The Wives’ Revenge

by Lindsey Hutchinson

  ‘Right,’ Martha said in her own inimitable way, ‘this needs a deal o’ thinkin’ on.’

  Violet watched as Kath packed a hamper of food for Hildy’s kids and they agreed a sum to be given from the ‘Wives’ fund to help out with clothes and the like. Hildy had found the house at Cross Street empty so she’d just moved her children into it hoping no one would turn them out again.

  Hildy left for home being told the women would do all they could to help find her daughter.

  Mary looked at Violet, saying, ‘Poor bugger, this one is a right bloody mess!’

  It was decided that the Wednesbury grapevine would be needed again. The message being five-year-old Margy Johnson had gone missing from the bottom end of Cross Street. She was small for her age, with blonde hair, she may have been with an older boy known as daft Billy.

  Kath and Violet would go to visit daft Billy’s mother and see what, if anything, she could tell them.

  *

  Waving to Charlie and his men working on the cottages, Kath and Violet walked down Cross Street which started halfway down Meeting Street and had cottages running the length of both sides before it met up with King’s Place at the other end, then veered off to join Holyhead Road. There were around thirty cottages on one side of Cross Street and twenty or so on the other where daft Billy’s mother lived. Hers was the last one in the row and, like the others, was covered in a layer of grime from the smoke constantly belched out by chimneys both domestic and industrial. Hildy Johnson lived directly opposite.

  Banging on the door, they heard a voice shout, ‘All right, I ain’t deaf!’ The door opened and looking the women up and down, the woman said, ‘What you two want?’

  ‘Are you Billy’s mother?’ Violet asked quietly.

  ‘What if I am?’ The woman’s tone was acerbic.

  Violet went on, ‘Is Billy here? We’d like a word with him.’

  ‘What word? You can have it with me!’ The woman became agitated.

  ‘Mrs…?’ Violet said.

  ‘Miss…’ the woman corrected, ‘Cartwright… Patsy Cartwright.’

  Violet persisted, ‘Miss Cartwright, we really need to speak with Billy. Is he here?’

  ‘No,’ Patsy Cartwright said flatly.

  Exasperation seeped into Violet and the frustration spilled over as she asked, ‘Where is he?’

  ‘I don’t have to tell you nothin’. Who the hell are you to be asking after my Billy anyway?’ The woman’s hackles rose.

  ‘I’ll ask you one more time…’ Violet said menacingly. ‘Where is Billy?’

  Bursting into tears, Patsy Cartwright sobbed, ‘I don’t know, he took off a couple of days ago and I ain’t seen him since!’

  Looking at Kath, Violet saw the chagrin cross her face like a harbinger of doom. It seemed the Wives weren’t looking for one missing child – but two.

  Thirty-One

  Violet had called everyone together including Joshua, although he had not been told about the club they felt his help would be needed. Later in the morning she relayed the tale of Margy Johnson and daft Billy. They needed to be found, and quickly. She said with a quiet confidence that, tomorrow, work all over Wednesbury would stop and the people would comb the town in search of the missing children; supposing they had not been found in the meantime.

  Giving a desultory laugh, Joshua asked how Violet intended to get the message to all the people of Wednesbury in just one day, presupposing they would agree to it in the first place. ‘Losing a day’s pay to look for two missing kids will not go down well, so I tell you straight I think it’s a foolish idea,’ Joshua added.

  ‘Getting the message out isn’t the problem…’ Violet said, eyeing Joshua over the table, ‘but we need the backing of your good name. Spencer has agreed already but we need someone of stature to speak with the pit boss at Monway Colliery. I doubt the children would have strayed further than that, but you never know.’

  Buttering him up in front of everyone, she’d put him in a position where to refuse would see his ‘good name’ go down in the estimation of all around the table.

  Joshua gave a small shake of his head, then with a smile at his daughter-in-law said, ‘All right, I’ll give it a go but… don’t be surprised if the pit boss says no. It won’t be for the lack of trying on my part, but if he wants his workers in tomorrow… that will be it.’

