by S G Read
‘Did you block up those holes Henry?’ Martin asked when he saw Henry helping.
‘Yes and we tipped some of that stuff you gave us into the holes first.’ Henry answered.
‘That should slow them down for now then but make sure none of it gets on the food.’ Martin warned.
‘No it all went inside the holes and we washed afterwards Martin.’
That night they ate a good meal cooked by Theodore and Martin, Martin had been watching farmer Goodenough’s wife in the kitchen while he was in there. After the meal everyone went to bed to save candles or oil. During the day washing had been taken away for washing and then some of the children were taken to Lamerton and it was the healthy and the bigger children who were left to sleep at Tavistock.
Morning found everyone asleep but Martin and Theodore, as they were up cooking breakfast. There were too many to feed at once so they cooked for as many as they could at one time then woke that many to come and eat. No one worked but the children just sat or walked around after they had eaten.
By the time Andrew was awakened all the children had been fed.
‘What time is it?’ Andrew asked when he saw the sun shining.
‘Nine in the morning sir.’ Henry answered. He was the boy sent to wake him.
‘We need to make sure the children are all fed.’
‘It’s already been done sir but we don’t know what to do next.’
‘To be honest Henry nor do I, but as it is my task to sort it out we will talk about it. Call all my helpers together and include the older children from Tavistock.’
‘Yes sir. Where shall we meet sir?’
‘In the parlour I think Henry in about half an hour.’
Andrew ate and then sat while the others all came in for the meeting. Andrew had not thought about Theodore but was pleased when he walked in. When they were settled he looked them over. There were older children who were from Tavistock, boys and girls all in rags. There were the boys who had come with him and a few more who had come down since they had started ferrying children and washing.
‘You might have heard from Martin and his friends what it is like in Lamerton and Tavistock will be like that as soon as I can make it so but I am no miracle worker. It will take time and effort; not only my effort but your effort as well. Some will live in Lamerton straight away but the rest will stay here. The washing will be done here as soon as I can improve things, until then it will be taken to Lamerton and washed. In the mean time we need to clean this building inside and out to make it worth living in. If any of you insist on running away then ask Theodore to open the gate for you and he will arrange a little food to take with you so that you do not starve to death in the first few days. Those who remain will have to work but in exchange you will get two meals a day and a good clean bed as soon as I can arrange it, until then it is clean straw. Martin will set you working while I look over the place and see just what we can make of it. Now are there any questions?’
A girl raised a skinny arm.
Andrew smiled. ‘I am sorry I do not know your name but I hope to know soon enough, until then I will call you boy or girl. So yes girl what is your question?’
‘Will Mrs Malonck be coming back?’ The girl asked.
‘Did you like her?’ Andrew asked.
‘Yes sir.’
‘Well will she be coming back Martin?’ Andrew asked.
Martin looked up in surprise.
‘Well I will need someone to run this place while I am not here.’ Andrew added.
‘What about Theodore, he has been here a long time?’ Martin asked.
‘I think they would have Theodore giving them just what they wanted when they wanted it, whereas you know just what has to happen to make this place start pulling it’s weight. And if you are in charge you will work out who we should employ and who we do not want back.’
‘I will send someone to bring Mrs Malonck back here when we have finished this meeting.’ Martin answered with a look of satisfaction.
‘Then the answer is yes girl; Mrs Malonck will be coming back.’ Andrew said quietly.
The girl smiled and said no more.
‘Now there is a lot to be done so let us go out and do something which will help us toward the goal of this place running profitably with smiling faces as well.’ Andrew declared and shepherded the children back out of the parlour. Martin went with them but Andrew made sure that Theodore remained.
‘Any comments Theodore?’ Andrew asked when they were alone.
‘Only one Mr McDay. The morning might be too late for Minnie she has been out of money for some time and the inn is going to send her to the workhouse if she does not pay her bill.’
‘So someone should go tonight then? And take some money to smooth out a few wrinkles?’
‘Aye I reckon some money should help but don’t pay all they say she owes, they pile it on when you are destitute.’
Andrew smiled. ‘Best be off to get her then. See Martin he has the money and it is better if you get his say so to go and his nose is not put out of joint.’
‘I’ll do that Mr McDay; you were right we would have fat lazy children here if I was in charge and you would not get a lot of work out of fat lazy children.’
‘That we would not but we do intend to teach them to read and write, do you read and write?’
‘No Mr McDay, I never had the need to.’
‘Well then you shall learn and when you have learnt, you will teach the smaller children to help you learn. I never paid too much attention to reading until we started teaching the children but when young Sarah had to correct me when I said something wrong, I knew I should brush up on it or keep very quiet.’
‘She corrected you? Here she would have been beaten, probably to death!’
‘In Lamerton we took another course, she is at school now and doing very well according to her letters. Martin did take the time to teach her a few defensive techniques before she left. Just in case anyone took exception to her!’
