Authors: Jenny Telfer Chaplin
Sheena’s Story
Chapter 1
1810
The days, weeks and months passed in the usual drudgery of Sheena's hated daily work, but somehow, as each night, blackened-with-coal-dust, Sheena made her way home, one thought above all else sustained her. Like Auntie says, once Ah'm too tall, that'll be me finished with the coal mines. It'll be ta-ta tae Dixon's coal pit and hello tae the rest of my life.
With this bright shining thought uppermost in her mind and a glowing mental image of an impossibly wonderful future blinding her to her present surroundings, Sheena tripped over the door step and unable to stop herself, she cannoned head-first into the cottage. Her dramatic entry was met immediately with ribald comments from her brother and his pal, Angus Stott.
Uncle looked up from contemplation of his clay pipe.
"Leave the poor lassie alone, ye lads. Dead beat frae her work so she is, but bone-tired or not, she jist cannae get in fast enough tae the comforts o hame."
As Sheena rose to her feet amidst a shower of coal dust and dusted herself down with the help of a rag cloth from Auntie, the latter said, "Pay no attention tae that daft pair of eejits, hen. That's men for ye, no a brain in their heids. An as for ye, Angus Stott, is it no high time ye were on yer way tae yer night shift at the mine? Hing aboot here much longer and ye'll be the next one getting fired. And somehow Ah don't think yer Auntie Flo would like that, noo would she?"
As Angus hastily said his farewells, Sheena laughed.
"It's true aboot men, no a brain atween them. See ye Angus Stott, big and brave enough tae make fun of a lassie aboot falling flat on her face, but no quite so brave when it's likely ye’ll mibbe be gettin a row frae yer Auntie, if the gaffer sacks ye or even docks yer pay.”
As Angus made his way workwards and since both women had sorted out to their own satisfaction the question of who had the most commonsense, men or women, Annie returned to the fireside and the steaming pot on the hub still waiting for her attention. Seeing this and by now fully aware that he was in his wife's black books, for not having sufficiently chastised the young men, Uncle Eck sniffed the air. In his best be-nice-tae-the-wife wheedling voice, he said, “Smells guid hen, one of yer special dumplin stews, is it?”
Annie turned to face him, wooden spurtle in hand, the other hand on hip, at once all housewifely high dudgeon. She menacingly aimed the spoon.
“Ah'll hae ye ken, Mister Eck Craig... my stews, soups, dumplings is all special. And no just today's offering. They all smell lovely. So ye can put that in yer clay pipe and smoke it.”
Aware that he had been quite deservedly 'pit doon' Uncle Eck silently raised his eyes to heaven then with a conspiratorial wink at Sheena he said, “Aye, right ye are, Annie. Best cook in the whole o Govan so ye are. But jist when the hell are we eatin? Is it the nicht or sometime never? Jist tell me that, hen, for at this rate of progress, my stomach thinks my throat's cut. Starvin o hunger, so Ah am.”
It was only when on the point of being sent out to work, that Sheena Craig had wondered about her parentage. Over the days weeks and months of her growing up, she was happy in the cosy wee cottage in Water Row with her brother Donald, her Auntie Annie, and Annie’s no-very-weel man. Secure and surrounded by love as she was, Sheena had neither wished nor had the opportunity to question why she had no mother or father on hand to rear her.
But Sheena’s unquestioning acceptance of their untroubled domestic situation had changed forever on the night that her Auntie Annie had said, “Now listen, hen, Sheena ma wee darlin, since Donald has lost his job at the bakers, there’s nothin else for it, but ye’ll hae tae get a job doon the coal mine. They’re aye lookin for shilpit, wiry wee lassies like ye, the right size for underground work.”
Sheena gasped with horror.
“Auntie, no, please, please don’t send me tae work doon the mine... Ah just couldnae stand it, tae be a bearer, working in darkness and haulin baskets of coals up-n-doon the pit for hours on end.”
From the look on Auntie Annie’s face, it was clear that she herself shared Sheena’s distress and actual dread of such a job.
Even so, she persisted. “It’s the last thing Ah would wish for ye, hen, but with the eight pence a day ye’ll earn, noo that yer Uncle cannae work and wi Donald getting sacked, that eight pence a day, it would be a real lifesaver.”