  ‘Thank you, Father,’ Spencer said, ‘just think, you can tell your grandchild of the part you played in the rescue of two missing children.’

  ‘Let’s get them found first!’ Joshua said. A feeling of foreboding crept over him and he suppressed a shudder. He had doubts that they would find them at all, let alone alive and well.

  *

  ‘Hello Ezra,’ Joshua yelled as he entered the pit boss’s office half an hour later.

  ‘Well damn my eyes!’ Ezra Fielding said as he stood to shake the other man’s hand. ‘I ain’t seen you in an age!’ Sitting back down, Ezra looked at Joshua and then a grin spread across his face. ‘I know that look Joshua Gittins, and I have a feeling it’s gonna cost me. What is it you want?’

  Over tea Joshua explained the situation.

  ‘You are bloody joking of course!’ Ezra said, his grin changing to surprise as he went on. ‘No… I see you ain’t!’

  Shaking his head, Joshua began to appeal to the man again and Ezra held his hands up in mock surrender.

  ‘I heard you…’ Ezra said his exasperation evident, ‘two kiddies gone missing, everybody stops work tomorrow to look for them… you know how much that’s gonna cost me, Joshua?’

  Taking a leaf out of Violet’s book, he said quietly, ‘Your good name would be added to the list of searchers, think of the prestige, Ezra; if those children are found alive and well people will say – that Ezra is a good man, giving his blokes the time off to search, it is down to him those kiddies were found.’

  Allowing his words to sink in, Joshua casually finished his tea.

  ‘Christ!’ Ezra said… and Joshua knew he had him. ‘All right, but… it’s only for one day!’

  Shaking his hand, Joshua left him to inform his workforce of the change of plans for the following day.

  Joshua congratulated himself on a job well done as he returned to his factory to inform his own workforce of the plan. Although it would be a day off for them he felt sure all would turn out for the search of Margy Johnson and daft Billy.

  *

  It was early afternoon when Joshua heard a ruckus in the factory. Looking out of the window overseeing the workers, he spotted Violet at the heart of a gaggle of women.

  Walking onto the factory floor, Joshua heard the oohs and aahs of the women as they enquired after her health and that of the baby. He stepped towards his daughter-in-law and ushered her upstairs.

  Sitting Violet in his office with tea, Joshua told her about Ezra Fielding agreeing to the stoppage of work for one day.

  ‘Oh Joshua,’ Violet gushed, ‘I knew if anyone could do it, you could. Thank you!’

  Explaining she’d just come from the market, she said word was now out about the missing children, and she had every confidence people would turn out in droves. Kath had gone down to the canal basin to ask for the help of the ‘cut rats’ too.

  Each section of the town, she explained, were to form groups who would search a certain area. Violet appeared to have everything in hand.

  ‘Don’t you go tiring yourself with all this, you have to think about your own baby.’

  ‘I’ll rest when I feel the need, Joshua,’ she said. ‘I wouldn’t endanger your first grandchild.’

  Sharing a smile, he said, ‘I like the sound of that… my first grandchild.’

  *

  The following day, the children still not having returned, the extensive search was being mounted. Joshua was overwhelmed at the number of people who turned out. Ezra organised his workers and stood ready for them to march off to the colliery area, to work above ground this time rather than below. Spencer’s workers and
Joshua’s own were to set off in the direction of the marketplace and beyond, and other volunteers were ready to go off in the direction of King Street, Queen Street and the Holyhead Road. A big portion of Wednesbury was to be searched thoroughly in one day.

  Violet stood on an upturned box and yelled across the crowd of people gathered outside Joshua’s factory. Silence descended as she spoke. ‘Thank you everyone for coming out today to help find Margy and Billy. I know it is a formidable task but I also know you will all do your best. We have one day… one day people, to find these children, so I suggest we make a start and… good luck everyone!’

  Shouts rang out and boots sounded on the cobbles as the search began for Margy and daft Billy. As the people dispersed, Joshua saw Violet step down from the box and stand beside two other women, with Martha and Kath by her side.

  As he approached, Violet said, ‘These ladies are the mothers of the missing children.’

