against trouble.  Cora, anxious to get her own back on Freda, witnesses one instance of aid and spills the beans anonymously to Miss Allardyce.  Freda naturally, blames Betty for this ‘double faced act’ as she sees it.  There is a hockey match arranged between Morcove and Stormwood, and both Freda and Dolly are in the team.  Freda cries off, pleading another arrangement (Visiting Beryl and Cicely), plus she has lines to do.  Betty is not pleased but she cannot do anything about it.  Freda has taken off to visit Beryl and Cicely when she should be doing lines as a punishment.  Dolly, being Freda’s Studymate, knows everything about Freda and her small misdemeanours – if they can even be called that, and decides to drop out of the match as she realises that if the lines aren’t done, Freda will be in more trouble than ever, so she does the lines.  Aunt Freda unexpectedly turns up at Morcove and Dolly tries to cover for Freda.  Whilst in Barncombe waiting for Beryl and Cicely, Freda sees Cora and Cora takes delight in letting slip that Dolly is staying behind at Morcove, doing lines and taking the punishment that really belongs to Freda.  Freda decides to suddenly go by hired car to Stormwood for the arranged hockey match which she and Dolly were supposed to play in.   Morcove ultimately win the match, and upon their return, Betty & Co shield Freda against Aunt Jane, who is still at Morcove.  Freda discovers this fact upon her later return, and she is thankful but cannot bring herself to like them, Betty in particular whom she still thinks is double faced.

Freda, like Pat and Pam, will never ever allow her true feelings to show, and if she is wronged she will not allow the outside world to see how dreadfully hurt she is.  Far too well bred to show her true feelings, even to Beryl and Cicely at times of extreme duress.

Shortly afterwards, Aunt Jane Blair decides to take a lease on Cliff Edge Bungalow, where she thinks she can have total control of Freda, and arranges for her to become a day girl.  She brings with her the faithful Clara, who is just so excited to see Freda.  She is horrified with how Aunt Jane is altering Freda’s bedroom at the Bungalow.  They both meet and have a heart to heart.  Things then become so bad that Freda decides to leave Aunt Jane and school, and take Clara with her, permanently.  A day or two after this, news comes that Freda’s fortune, which has been invested, has come with a crash, therefore leaving her absolutely penniless.and at the mercy of Aunt Jane.  She delights in stick the knife in and twisting it, gleefully saying the crash has come because of bad investment by Freda’s departed parents.

A short description of Freda by Phillips in SO 299 Turned Out of Morcove:  Her graceful carriage, the girl’s inborn dignity, and her clear, cultured voice – these were possessions of which fate perhaps could never rob her.  At least, it was her intention not to let the wear and tear of such a life as lay before her now destroy her self respect.

And upon her mannerisms in SO 300 Freda Blair’s Problem!: “And I had better hurry, in case Aunt Jane wants to give those callers some tea.  I wonder who they are!” she resumed uneasily, seeing their car standing on the rough approach to the bungalow as she turned in at the gateway.  “Yes, well!”

Freda’s pet phrase that!  Wonderful were the uses she had for it.  Sometimes it was her airy way of refusing to bandy words, the nicest possible of telling anyone to ‘shut up’.  Or it could be her cheerful dismissal of a perplexity beyond solution.

Aunt Jane decides that Freda should now be removed from Morcove (This part of the story is entirely left out in the SGOL version) and there isn’t much sympathy from the girls, although it breaks Dolly Delane’s heart.  Cora is instrumental in this vicious bit of scheming, by allowing Aunt Jane and Morcove to ‘know’ that Freda has met up with Cicely and Beryl illicitly at Barncombe railway station.  The real fact is that Clara, Aunt Jane’s housekeeper who has been packed off back to Lowmoor, wants to visit.  Telegrams are sent back and forth, but Cora intervenes and wrong information is deliberately sent, unbeknown to Freda.  Aunt Jane demands that Freda be made an example of and insists upon expulsion, which Miss Somerfield cannot and will not, do.  So, Freda becomes Aunt Jane’s ‘skivvy’.  In the SGOL version, when George and Lily Marlowe and Prissy come upon the scene, the reader is just told that Freda is still at Morcove, as a day girl, although under extreme pressure as the girls all misjudge her, with the exception of the far seeing Dolly.

Enter Aunt Jane Blair’s stepbrother George Marlowe, his wife Lily and absolutely awful daughter Prissy onto the scene.  It is blatantly obvious that these scurrilous relations who have ‘come upon hard times’ and haven’t seen Aunt Jane for over fifteen years, are after money.  Of course Aunt Jane cannot see this.  George Marlowe is extremely mellifluous, with Aunt Lil a close second and the awful Prissy a ‘model of innocence’.  Aunt Jane can’t wait to describe Freda’s so called rebelliousness to the Marlowes, and their ‘advice’ back to her.  And so the wool is pulled over her eyes completely and the insufferable Prissy ‘comes up trumps’ with Aunt Jane who compares her with Freda.  George Marlowe eventually turns around the conversation in that he and Aunt Lil are quite well to do and will be responsible for Freda and will send her back to Barncombe House.  He manages to convince Aunt Jane that she should have arranged the expulsion of either Beryl or Cicely from Barncombe House, instead of removing Freda, as that ‘punishment’ would have hurt far more than leaving Barncombe House and subsequent enrolment at Morcove.  They decide to send Prissy to Morcove.