‘Now that was worth while.’ Theodore declared.
‘Pop in when you have the lady in question and we will celebrate with a sherry all round.’
‘I will that Mr McDay.’ Theodore left to find Martin while Andrew settled back in the chair he was in, pondering his next move.
For him it seemed a mountainous task to sort out things here and get the place running at a profit. There were too many children to take them all to Lamerton that meant that they had to stay at Tavistock. If the weak and young were taken to Lamerton leaving the able bodied and able to work at Tavistock they still needed to wash the clothes and with fewer numbers he had to do something about the machinery, or lack of it. An idea flashed into his head and he walked out into the courtyard where they were loading up a cart to take washing to Lamerton.
‘I’ll take this cart when it is ready I need to go to Lamerton to look into a few things.’ He explained to George. ‘If you have any questions or need any decisions talk to Martin.’
‘Yes Mr McDay.’
When it was ready Andrew drove the cart out of the gate and headed for Lamerton. Tom was surprised when it was Andrew driving the cart when it arrived but there was a team ready to unload it as soon as it was stationary. Andrew jumped down and hurried into the parlour, causing heads to turn as he did so, including Beth who was teaching upstairs. He was out to drive the cart back to Tavistock when it was ready but paused to give Tom a letter.
‘Make sure this goes in the post today Tom.’
‘Yes Mr McDay.’
Andrew drove the empty cart back to Tavistock and started looking at things in a different light. He was mentally moving things about to make room for the new equipment he had just ordered. Tom came to find him while he was staring at an empty space in the corner of the courtyard.
‘Mrs Malonck is here, where should I tell her to put her things Mr McDay?’
‘Where she used to be for now until things are sorted Martin, then we will find her a more suitable
lodgings. I will get Ruth to show her how to look after the sick, if she does not already know so that we can have place the sick can go to be cared for.’
‘I’ve seen them be sick in the wash water and get whipped for it.’ Martin declared.
‘What for being sick?’
‘No for poor aim.’
‘How is the person now?’
‘She died that night; they took her away in the cart. Don’t know where but the cart was empty when they came back.’
‘Philistines!’
‘It is what Mrs McDay calls history now.’ Martin replied. ‘Now things are changing for the better all the time but how can we keep it up on what Lamerton can provide?’
‘That is my problem for now Martin and I have it in hand.’
Martin looked at the space Andrew was looking at and shrugged. ‘If you say so Mr McDay.’ He went off to keep things moving, leaving Andrew where he was deep in thought. He came to a decision and took the next cart out; tarrying long enough to send out more notes and ask after Peterkin while he was at Lamerton. This time he brought back clean washing for delivery. He let others deliver it and continued with his thoughts until Bill arrived.
‘You wanted to see me Mr McDay.’
‘I did Mr Hodgson. As you can see there is little to no equipment here worth looking at so I need to add some. We will wait until Mr Sloley arrives and then discuss the changes I want to implement.’
‘I thought you would just close this place down and move everything up to Lamerton.’
‘There are over four hundred new children to deal with here.’
Bill whistled. ‘More than I imagined. Where did they all come from?’
‘Far and wide it seems.’ Andrew answered. ‘There were closer orphanage workhouses but they ended up here to be turned into slaves. Now to work; I have written to the manufacturer of a steam engine with directions to bring one here to drive the machinery. It was going to be for Lamerton but now we need to make this place pay for it self. What I want from Hugh and your good self is to make sure we have the equipment here for the steam engine to run when it arrives. I am expecting an engineer to come out with specifications so that you will know just where to put things in readiness.’
Hugh drove through the gate in his wagon.
Andrew repeated his words for Hugh and they discussed it at length, as the time wore on. Before it grew dark the two men left, still talking about it and Andrew walked back inside.
‘Martin will you gather the children for me?’ He called when he saw Martin.
‘Yes Mr McDay.’
Andrew waited as the children gathered and sat in front of him, it took a crack of the whip to gain silence which Martin did when all else failed.
‘Don’t go spoiling it for the others you with the waggling tongues.’ Martin warned ready to crack the whip again.
‘Thank you for your efforts today children but I must impress on you the need that you understand what is happening here. If it is to work there has to be order and if it cannot be maintained without the whip then the whip will return. The older children can help by keeping the younger children in order; but I must impress on you that it will be without corporal punishment from you. Any child requiring corporal punishment can be reported to Martin and he will decide what to do. A word from you will go a long way to keeping discipline in the younger children. Tonight you have to sleep where it has been arranged for you, tomorrow we will see what more we can do. I assume that you all know that Mrs Malonck is back and here to help the sick.’
Martin whispered in his ear.
‘And she is willing to cook the food with a few helpers so as long as we have supplies you will eat good food. We will have to do some washing tomorrow to help out but I hope to improve the machinery here to make it possible to wash more clothes with less children.’