  Joshua stared at the emaciated bodies hardly able to believe his eyes. ‘Right, ladies, if you will come with me.’ Taking an elbow of each of the women, he walked them over to the clinic where he passed them to Dr Shaw who was on hand with his nurse.

  Nodding, the doctor took them inside for a complete check, knowing just by a glance that they were suffering from malnutrition.

  Heading back to Violet, Joshua said, ‘Something has to be done about that!’ Waving his hand at the clinic door as the pitifully thin women disappeared through it.

  Spencer had joined the women and said, ‘Indeed, Father, let me think on it a while.’

  Looking at all the people involved in the search, Joshua turned to Violet and asked how she had managed to accomplish such an amazing feat in the town.

  She just smiled and said, ‘The women of Wednesbury, Joshua, we all did it together.’

  Thirty-Two

  Violet and Annie, along with Kath, Joyce, Martha, Mary and Primrose set up trestle tables running the length of the street. Provisions had been brought by most people, whatever could be managed, and food was laid out for the return of the searchers. A dray cart pulled by two massive shire horses delivered half a dozen barrels of beer – no charge, the landlord from the Green Dragon Hotel had said before he joined the search, he wanted to do his bit to help. Home-made lemonade, pies, cakes, bread, chutneys, pickles, cheese… the list was endless, all lay in wait for the hungry searchers.

  Each group of searchers had been instructed if the children were found to whistle. People that couldn’t whistle through their teeth had their children’s tin whistles to hand. The day wore on with no whistle heard through the eerie quiet which lay over the town. With no work being undertaken, Wednesbury seemed like a ghost town.

  The heavy rain of the previous days made the search hard-going on the softer ground, but the people of Wednesbury trudged on. A line of women eventually came to the brook that cut across Hydes Lane down by the aqueduct of the Tame Valley Canal. The rains had swelled the brook considerably and forming a chain the women waded across the rushing freezing water which soaked their long skirts.

  They called out as they made their way over the waste ground at the other side of the brook. On they went, cold wet skirts flapping around their legs, making them shiver. At the edge of the waste ground that butted up against the road stood an old ruined building and as the women approached it, soft sobbing was heard. As they rushed over, they saw Margy Johnson sitting in the dirt sobbing. Daft Billy was fast asleep near her.

  Waking him gently, the women gathered the children and on the count of three they blew their tin whistles hard and long. Men appeared as if from nowhere and waded across the brook, one scooped up Margy and waded back with her, but daft Billy wouldn’t budge. He was afraid and began to cry, calling out Margy’s name thinking the men were taking his friend away from him. A big strapping miner waded over to daft Billy, saying, ‘Come on Billy, I’ll give you a piggy back ride if you climb on my back.’

  Billy was on him before the miner could blink. Tucking his arms under Billy’s knees, he crossed the brook at a gallop much to Billy’s delight. When Billy’s feet touched the ground again, he ran on to be with his little friend Margy, who was still in the miner’s arms.

  Whistles sounded all across the area to inform the searchers the children had been found. As everyone arrived back at the factory yard, the two mothers who had been seen by the doctor and given a tonic, rushed over and swamped their children with hugs and kisses; the children holding tight to their mothers’ skirts.

  Applause split the quiet of the town and backs were slapped and hands shaken before the people of Wednesbury tucked into the food and drink laid out before them.

  Quiet descended as Spencer Gittins called out over the gentle mutterings.

  ‘Thank you one and all for your hard labour today in the search for Margy and Billy. Thanks be to God they were found safe and well.’ Cheers and applause rang out. Spencer continued, ‘My wife would like to say a few words.’

  Violet stood on the upturned box and shouted across the yard. ‘Our thanks also to Joshua Gittins and Ezra Fielding for the part they played in this most amazing day.’ More cheers went up aided by the free ale. ‘However,’ Violet said, throwing up her hands for quiet, ‘without these women here…’ her hand swept over to where her mother and her friends were standing, ‘none of this would have been possible. So please join me in a toast to… the Wednesbury Wives.’