Sheena stamped her foot in childish frustration.
“But what about Donald, he’s older than me, could he not get a job down the mine? Why me?”
Annie gave a sad little smile. “Well, as tae that, Sheena, see the family that owns the mine? Well, it’s a cousin of theirs that has the bakery and what with Donald having got sacked for being cheeky tae one of the bosses, nae chance for him with the Dixon employers, noo is there? Ah’ve telt him before about that sharp tongue of his, but would he listen tae me? Weel, he kens noo, but it’s ower late.”
Sheena kept silent, all the while toeing patterns in the rag rug at her feet as she waited for her Aunt to go on.
“Sheena, ma wee darlin, your Uncle and me, we’ve shielded the pair of youse for as long as we could... therr’s mony a wean in Govan already away doon the mine or scrabblin up chimneys for a pittance, and long years before the age of seven.”
Sheena raised her eyes in time to hear Aunt Annie say, “But as things are noo, we’re in desperate need of a bit of sillar, so with ye being oor only hope, we cannae put off the evil hour a meenit longer, ye must see that, for apart from what Ah can earn choppin up kindlin sticks and takin in other folks’ washing, there’s no another farthin coming intae the hoose. And that’s a fact, like it or lump it, hen.”
Sheena jumped off the seat with such force that the homemade creepie stool clattered on to the floor behind her. Then eyes blazing, she stormed at her Aunt.
“It isn’t even as if ye’re my real mother, everybody says that, so why should ye hae the right tae order me about? That’s just not fair.”
No sooner were these words spoken than Sheena would fain have called them back when she saw her Aunt’s look of bleak misery, despair and pent-up sorrow. A moment of stunned silence followed, then Annie leant forward, swept Sheena up in her arms and carried her over to Uncle Eck’s chair... the seat always reserved for the master of the house and the chair which had had so recently and so speedily been vacated at the height of Sheena’s uncharacteristic tantrum. Once settled by the fireside, Annie drew back Sheena’s flyaway ginger hair.
“So everybody says Ah’m not your real mother, is that what ye’re tellin me? Is that the way of it?”
Sheena nodded silently, all the while snuggling into the comforting haven of Annie’s strong caring arms.
“Listen ye tae me, hen. Folks roonaboot here is right good at mindin everybody else’s business. Oh aye. And givin it an almighty stir tae make a right dirty mess. Noo, Sheena, ye’ve never before questioned this family arrangement but noo that ye hae, my wee darlin ye’ll get all the answers ye need.”
Annie paused, took a deep breath and holding Sheena tighter than ever, she said, “Ye’ve probably never heard of it and Ah pray tae God that ye’ll never hae any experience of the hellish disease... something they called Continued Fever. It’s a terrible fever that’s been rampaging through Glasgow for years – ever since Government troops returning tae Glasgow from the Low Countries brought the disease with them. That was in the seventeen hundreds, and it’s been a curse in Glasgow ever since then.”
Sheena considered this bit of news. “Ah’ve never heard of it before. Auntie.”
Annie nodded. “And Ah hoped ye never would, hen, for there’s been whole families wiped out by it with every outbreak. And when that happens, it’s a case of all hands tae the pump. If ye look even along this row of cottages, Fergus and Rab Bell, for instance, they’re being brought up by their Auntie Netta and her man, same as us. Ah don’t know for a fact – none of my business – for one reason or another, baith thon boys is faitherless and motherless, so mibbe the Continued Fever got their parents as weel.”
Annie again smoothed Sheena’s hair. “That’s yer answer then. If nothin else, at least my wee history lesson mibbe took yer mind aff any thought o being a coal bearer... for the moment at least, Sheena darlin.”
Chapter 2
Sheena sat toasting her knees at the kitchen fire, already glad to have put the noise, dirt and turmoil of her day’s work safely behind her. But even at the very thought of the horrendous job down in the bowels of the earth where day after weary day she hauled buckets of coal to and fro, she shivered and let out an involuntary sigh of such despair that suddenly she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder and a caring voice say, “Uch never mind, hen just ye keep on growin at the rate ye’re daein and soon ye’ll be far too tall for such childish work doon the mines.”