Freda is over the moon about being back at Barncombe House, although she has an underlying doubt about Uncle George, and Aunt Lil, and an instinctive dislike of the detestable Prissy, who has teamed up with Cora, much to Dolly Delane’s chagrin.  Aunt Jane returns to Lowmoor for a while, leaving Cliff Edge Bungalow vacant.  Prissy has been put into Dolly’s Study. The Form don’t really take to Prissy and her common mannerisms, but can’t pin anything on her, so she is tolerated quite well.  Things do go well for a while, with the exception of a hockey match between Morcove and Barncombe House, and Freda, with all her inborn good breeding wants to be nice to Betty and Co, but her well meaning overtures are rebuffed.  Freda is also wondering about Aunt Jane, and how she is faring, so she decides to go and visit, taking Beryl and Cicely with her, although she advises her friends to wait at the gate due to Aunt Jane’s animosity towards the girls.

A bad storm is on its way, and vents its fury around Cliff Edge Bungalow, so the girls take shelter in a garden shed.  Prissy is prying around the bungalow, along with Cora, and before taking shelter in the shed Freda sees Prissy through a window, rummaging around an old bureau belonging to Aunt Jane, which she has brought from Lowmoor.  Prissy sees Freda looking through the window, and is panicky.  The storm is unabating, and Freda, Beryl and Cicely think they must make tracks, and they are lucky enough to see Miss Redgrave driving past, so she takes them onto Morcove for shelter.  Here, they stay the night, much to Dolly’s delight, and they are put up in Dolly’s Study.  But, Prissy and Cora, seeing yet another way to hit at Freda, set her up as a thief.  Freda is absolutely staggered by this.  Naturally enough, Betty & Co believe Freda is the thief due to her penniless situation.  However, Betty, being the sport she is, writes a letter to Freda stating what happened and to give her a chance to explain her side of the ‘accusation’.  Prissy intercepts the letter, and it is never sent.  Freda knows that she has been set up by Prissy and Cora, however she says nothing, even in the face of adversity.  Her suspicions of the Marlowes being after Aunt Jane’s fortune, are doubled.  Somehow the Marlowes get wind of certain documents regarding this fortune are hidden away in some of Aunt Jane’s furniture, which she has had moved from Lowmoor to Cliff Edge.  Freda decides to keep a watch on Prissy and to try and eventually Aunt Jane.

Meanwhile, Mrs Marlowe has a secret meeting with Prissy, out on the moor, as they are getting rather desperate for cash.  She is uneasy, and so is Prissy.  Their meeting is interrupted by the sounds of girls not far away, and so both clear out.  Prissy doesn’t want to meet up with them, so she goes in a round about way via Cliff Edge Bungalow.  At the same time, Freda decides to unburden her worries to Aunt Jane, although she fears that she will be rebuffed and punished yet again.  Aunt Jane isn’t pleased to see Freda, and hasn’t had anything to do with her since the Marlow’s cunningly ‘took responsibility for her’ so to speak.

An extract from SGOL 529 on this visit gives insight into Freda’s serenity and Prissy’s vindictive common personality:

“Dear me!” Prissy drawled.  “One would think from the way you talk, you were Aunt Jane’s great favourite, instead of being the girl she was glad to get rid of when my parents took you off her hands.  All right, stay and see what she has to say to you!”

Freda declined to answer, and now the silence became as tense as it was lengthy, evincing the strained relations between these two girls.  Remotely they were cousins, but that relationship had ceased to count for anything with either.

Trying to imitate Freda’s self possessed manner, Prissy took a chair.  But she was altogether without that natural dignity which can endure embarrassment serenely.  If only she could have drawn her cousin into a squabble, Prissy would have not minded waiting for Aunt Jane.  This dead silence, however, with Freda remaining so perfectly serene, became intolerable.  At the end of five minutes, Prissy jumped up.

“If you are staying, then I’m going!  I don’t choose to mix with you!” was her insulting way of excusing her inability to remain there longer.  She minced across to the door.  “I shall tell auntie, next time I see her, that she’d better put the key in some place where you won’t find it!”

“It is quite likely,” said Freda, taking a magazine on to her lap, “that Aunt Jane will always take the key with her – after today.”

Prissy stopped dead at the doorway, changing colour.

“Is that a hint?” she challenged fiercely  “You are a fine one to suggest that I’m not to be trusted with the run of the place – you, a thief, as they call you at Morcove!”