  Violet knew the women of the town would understand the significance of her words, but she was certain the men were unaware of the ‘club’ and they would remain in the dark concerning this. However, she felt happy all had been acknowledged for their part in finding the missing children.

  Thirty-Three

  Violet had noticed how, over the past months, the ‘Wives’ had not been so active and mentioned this at the latest meeting.

  ‘The requests for help have certainly been fewer,’ said Kath.

  ‘That ain’t to say I wouldn’t wade in and paste some bugger if the need arose,’ Mary said and they all fell about laughing.

  ‘It’s all down to you, wench, you have the respect of the people of Wednesbury. Everybody knows how you feel about the giving and receiving of respect; of the treatment of women around here, and how you think it should be improved,’ Martha smiled.

  ‘Ar,’ added Mary, ‘and that husband of yours. The work on the cottages, the free clinic – it’s fair bloody amazing what you’ve achieved, gel, and no mistake!’

  ‘No,’ Violet felt embarrassed, ‘it’s down to us all, we have made giant strides over the years to improve this town. But there’s still more to be done.’

  Casting their eyes her way, Violet went on in earnest, ‘The poverty in this town is appalling. I’m not sure what we can do about it, but there has to be something.’

  ‘Well,’ Martha took up, ‘that man of yours is doing very well on that, especially with the cottages in Cross Street he bought from the pit boss. Hasn’t he just set up them missing kids’ mothers as outworkers on the nailing?’

  Violet nodded feeling pride wash over her. ‘Yes we had a little discussion on that score.’ She looked at the others then continued, ‘And Joshua Gittins is doing much the same down in Dale Street.’

  Kath pointed out, ‘Violet, your baby is due before long and you won’t have time for any of this.’

  ‘I understand that, Mum, that’s why I have to do something now!’

  Seeing Violet getting upset, Annie intervened, ‘Now, wench, calm down because it ain’t good for the baby you getting all riled up.’

  ‘I know,’ Violet said, feeling dejected, ‘but what can we do? How can we improve life for the poor in this town?’

  ‘Well now, that needs a deal o’ thinkin’ on,’ Martha’s stock phrase had them all crying with laughter, her look of ‘What?’ setting them off yet again.

  *

  The following day Dr Shaw arrived to see her on the pretext of checking on the pregnancy. After a quick examination, he pronounced everything
to be progressing nicely.

  Over tea he explained his real reason for the visit.

  ‘I had a woman in the free clinic yesterday in a hell of a state,’ he said, ‘she’d had an abortion performed on the quiet by someone who obviously has no idea what they were doing!’ He registered Violet’s shock at his words, then continued, ‘It would seem this is the normal practice for women who find themselves with the prospect of yet another mouth to feed.’

  Feeling her baby move, Violet placed a hand on her belly gently massaging her little one back to sleep. Violet was so looking forward to welcoming her baby, and yet these women were so desperate they turned to charlatans to get rid of their babies. She was horrified as she compared her own situation with theirs.

  Dr Shaw resumed, ‘This is not the first time I have seen this, Violet, and my worry is, whoever is carrying out these abortions will eventually kill someone.’

  ‘Who is doing it, do you know?’ she asked, her shock still evident.

  Shaking his head, ‘No one will tell me, I’m a doctor, Violet, but… I’m also a man.’

  Nodding at the meaning of his words, she asked, ‘Would you like me to see if I can discover the identity of the person in question?’

  ‘It would help, because once we know who it is, we can find out where they are, maybe then someone can do something about it. Perhaps you could have a quiet word with the “Wives”’ He winked. ‘They do such good work in this town.’ His smile broadened as Violet watched him finish his tea.

  *

  Waddling her way up Hobbins Street on her way to her mother’s house, Violet pondered Dr Shaw’s words. By doing ‘such good work in this town’ did he mean them pulling together to find the missing children? Or did he mean them dealing with the tyrants and bullies? No, he could not know about that… could he? If he did know… how did he know? Had he guessed something when she saluted the wives of Wednesbury in her toast to them? Surely this would only be significant to the women. Everyone who had given their time to find the missing children had been acknowledged. Her questioning thoughts gave her no answers; they just led to more questions.