The Laurels (Postern of Fate)

In the novel Postern of Fate, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford leave their house Bartons Acre and move to The Laurels near the town of Hollowquay. Over the years the house has changed occupants and names several times. Of greatest interest is "Swallow's Nest", a name for the house when owned by a family known as "The Parkinsons" some time before the First World War.

Establishing an exhaustive or accurate list of the previous names and occupants is not easy because only brief mentions are made here and there, and often by people digging into their memories of the distant past. When one person comes up with a list, another comes up with a different list later. Random names are inserted in the course of reminiscences.

The house is based on Agatha Christie's childhood home Ashfield.

Former occupants of the house
---the rest are not necessarily in chronological sequence-- ---Most recent owner before the Beresfords---
 * Parkinsons
 * Mrs Beddingfield - served by Mrs Henderson (as mentioned by Winifred Griffin)
 * Mrs ffoliatt, Miss French, Miss Isabel (as mentioned by Tuppence's Junior Brigade)
 * Blackmores
 * Waddingtons
 * Seymours
 * Cuthbertsons
 * Redlands
 * Bassingtons - with two daughters Jenny and Pamela. The first owners of Mathilde.
 * Jones - only had the house three or four years, sold house to the Berefords with some contents

Names of the house

 * Swallow's Nest
 * Long Scofield
 * Princes Lodge (as mentioned by Gwenda at the post office)
 * Katmandu
 * Laurels

Places and locations in the house

 * KK - a lean-to greenhouse where old toys are kept
 * "gold-mine" - goldfish pool which had been filled in long ago
 * some monkeypaw trees
 * a large cedar tree
 * dahlia walk
 * orchard
 * rose garden