the days of my life

第3部分 (第2/7頁)

property　which；　if　they　had　kept　it；　would　have　made　them　very　rich　today。

I　recollect　my　father　telling　me　a　story　of　how　one　of　them；　I　think　it　must　have　been　John　Haggard　who　died　in　1776；　my　great；　great；　great…grandfather；　sold　the　Bow　property　and　moved　to　Bennington　in　Hertfordshire　because　of　a　burglary　that　took　place　at　his　house　which　seems　to　have　frightened　him　very　much。　His　son；　William　Henry；　settled　in　Norwich；　and　is　buried　in　St。　John’s　Maddermarket　in　that　city。　His　only　son；　also　named　William　Henry；　my　great…grandfather；　after　living　a　while　at　Knebworth；　Herts；　bought　Bradenham　Hall　in　this　county　of　Norfolk。　It　would　seem；　oddly　enough；　that　Bradenham　once　belonged　to　old　Sir　Andrew　Ogard；　or　Agard；　in　right　of　his　wife；　but　whether　this　circumstance　had　or　had　not　anything　to　do　with　its　purchase　by　my　great…grandfather　I　cannot　say。

His　son；　William　Haggard；　like　some　others　of　the　family；　was　concerned　in　banking　in　Russia；　and　in　1816　married　a　Russian　lady；　the　eldest　daughter　and　co…heiress　of　James　Meybohm　of　St。　Petersburg。　My　father；　William　Meybohm　Rider　Haggard；　was　the　eldest　child　of　this　union。　He　was　born　at　St。　Petersburg　April　19；　1817；　and　in　1844　married　my　mother；　Ella；　the　elder　daughter　and　co…heiress　of　Bazett　Doveton；　of　the　Bombay　Civil　Service；　who　was　born　at　Bombay　in　June　1819。

I　am　the　eighth　child　of　the　family　of　ten　—　seven　sons　and　three　daughters　—　who　were　born　to　my　father　and　mother。　As　it　chanced　I　first　saw　the　light　（on　June　22；　1856）；　not　at　Bradenham　Hall；　which　at　the　time　was　let；　but　at　the　Wood　Farm　on　that　property　whither；　on　her　return　from　France；　my　mother　retired　to　be　confined。　A　few　years　ago　I　visited　the　room　in　which　the　interesting　event　took　place。　It　is　a　typical　f