People just letting themselves in and out

I was a bit surprised to read the characters in this book just let themselves in and out of each others houses. Normally if it is a middle class home, a servant would show the guest in, but not always. I am pretty sure I read John Thornton let himself into the Hale's house on occasions. He knew them pretty well by then, but all the same. When Margaret visits Mr Higgins in the working class area, she is quite happy to let herself in. If someone wants privacy they will bolt the door, but otherwise everyone is happy for anyone to walk into their house. That has changed.

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Originally Posted by kev67

I was a bit surprised to read the characters in this book just let themselves in and out of each others houses. Normally if it is a middle class home, a servant would show the guest in, but not always. I am pretty sure I read John Thornton let himself into the Hale's house on occasions. He knew them pretty well by then, but all the same. When Margaret visits Mr Higgins in the working class area, she is quite happy to let herself in. If someone wants privacy they will bolt the door, but otherwise everyone is happy for anyone to walk into their house. That has changed.

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It is interesting how small details of decorum can change. I think it's worth keeping in mind that in a time with limited transportation options besides horses visitors could be rather scarce, and there are also limited ways to announce your arrival ahead of time. The wealthy in London could send servants the day before with cards; there was also a same day postal service available in London at the time. Outside of London you might not be able to use the post, and if you were not wealthy enough to have servants the cost of sending a letter could be prohibitive. Postal fees were paid by the recipient of a letter as well, so it would be inconsiderate to announce your arrival that way. In general it would be considered very rude to turn away a guest because of the effort involved in going to visit someone.

Receiving unexpected guests was likely more normal than knowing someone was coming, so people were probably accustomed to acquaintances arriving and letting themselves in as a pragmatic necessity.

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Originally Posted by OrphanPip

It is interesting how small details of decorum can change. I think it's worth keeping in mind that in a time with limited transportation options besides horses visitors could be rather scarce, and there are also limited ways to announce your arrival ahead of time. The wealthy in London could send servants the day before with cards; there was also a same day postal service available in London at the time. Outside of London you might not be able to use the post, and if you were not wealthy enough to have servants the cost of sending a letter could be prohibitive. Postal fees were paid by the recipient of a letter as well, so it would be inconsiderate to announce your arrival that way. In general it would be considered very rude to turn away a guest because of the effort involved in going to visit someone.

Receiving unexpected guests was likely more normal than knowing someone was coming, so people were probably accustomed to acquaintances arriving and letting themselves in as a pragmatic necessity.

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I suppose. In the book, Mrs Thornton is quite grand. In one chapter her son asks her as a special favour to visit the Hales. I cannot remember how she got there, either carriage or cab I suppose, because she would be too stately to walk. I doubt Mrs Thornton would just let herself in if nobody answered the doorbell. I suppose I am most surprised that Mr Thornton would let himself into the Hale's house. I suppose he had been given permission because he was a regular visitor, being Mr Hale's pupil.

I seem to remember watching or listening to some documentaries in which old folk reminisced how everyone in their community knew each other, there was no theft and nobody locked their doors. However these were working class folk who worked down the same pit or in the same factory. They drank in the same pubs (the men anyway), and their children played together in the streets, there being few cars.

All the same, there was a feeling that an Englishman's home was his castle. In the early 1800s you could be hanged for burglary. At the start of Great Expectations, Magwitch takes that risk when he takes the blame for stealing a pie from Joe Gargery's house. Towards the end of that book when Joe is telling Pip about Orlick's mistreatment of Mr Pumblechook, Joe Gargery tells Pip that an Englishman's home must not be invaded without his permission except in time of war. I recently watched a YouTube video about Edmund Burke, who was quoted saying that even the King of England may not invade a man's house without permission.