On hearing these words, which had given such a lift to her heart, Sheena looked up and smiling at her Aunt, Sheena said, “Aye, ye’re right, Auntie. For Ah’ve saw it often enough with other lassies... the very minute they’re ower big and clumsy for tae crawl aboot in the bowels of the earth, they get the sack and off they go, making way for other poor wee lassies desperate for the very selfsame work.”
Annie nodded. “Aye, a fact of life, hen. Mind ye, we’ll still be needin whatever wages ye can somehow manage tae earn. So, there is one other possibility... ye mibbe havnae realised but...”
“But what, Auntie?”
A silence fell between them as Annie obviously considered carefully what she was about tae say.
“Listen, darlin, Ah’m no sayin it’s what Ah’d want for ye, but ye’re already weel kent at the mine as a guid, reliable hard worker, so...”
Sheena got to the feet, then already imagining the worst. Eyeball to eyeball, she silently dared her Aunt to explain what she had in mind for Sheena’s next job.
“It’s like this, Sheena, as Ah say, ye’re already well regarded, with that being the case, ye’d be in with a shout for an adult, grown woman’s job working at the pit-head.”
Sheena could feel her eyes widen in horror. “Ye don’t mean it, Auntie! And unless Ah’ve imagined it over the years, many’s the time Ah’ve heard ye say it yersel... a right rough lot yon crew of women that sort through the coal up at the pit head.”
Annie pressed her lips together. “Happen Ah hae said that, hen. But, uch well, God help the poor souls, no much of a life they hae, is it? Chances are they hae tae be tough every God-given day of such like terrible toil. But don’t forget, Sheena, if they can thole that job of work, surely there’s nothin tae stop ye? At least it is steady work, for folk aye needs coal. If Ah’m no much mistaken, ye yersel, ye’ve been fair enjoyin toastin yer tootsies at a guid-gaun fire this very night.”
On the point of losing her temper and shouting for all the world to hear that she would rather go and drown herself in the Clyde than spend a minute longer than she need in slaving away at any coal mine, be it Dixon’s pit-head, coal face or any other, Sheena then changed tack and in her most persuasive wee-girl voice said, “Uch Auntie Annie, ye’ve aye been that guid tae me, better than any real mother, so...”
Scarcely were the words out of her mouth than Sheena knew that her time-honoured, well-used compliment had yet again scored its mark when Annie said, “As we both ken fine weel, it’s true, Ah’m no your birth mother. When my dear sister died of the Continued Fever, and yon spineless husband of hers, gitterin on about he couldnae be expected tae be baith faither and mother tae ye and Donald, scarpered aff into the wide blue yonder, scared witless he’d be smit wi the fever... weel from that minute on, Ah’ve aye looked on ye and Donald as my very own bairns.”
As the emotion of it all was clearly becoming too much for the ageing Annie, to bear, she held out her arms.
“Uch, come here, hen, gie’s a wee cuddle. And if it’s of any comfort tae ye, once ye’re too tall for the job ye’re doin, Ah promise ye, that’ll be ye finished with the coal-mine, be it at the coal face, pit-held, or any other corner of the damned place.”
Sheena hugged her Aunt as if she would never let her go.
Annie wiped the tears from her rheumy eyes and said, “God alone kens what ye’ll dae tae earn an honest crust when that day comes, but something will turn up... it’ll hae tae. Noo then, what aboot a cup of tea and a wee tasty bite. Ye’d like that, eh no?”
Chapter 3
1811
It had come at last, the day for which she had prayed, dreamt-of, and imagined for so long that it seemed an eternity. That very morning, on her usual way towards the cage which would take her down into the bowels of the earth, one of the gaffers stopped her in her tracks.
“Heh, ye. Aye, ye. It’s ye Ah’m talkin tae, daft wee lassie that ye are. Accordin tae the high heid yins, as of this very meenit, ye’re no wee enough tae be working doon the mine. So instead, get your backside along tae the coal-head sortin bays and get tae work with the other grown women working there. Right, on yer way and pretty damn quick aboot it.”
Sheena, open mouthed, stared up at the man who was thus hectoring her, but beyond that made no reply.
Finally the gaffer said, “Uch, for God’s sake, don’t tell me ye’re deaf and dumb as weel as daft in the heid.”
