"I must find me baptism certificate." "It'll help me find me family." "Hello, Esther!" "This isn't one of their slave plantations!" "This is England!" "But it's inhuman, Robert." "And it's not the way we do things here." "If Susannah goes, I go too." "We go together, as man and wife." "Sign that." "Sign it and I'll allow you to stay in the village, as Mr and Mrs Bate." "Their purpose is to delay the passing of the Ten-hour Bill, a bill that merely seeks to ensure that no child works more than ten hours a day." "Tommy!" "'We don't abandon children injured in our service, Robert.'" "He can work for me." "Fine, but he'll have to prove himself adept at something more than plate-carrying." "Liverpool's that way." "You go that way across that field." "'Did you get to see Catherine in the workhouse?" "'" "I think Timperley killed your sister." "I'm going to tell him." "What?" "He won't listen." "They never do!" "She was my sister." "We need proof." "I want to see her." "She'll be in her grave by now." "If Timperley finds out we know what he's done, then we'll be in danger." "You think he won't do it again?" "To cover his tracks?" "So how do we get proof?" "Bide our time." "And as I've got to be here for an extra two years now," "I've got plenty of that." "Runs very smoothly!" "We're making some progress." "Is that...?" "Did that just stop automatically?" "That's more than "some progress"." "It's not finished yet, it's..." "I'll apply for the patent, as soon as I get back from London." "Well done." "He had to find out eventually." "Now that you've signed the document... he has no reason to send me away any more." "We don't have to get married." "Here." "Now." "Speaking freely, without coercion..." "I love you." "And I want to be with you." "I'm looking for a girl." "She came here from Liverpool Workhouse." "You'll have to make an appointment at the mill office." "I've come a long way!" "We don't deal with Liverpool." "Well, you did, according to this." "She left it in me parish church." "Her name's Esther Price." "I'm her sister." "She ran away." "Tommy?" "Oh, Esther's sister." "All the way from Liverpool." "I think we'd better go inside." "Take that through to the kitchen, Tommy." "Ah!" "I'm sorry." "My son runs the mill and he's away at the moment." "If you'd like to leave your request in writing, he will deal with it in due course." "It's cost me the best part of a week's wage to get here." "It won't be possible for you to see her today." "Why not?" "She's serving her punishment." "I told you, she ran away." "Not that she'd returned." "When can I see her?" "My son makes those kind of decisions and as I say..." "Is this a mill or a prison?" "For apprentices, it's a home that their parents failed to provide for them." "What time does she finish?" "Some time after nine this evening." "She'll be praying for the Ten-Hour Bill, then?" "Like the rest of us." "You'll need to go now." "Don't tell me what I need to do!" "There are writing materials over here." "If you wish to leave your sister a note," "I will make sure that she gets it." "I thought it wise not to let Esther speak to outsiders." "Thank you, Mr Timperley." "Tommy?" "What did you tell her?" "Just to go to the office, Miss." "Are you sure that was all?" "Yes, Miss." "Master Robert is in the middle of some very important business and the timing of this visit is very inconvenient." "So don't breathe a word of it to Esther." "I'll tell her, when it's more appropriate." "Off you go." "I'll leave me name and address." "I'll expect her to write and I'll know her hand." "Of course." "Father Collins will read it for me." "Mrs Greg?" "When Susannah gets married, there'll be a spare bed and we were wondering if Lucy's sister Catherine could take it?" "Only before we bother Master Robert, or anyone else, we were hoping you might be kind enough to write and make an enquiry about her?" "Ask how she is?" "Mr Timperley?" "Mr Timperley?" "Do you remember Lucy's sister?" "Yes." "Can you find out how she's faring at the workhouse?" "The girls have asked me to make some enquiries." "Will you see if she's fit for work now?" "I'll see what I can do." "Come and sit beside me." "As you know, I was ordered to take your sister back to the workhouse." "On the way, I was talking over my shoulder, trying to keep her spirits up, when she leapt off the cart and ran into some woods." "I searched, called out her name." "She must have preferred to take her chances than go back to the workhouse." "I've now discovered that she's been found dead in a field about ten miles from here." "I am so sorry." "These things are always hard to accept." "Right now, Mrs Greg is having to accept that she may soon lose her dear husband." "We mustn't add to Mrs Greg's sorrows by burdening her with ours." "Do you understand?" "Hmm?" "We'll get him, don't worry." "We'll get him." "Somehow." "Did you sleep?" "They say it gets easier with time." "She told you about her sister?" "Thank you for taking the trouble of finding out, Mr T." "At least she knows now." "Miss Susannah?" "I'm very happy about you and Daniel." "Robert'll look after you." "You can count on it." "Yes, master." "And