Trapped In She Town : A Romantic Novella (The Jute Mills Series) by Serena MacKay Page B
Authors: Serena MacKay
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argue, and so John found her a one roomed flat in Albert
Street.
One week later, Mary
gave birth to a small but healthy, baby boy on June 1st 1872, and on John’s
next afternoon off, he quietly married Mary at the local registry office, as
well as registering Patrick’s birth. They went straight back to the flat where
Mary made a meal of potatoes.
At six in the evening,
John left Mary and baby Patrick to head back to the big house in readiness for
the family’s return from Forfar. He would need to unhitch the horses from the carriage,
brush and feed them before stabling them for the night.
Mary stayed at the
flat looking after Patrick and John came rushing over at any opportunity he
could get away from the big house. He never stayed overnight as he had to be at
the house in case he was called to get the horses ready.
Mary always made a
fuss of him when he arrived, and made sure she had something to feed him, but
she wasn’t ready yet to let John touch her. He was very patient and always spent
plenty of time playing with Patrick.
They carried on like
this for 6 months, until one Tuesday morning in November. Mary had been up at
four with Patrick and had just got him down for a morning sleep around ten. She
was busy washing the dishes in the little kitchen when she heard a knock at the
door. She knew John would never arrive at this time of the day so she called
out warily “Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Mary love.
Open the door” called back John. She flung the door open to see John standing
there with a small case at his feet. She gave him a peck on the cheek and moved
aside to let him in. “Is something the matter John? This is a funny time for
you to get away from the big house.”
“Och, put the kettle
on Mary my love and make us a cuppa. I’ve some news to tell you” he responded.
When the two of them
were seated, with a cup of tea each in front of them, and a slice of bread for
John, he started to explain. He had been called in by Giles first thing that
morning.
“You know Mary, that
when they asked you to leave, the rumour was that I was the father. When Giles
asked me, I denied it, for I didn’t know the full circumstance at that time.
Anyway, somehow they have found out we are now married and they’ve given me a
week’s wages and sent me on my way.”
And so began married
life proper, for John and Mary.
The Jute Mill
John, losing his job
at the big house, brought two major problems with him, that Mary could see.
The first was the
obvious money problem. Neither of them was earning and someone would have to
find a job soon, to ensure the food stayed on the table.
John had been asking
around the mills to see if they needed anyone to work with the horses but there
were no vacancies.
“Tess next door works
at the mill down the road” Mary said to John about a week later after he had
failed in his search for work. “Perhaps I could go down to the mill tomorrow
and see if I can get a job.”
“No, I will not have
you working there Mary” John cried.
But after another
week, with no money coming in and the bairn crying most days because of hunger,
Mary once again approached John.
“John, we can’t go on
like this. We will all be dead or back in the poorhouse within the week if we
don’t do something. Tomorrow morning I am going to the mill with Tess to see if
they will clock me on for a shift” Mary said firmly. “You know most of the
women go to work in the mill John, and the men stay home. It’s just the way it
is here.”
And John knew what she
said was true. Dundee was nicknamed “She-Town”, as the mills employed the women
and children so they could pay them a lower wage.
The next morning at
seven Mary was in the street moving along with hundreds of other women and
children, all heading towards the mills for their days work. The women
outnumbered the men by three to one, however what upset Mary the most was the
number of children entering the factory gates.
Tess
Street.
One week later, Mary
gave birth to a small but healthy, baby boy on June 1st 1872, and on John’s
next afternoon off, he quietly married Mary at the local registry office, as
well as registering Patrick’s birth. They went straight back to the flat where
Mary made a meal of potatoes.
At six in the evening,
John left Mary and baby Patrick to head back to the big house in readiness for
the family’s return from Forfar. He would need to unhitch the horses from the carriage,
brush and feed them before stabling them for the night.
Mary stayed at the
flat looking after Patrick and John came rushing over at any opportunity he
could get away from the big house. He never stayed overnight as he had to be at
the house in case he was called to get the horses ready.
Mary always made a
fuss of him when he arrived, and made sure she had something to feed him, but
she wasn’t ready yet to let John touch her. He was very patient and always spent
plenty of time playing with Patrick.
They carried on like
this for 6 months, until one Tuesday morning in November. Mary had been up at
four with Patrick and had just got him down for a morning sleep around ten. She
was busy washing the dishes in the little kitchen when she heard a knock at the
door. She knew John would never arrive at this time of the day so she called
out warily “Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Mary love.
Open the door” called back John. She flung the door open to see John standing
there with a small case at his feet. She gave him a peck on the cheek and moved
aside to let him in. “Is something the matter John? This is a funny time for
you to get away from the big house.”
“Och, put the kettle
on Mary my love and make us a cuppa. I’ve some news to tell you” he responded.
When the two of them
were seated, with a cup of tea each in front of them, and a slice of bread for
John, he started to explain. He had been called in by Giles first thing that
morning.
“You know Mary, that
when they asked you to leave, the rumour was that I was the father. When Giles
asked me, I denied it, for I didn’t know the full circumstance at that time.
Anyway, somehow they have found out we are now married and they’ve given me a
week’s wages and sent me on my way.”
And so began married
life proper, for John and Mary.
The Jute Mill
John, losing his job
at the big house, brought two major problems with him, that Mary could see.
The first was the
obvious money problem. Neither of them was earning and someone would have to
find a job soon, to ensure the food stayed on the table.
John had been asking
around the mills to see if they needed anyone to work with the horses but there
were no vacancies.
“Tess next door works
at the mill down the road” Mary said to John about a week later after he had
failed in his search for work. “Perhaps I could go down to the mill tomorrow
and see if I can get a job.”
“No, I will not have
you working there Mary” John cried.
But after another
week, with no money coming in and the bairn crying most days because of hunger,
Mary once again approached John.
“John, we can’t go on
like this. We will all be dead or back in the poorhouse within the week if we
don’t do something. Tomorrow morning I am going to the mill with Tess to see if
they will clock me on for a shift” Mary said firmly. “You know most of the
women go to work in the mill John, and the men stay home. It’s just the way it
is here.”
And John knew what she
said was true. Dundee was nicknamed “She-Town”, as the mills employed the women
and children so they could pay them a lower wage.
The next morning at
seven Mary was in the street moving along with hundreds of other women and
children, all heading towards the mills for their days work. The women
outnumbered the men by three to one, however what upset Mary the most was the
number of children entering the factory gates.
Tess
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