The children looked at each other wondering what he meant but they would not find out for a few days.
Andrew slept in the only bedroom with a decent bed in it after writing a note to Mrs Oldray to ask if she had or could acquire some more hammocks as they were the cheapest and easiest way to sleep so many children away from the rats. He also requested more rat poison to try to get rid of them for now and block up the holes they had made in the wooden flooring.
By the time he had eaten his breakfast the following morning Mrs Oldray was there. She had rat poison to deal with the rats as long as they could keep the children away from it. She also had the possibility of acquiring more hammocks. These were from wrecked ships and some would be of no use but when everything else of value was taken they took the hammocks to use and if it was worthwhile they would sell them to make enough for a meal or more likely some ale. They also knew Mrs Oldray might buy anything they had which was material. Andrew paid her an advance to make sure she bought enough if she could broker a suitable deal and she left. Andrew set the boys who were there from the same team who had used the poison at Lamerton to work, to rid them of rats after warning the remainder of the children what would happen if the ate the poison or indeed one of the dead rats. As they had been known to kill and eat the odd rodent in previous times. Thus the improvement had begun.
Andrew knew it would take time but was still impatient. When the steam engine salesperson arrived to talk about the new engine and what was needed and where, Andrew made sure that both Bill and Hugh were present, but also included the older boys. One boy had seen a train once and knew how fearsome they looked; he passed that on to the others, who were suitably worried at the prospect of having to work such a thing.
A month later they heard a loud rumbling inside the orphanage and both boys and girls were terrified. Slowly the steam engine trundled down the street and into the yard where a base had been prepared for it. Both Will and Hugh Sloley the smith had made preparations for it even though they had never seen one before. The driver turned into the yard and manoeuvred it into place. He spent the next week showing the children who had to deal with it, just how to work it. Those boys who had been frightened became admirers, as this machine would do most of the work for them, even to lifting the wet washing out of the water and over to the next tub.
The driver and Hugh Sloley explained the gears and levers to make sure they all knew what they did, as they would soon be using it.
The rats were a thing of the past at the moment and all the holes they had gnawed through sealed up with a good portion of rat poison inside the hole in case more came along to gnaw again but the boys were still sleeping on the ground.
The day Mrs Oldray appeared with a wagon load of hammocks stopped that, and the children who were still there were soon sleeping in hammocks.
Andrew’s plans included improving the roof and putting a ceiling in for rooms to be created above the wash room but first he had to earn more money. He had not seen a lot of Beth and his daughter since he took over the orphanage in Tavistock but he vowed that would change as soon as things were running smoothly.
It was a proud day when they started washing clothes with the new equipment. No more was taken to Lamerton for washing and now that they could cope with a lot more washing Lamerton could send some down to them. Anything which needed repair was taken up to Lamerton for Mrs Webber to work on and returned repaired. Andrew sent out advertising when he realised just how much the new steam engine could do and still have power to spare. He cut his prices a little to draw back the customers and soon washing was coming from far and wide. Lamerton found they had less to do but then they did not mind at all as all the money went into the same account.
When the orphanage at Tavistock was running like the well oiled machine the steam engine was, Andrew let Martin take on more and more responsibility until he considered him ready to take over from him and let him move back to Lamerton.
‘Martin!’ He called out the parlour door.
A few seconds later Martin came running over. ‘Yes Mrs McDay?’
‘You have been running things round here for long enough for me to know i
t will be in safe hands, if I leave for Lamerton Martin. Did you know how old you are now?’
‘No Mr McDay.’
‘Well you have passed your sixteenth birthday so I either have to send you on your way with the clothes you stand up in or I have to employ you.’
‘I don’t mind going Mr McDay if that is what you want.’
‘You do not?’
‘No farmer Goodenough has said I can always have a home with him if I want to.’
‘He has, has he? You must have made an impression on him Martin. Well I need you to be the beadle here until you can train up one of the others to take your place then you can decide what you want to do.’
‘Me the beadle but that is for old men!’
‘Thank you very much.’ Andrew declared.
‘Sorry Mr McDay I didn’t mean to offend you.’
‘If I can do it, you can do it Martin: I was considered young to take the post but my father has some very persuasive powers.’
‘But I am only sixteen years old.’
‘I know and I probably cannot openly appoint you beadle without causing some backlash but if I appoint Theodore as temporary Beadle with you his assistant you can keep this place going how you want it going and any visitors can be greeted by Theodore.’
‘So he would be telling me what to do?’
Andrew looked at him and smiled. ‘Since when was he able to give you orders Martin, he was the one who helped you escape when you did escape, was he not?’
‘Did he tell you?’
‘He did not have to, he is the only person it could have been and probably when Jacob Sly was drunk.’
Martin smiled. ‘You don’t miss much Mr McDay.’
‘I think I picked that up from my father Martin, can you fetch Theodore for me?’
Andrew sat and waited for them both to return.