I'm sure your child will grow up to be a... a credit... to all of us." "Thank you." "Master Samuel?" "Hmm?" "Erm..." "Catherine Garner, she came with Lucy." "She was ill, and you wanted her to stay but Master Robert said she couldn't." "Get back over there!" "I'm so sorry for the impertinence..." "Leave us!" "At Greg and Sons, we've always taken great pride in the compassionate and Christian treatment we afford to the children in our care." "Is this Christian?" "Your son made Lucy do this to me as a punishment." "And all the time, her sister was rotting in a field." "Robert did that?" "Please, Master... bring Mr Timperley to justice." "I'll look into it." "You have my word." "Thomas." "Good news?" "We'll be hearing no more about ten-hour days." "It'll be 12 hours for under-18s." "Sam?" "Sam!" "Robert's back from London!" "And?" "And all juveniles must have age certificates from now on and two hours' schooling a day." "But no prison for any employer who breaks the rules and only four inspectors to enforce them - four, for the whole country." "Barely affect us." "And abolition?" "August 1st, next year." "Can you wait that long?" "So how will it work?" "In stages, over seven years." "They'll stop being slaves and become apprentices." "There's to be a £20 million compensation fund." "Where is he?" "He better not be interfering again." "Sam?" "Sam?" "Look at him." "He knows it's over." "Your tea's in the schoolroom." "Don't blame me if it's stone cold." "Is something wrong, Mr T?" "Master Samuel passed away this afternoon." "I'm sorry." "I tried." "Nothing I do makes any difference." "You got rid of Charlie Crout." "I've been up before the beak." "And I was fined." "And I ran away to Liverpool and wasted my time on some wild goose chase." "I'm noone." "You're not no-one." "And neither was Catherine." "And you didn't waste your time in Liverpool." "My sister was here!" "Why didn't you let me see her?" "You can see her when your period of punishment is over." "And when will that be?" "When this has grown?" "Or is there something else you're hiding?" "What do you mean?" "I know." "I know what you are." "You fat liar." "20 hours for insolence!" "You'll never see her at this rate." "Come on, Esther, let's go up." "Where's the letter she left?" "There is no letter." "She can't read or write." "She hasn't had your advantages in life." "She's out there, somewhere!" "She's out there." "She saw the message I left and come looking." "And you were wrong about me." "Cos everything I've been through, it was worth it." "Have you heard?" "We lost the Ten-Hour Bill." "We should never have put our faith in Parliament." "We need to take power into our own hands, organise industrially, every mine and manufactory united for shorter hours." "Demonstrations, strikes, whatever it takes." "We need to set up a new national society, and I want you to be our man here." "We'll organise a meeting for Sunday." "I'm getting married on Sunday." "What, that lass I saw you with at Wibsey?" "Susannah." "What time?" "Noon." "Right, we'll make the meeting for three," "I need to be in Stockport for eight o'clock." "Or will Susannah disapprove?" "You'll have the whole evening." "Don't you think it's too late?" "We've only lost a battle, is all." "Despite Robert Greg gloating in the lobby at Westminster, this isn't over." "All these men have signed a document." "All the more reason for another meeting." "They'll not risk their jobs." "Not now." "After 100,000 can march on Wibsey and be ignored." "Have you signed?" "I'll have a family to support come Monday." "We all have families!" "We don't all have men contributing a penny a week to pay our wages!" "Your father would be spinning in his grave!" "You better go, now!" "No, Pat." "I'm fine, we're just talking." "This might interest you." "We had a visitor." "A woman from Liverpool with quite a story to tell." ""We have received a report, the contents of which" ""mortifies and disgusts us." "It seems a young female apprentice" ""who must remain anonymous for now..."" ""And we invite the poor wretch who was subjected to such..."" "Medieval." "".." "Medieval punishment to contact us directly, after which" ""we will be pleased to publish the full details of her ordeal" ""and help reunite her with her family."" "That's me." "It's about me and what they did to me." "Did you tell him?" "Your sister told him." "She didn't give up." "How did she know?" "Tommy told her." "Mrs Greg won't be pleased." "Let's go." "Esther?" "It's anonymous now, hearsay." "Doherty needs to speak to you in person before he can publish." "If you let him name you, there'll be no going back." "I don't care." "He's organising a meeting in the Horseshoe, Sunday, three o'clock." "We'll be there." "You lied to me, Thomas." "And you disobeyed me." "On the day of my husband's passing." "You broke your word and told Esther about her sister's visit." "After everything I've done for you." "What do you have to say for yourself?" "When you heard how Mary Prince was kept from her sisters, you cried." "You are a most ungrateful child." "I see now I made a mistake with you." "Take him away." "That