Audio
James Fisher Interview
Transcript
James Fisher: I came to Mr. Captain Smyth in the middle of the year 1911 or 1912. I was sent from Greenville, South Carolina, by his daughter, Mrs. Margaret McKissick. My mother was a cook for her. She sent me up to Greenville to work for her mother and father in Greenville. Right out of school, I came right out of school to Captain Smyth (in Greenville).
Interviewer: So you went right out of school to Captain Smyth?
James Fisher: Captain Smyth, his daughter, put that down. His daughter Mrs. Margaret McKissick, sent me up to Greenville to work for her mother and father (Captain Smyth), ‘cause my mother was her cook.
Interviewer: Alright now you say there were seven servants here in the house?
James Fisher: Yes, in Greenville. Yes, we had seven servants.
Interviewer: Alright. How many did you have here (Connemara)?
James Fisher: Well, they all came up here and...
Interviewer: They all came up here?
James Fisher: And that was horse and buggy days too you know. I can name them to you. There was Paul, the coachman, George was Captain Smyth’s chauffer, Plummer was the cook, me as the butler, that’s four. Me, the butler, and then they had the laundry work was done on the place, that was Ludy, she was the laundress, that’s five. And then we had old man Robert, he was the flower man, worked out in the yard. Six, seven, one more. Anyway, seven servants.
Interviewer: And they all came up here?
James Fisher: Oh and then after I, after they let Jim Robinson go back, well when the chauffer old George had to go to Greenville to work together, then I had to take over as chauffer.
Description
James Melvin Fisher began working for the Smyth family in 1911 or 1912. He served as Ellison Smyth’s valet and later chauffeur. Fisher remained in Henderson County until his death in 1978. He was interviewed by park staff in 1975 and left a record of his life and work here in his own voice. This is an excerpt of his arrival at Connemara.
Credit
NPS Audio
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