Freda opened the magazine, studied a picture, then turned the leaf.

“Thief, yes – do you hear?” Prissy went on, stamping a foot.  “And so you are!  The girl who stole that pound-note out of Study 12, because you were hard up for pocket-money!”

Freda sank back in the chair, holding up the magazine to start reading a short story.  Her indifference to the other’s spiteful taunts was superbly done.

The meeting goes down badly with Freda’s trying to warn Aunt Jane, and so she is feeling really badly.  To make matters worse, poison pen letters are sent to Beryl and Cicely stating that Freda is a thief.  This is just too much for Beryl and Cicely, and they take matters into their own hands and organise a Barncombe House deputation to Morcove, publicly scorning Morcove for believing Freda is a thief, and much more, for the poison pen letters.  Naturally, the deputation is heated, with Prissy shrilling left, right and centre, in the middle of it all.  News of the ‘theft’ reaches Ethel Courtway’s ears, so now she is drawn into the affair.  Betty mentions the letter she sent to Freda, the letter which never reached its destination.  Morcove are astounded at the veracity of Barncombe House’s championship of Freda.  Ethel is horrified at the whole affair, and takes the Fourth to task about their belief that Freda could be a thief.  Prissy is still shrilling more accusations regarding Freda’s visiting Cliff Edge Bungalow ‘without permission’ and Barncombe House view her with scorn.  Prissy, unbeknown to herself, is starting to dig a hole out of which she won’t be able to escape.  Beryl and Cicely then realise that it is Prissy, Freda’s own ‘cousin’ who is responsible for the poison pen letters.  Whilst this encounter is taking place, Freda is also out and about, but knows nothing of the demonstration, until she draws a little closer, but does not want to be involved so instead goes off onto the moor, where she sees Aunt Lil lurking around.  She is surprised to see her, thinking she was back in London, and confronts her with her suspicions.  Aunt Lil bridles up (Naturally you must, even if you are guilty!) and threatens to go straight to Cliff Edge Bungalow. Taking Freda and lay all the cards on the table to Aunt Jane.  This is a ruse which Freda falls for, and so off they go.  But, they don’t go to Cliff Edge Bungalow at all.  Freda doesn’t return at the usual time, and later that evening, when there is no sign of Freda or any message from her, Beryl and Cicely are worried, and so they alert their Mistress, Miss Heatherby..  By the time Morcove and the authorities are alerted, Prissy and Cora have done their dreadful back stabbing work at Morcove behind the scenes, and so the Fourth are partially inclined to believe Prissy’s suggestions that Freda has run away.

But we know that she hasn’t.  The next day or two are nighmarish for Morcove and Barncombe House, with the disappearance of Freda.  Prissy has another secret meeting with her Mother, who by now is really desperate to gain the papers that will ensure a part of Aunt Jane’s fortune into their clutches.  Their problem is that they have to lure Aunt Jane away from Cliff Edge somehow so that they can search for the papers, and come up with a ruse that Prissy ‘sees Freda lurking around Morcove’s grounds’.  Prissy is to raise a hue and cry, saying she has seen Freda, and talk Miss Somerfield into allowing her to go to the Bungalow to let Aunt Jane know that Freda ‘has been seen lurking around’ and would she like to join the proposed search party.  The Marlowes will quickly enter Cliff Edge and do their dirty work whilst the ‘search’ is on.  This is all arranged, and Miss Somerfield sends Betty with Prissy to Cliff Edge, instead of the preferred Cora.  Betty notices that Aunt Jane, upon learning what has happened, locks up Cliff Edge securely.  Search parties of girls and mistresses are here, there and everywhere, when a car comes along the nightbound, foggy road.  It contains Beryl, her Mother Mrs Blythe, and Cicely, along with her Chauffeur.  The Chauffeur is sent along to Morcove, and Betty, Polly, Beryl, Mrs Blythe and Cicely go along to Cliff Edge to see if Freda may have gone there in search of food.  They see a door open, when strangely it was shut a short while ago, and they hear noises coming from inside the Bungalow.  So they go inside, and come across the Marlowes trying to smash open locked drawers in the bureau.  There is shock, mayhem and a lot of blustering, so Polly ‘calls for the Police to come this way’, which of course finishes off the Marlowes.  At that precise moment, Freda herself suddenly appears, having escaped from the cave next to Cliff Edge Bungalow’s boat shed cave, with the inner aperture, where she was secreted away, and falls into Mrs Blythe’s lap, and explains what happened, and her fears.  And then…..the climax is when Aunt Jane, accompanied by Prissy, come along the path to the Bungalow, and of course Aunt Jane is prostrated by what she sees, and even more when she hears.  So there are explanations, reunions and forgiveness all round.  The Marlowes disappear permanently, and Aunt Jane finally sees the light regarding Freda.  Freda remains at Barncombe House, and there is a lifelong commitment between the two.