man, the man in the meeting, The Ten-Hour Bill man, he was right!" "Get him out." "And your slaves won't be free if they're apprentices!" "Being an apprentice with us is the best a boy like you could hope for." "Not any more!" "Come here." "Ow, get off!" "Come here!" "No!" "This belongs to Master Robert!" "No, it belongs to me." "He gave it to me!" "Keep still, you little..." "Get off me!" "It's mine!" "No!" "I'm sorry for your loss." "The funeral is to be Monday." "We'll stop the mill for the afternoon, which will have my father spinning in his casket." "A wedding present." "Your share of the patent for the loom." "50-50." "You're a proud man, with good reason." "I want to build on what my father created." "Together, we can make that happen." "Take it." "You deserve this." "You've a family now." "For Susannah." "Thank you." "I do wish you both the very best." "It'll be about the funeral." "Look, don't cheer if he announces a day off." "Look sad and keep your mouth shut." "Have you seen Tommy?" "He'll be at the big house." "But all the other domestics are here." "Why isn't he here?" "You will have all heard by now of the passing of my father." "And I'm sure he's in all your prayers." "But before we've even laid Master Samuel to rest, it appears John Doherty is coming to disturb the peace of our grieving community." "He's already provoked walkouts in Stockport." "So I want to make one thing clear!" "Any man attending this meeting tomorrow is in breach of the document and will be dismissed." "One person profits from John Doherty's wild schemes, his strikes and his newspapers, and that person is John Doherty himself!" "How does he profit?" "Ask Daniel Bate." "He knows him better than anyone." "What was Doherty's wages as secretary of the Spinners' Union?" "Tell them!" "One pound, 13 shillings." "And what does he pay himself now to produce his propaganda rag?" "Three pounds a week." "Three pound a week." "The poor man's advocate, not so poor!" "His only concern is with promoting discontent to suit his own ends!" "Am I right?" "I hate the man." "But I love what he stands for!" "There is a better way." "And you..." "You can't stop a man listening to another." "Not on a Sunday." "We're free men on a Sunday!" "I'll be going to his meeting." "You all should." "I'll be there!" "And any man that I see there will be asked to leave the village and find work and lodgings elsewhere." "You've been warned!" "Wait!" "What have you done with Tommy?" "Where is he?" "What was...?" "What was in the envelope?" "He tried to buy me off." "I'll find work in Manchester." "Daniel, you're blacklisted!" "Well, further afield then." "Do you expect me to come with you?" "Leave George and Miriam behind?" "What, you think they can't manage?" "They're not babies, you're not their mother!" "It's this one you should be thinking about." "Like you were just then?" "Yes!" "Because our children deserve better than this!" "How much was in the envelope, Daniel?" "Does it matter?" "Daniel." "How much?" "A lot." "I'm sorry." "He told me I should take it for you." "If you want to call off the wedding, I'll not blame you." "But I have to go to that meeting." "He bought my silence once." "I was too afraid to stand up to him." "The baby." "It belongs to his brother, William." "No." "Yes." "No, it doesn't." "The baby's ours." "The future could be too." "Daniel, wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony?" "I will." "Susannah, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband?" "I will." "Did he tell you what I offered him?" "Was it a dowry or guilt money?" "It was a sincere offer." "Your skills, my capital, we can do great things." "It's science will make the world a better place, not dreamers like John Doherty." "Well, it's not Wibsey, is it?" "Daniel." "Thanks for coming." "And Susannah." "Congratulations to you both." "Please." "Come on in and take a seat." "'It's locked." "They've locked us in!" "'" "They have." "I should be celebrating my sister's wedding now." "We all should!" "Master Robert's scared I'll tell Doherty what he did to me." "You know, indentures are the only documents we've signed." "They say nothing about locking us up on Sundays." "She's right." "It's not fair." "It's not!" "Are we going to put up with it?" "No." "Are we?" "No!" "Come on, let's get out of here!" "Where do you think you're going?" "!" "The Horseshoe, unluckily for you." "Get back!" "Back upstairs now, all of you!" "I mean it!" "I will thrash each and every one of you!" "Ha!" "Agh!" "Lucy's sister, she's dead." "And the apprentices blame us." "Why do they blame us?" "When I was taking her to Liverpool she ran, escaped." "I, I, I couldn't stop her." "Turns out she's the pauper they found dead in that field." "At Siddington?" "Well, why didn't you tell us?" "I took pity on her." "I thought she'd survive!" "Siddington is the opposite direction to Liverpool." "Well, she must have travelled some distance before she fell." "And you must have kept the apprentice fee for yourself." "I'll pay it back." "That child was in our care!" "No, Miss, it's a lynch mob!" "I know." "Esther!" "He's gone out the back way!" "Come on, quick!" "Crap!" "He's in here somewhere!" "He's here!" "In the wheelhouse!" "Get out, you coward!" "He's locked it from the inside!" "Children, move away from the door." "Come on back, come on." "Move away!" "Move away, we've got him now!" "I didn't kill her!" "Move away." "I let her go!" "I have sent for the magistrate and his men." "We must wait for the law to take its course." "Wait for the law?" "Yes, because without the law, we're just barbarians." "And with it, what are you?" "My conscience is clear, Esther." "And you can trust me." "I promise you." "Where's Tommy?" "He trusted you." "He thought you were on our side." "But when you took him into your home, you weren't nursing him, you were hiding him." "I nursed him and we saved his life." "Like you hid my sister?" "John Doherty was right about you." "You're a hypocrite." "I released you from that room, Esther." "And if I hadn't taught you to read and write, your sister never would have found you." "Somebody, stay here with Timperley." "Make sure he doesn't get away." "The rest of us, let's get to the Horseshoe." "This meeting is one of many being held to form a new organisation." "The National Regeneration Society." "And what we propose is this - that on the same date that the new factory act comes into force, March 1st next year, that every manufactory operative in the country shall work eight hours and eight only." "Then they will walk out." "They shan't ask for permission from parliament or beg leave from their masters, that after eight hours of toil, they shall simply go home and see their families." "If we are united, the old out-dated system whereby some work beyond their strength for inadequate wages, that system will end." "If you are united." "Esther!" "What is this?" "Your apprentices by the look of it." "Do not take another step into this room!" "Is it true your employer falsifies your ages to squeeze years of free labour from you?" "No!" "It is not true!" "Take them back to the apprentice house, now!" "Esther?" "I'm your sister." "Esther, the cruellest punishments..." "Have you been looking for this?" "I knew you immediately." "You look like Mam." "Do I?" "She died when you were born... it hit Dad hard." "He couldn't cope, took to drink, when he could afford it." "It broke his heart when you had to go to the workhouse." "I didn't think I'd ever see this." "I doubted myself... and here it is... and here you are." "March 8th, 1816." "I AM 17!" "We always marked it." "Every year." "March the 8th." "Ha!" "What's funny?" "It's the new law, it starts in March." "For a whole week they can only make me work 12 hours a day, then I turn 18 and they can do what they want." "I should've kept me mouth shut." "Ha!" "Sorry but Doherty's got another meeting to get to." "Tell him to wait, I'm talking to me sister." "Listen to me, if you allow that man to name you, he could ruin us." "It'll embarrass you, perhaps, make a mockery of your evidence to the factory commission." "Business depends upon its reputation." "If you ruin that, it won't just be me that you hurt." "You'll never work in the cotton trade again." "She can live with me and my family." "Can you afford another mouth to feed?" "Can you find her a job?" "Get her off the streets and out of the workhouse?" "Can you do that?" "Esther, stay here." "I'll wipe out all your fines." "This is a beautiful place to live." "You can have a family here." "Have a good life." "What about him?" "And Susannah?" "Can they raise a family here?" "If you keep your mouth shut, yes!" "Even though I signed the document and I intend to join Doherty's new society?" "If that's what it takes to reach an agreement." "Esther!" "I can look after you better than John Doherty ever could." "I want to tell my story." "I want people to know who I am." "If you go to the yard tomorrow and burn those documents..." "I won't mention certain things today." "Esther... are you ready?" "Right." "My name is Esther Price..." "I was born in Liverpool on March 8th, 1816." "I am 17." "My mother was called Maria and she was a seamstress, my father was called Tommy, and he was a sail maker." "I've got an older sister called Martha and..." "I needed to know this..." "I needed to know." "There's nobody here." "There must be!" "My father... believed there should be trust and mutual respect between mill hand and master... what's good for one, is good for the other." "So, as tribute to his memory on this, the day of his funeral..." "I've decided to burn the documents... that I asked you to sign." ""Heaven will smile upon us," ""posterity shall applaud us..." ""and when our hour comes and we have to quit this vale of tears," ""and go to our great account..." ""..we shall look back to the struggles we have made" ""in the cause of justice..." ""peace..." ""and kindness." ""Our last moments will be cheered" ""by the reflections that we have contributed something to chase vice," ""injustice and oppression from the earth..." ""..and we shall go down to our graves" ""with peace and satisfaction," ""knowing that we have bequeathed a brighter and happier inheritance" ""to our children" ""than it was our lot to be born to.""