When still Sheena said not a word, the man grabbed her by the arm and pointing towards the work bays, he yelled, “Frae noo on, that’s where ye’ll be workin, so for the love of God, move yer lazy backside instead o standin there like a bloody stookie.”
Much to her own amazement, instead of slinking off to her projected new work area, and always mindful of the promise her Auntie Annie had made, Sheena squared up to the bully of a gaffer. In a determined voice, which could be heard by all in the vicinity she said, “For the love of God, ye say? Me get tae work over there? Ah cannae see that God’s love has anything tae dae with that. But Ah’ll tell ye one thing...”
The man’s face suffused with angry colour and glaring down at her, he brought his face closer to hers and said in a too-quiet, yet menacing tone of voice, “Whit did ye jist say? Jist who the hell dae ye think ye are? Ye’ll be tellin me nothin. Got that, hen? Nothin. So, before Ah chuck ye oota the yard awthegither, just ye get tore intae the work Ah’ve set ye, the work of coal-sortin, start workin and be bloody quick aboot it. Dae Ah mak masell clear?”
When still Sheena hadn’t moved so much as an inch and the gaffer, by now almost on the point of apoplexy, had again opened his mouth to speak, Sheena forestalled him and said, “Ye can shout an bawl and swear at me as much as ye like, but if that’s me sacked from my usual job, then as far as Ah’m concerned it’s Ta-ta tae Dixon’s coal mine for me. For Ah’ll be joinin nae coal-sortin gang o women. And that’s a fact, Mister Orr, sir.”
As their voices had risen with the heat and anger of their altercation, Sheena was suddenly aware that the team of women workers nearby, having heard every word, were now not totally immersed in their rightful work, but rather in Sheena’s on-going drama. Other women, more daring than the rest, were even making overt eye-signals to her to keep the heid, button up her mouth and get over to join them at the work bay.
But game to the last, Sheena ignored any such good advice and implied support, but instead she shouted at her tormentor, “Mister Orr, Ah would sooner take a flying leap intae the Clyde rather than become a coal sorter like those other women.”
The man exploded, “That does it. That bloody does it. See ye. Miss High-n-mighty, ye can just bugger aff. And if the River Clyde’s your next port of call, be my guest, the Clyde’s doon that way, at the bottom of Water Row. Goodbye, and bloody good riddance tae ye.”
As Sheena marched off head held high with a churning feeling in her gut, she was sure she heard muttering from the women. To her utter amazement, they were not the expected words of support and praise for the brave stand she had taken against authority in squaring up to that bully of a gaffer, but rather she could make out such dark, uncomplimentary comments as, Humph. A real hoity-toity wee madam that; Get her, thinks she’s better than the likes of us; Aye, too high-n-mighty tae work alangside of us; The gaffer’s right, just bugger aff hame tae yer ladylike tatting and embroidery, hen, we’ll manage fine withoot the likes of ye as oor work-companion, thanks all the same.
“Good riddance tae bad rubbish” was the final comment hurled at Sheena who by now almost blinded by tears, rage, disappointment and injured pride, stumbled her way out of the yard and headed home to the comfort and safety of Aunt Annie’s cottage and whatever awaited her there. Once the reality had dawned that she was now out of a job and gone with it, her usual take home pay of eight pence a day, Sheena choked back her tears as she thought. But Auntie did promise me that Ah’d never again hae tae work in any coal mine, so that’s all right. Anyway, something else is sure tae come up tae bring in a wage. If all else fails, Ah can always help Auntie deliver the bundles of kindling sticks.
The very minute that she arrived home, with the catcalls of her would-be, might-have-been work mates still ringing in her ears, one look at her Aunt’s face told Sheena that word of the whole business had already preceded her.
For once Uncle Eck, instead of being the usual fixture at the fireside and contentedly smoking his pipe, he was nowhere to be seen. Sheena knew from long experience of childhood chastisement, that soft-hearted Uncle Eck could never bear even to listen to Annie giving his beloved Sheena a telling-off. On any such occasions, bad back and unsteady legs or not, but he would absent himself by going for a stroll down by the riverside until hopefully, the coast was again clear. So such past experience told Sheena that Uncle Eck’s absence was the worst possible sign. It meant that softie that he was he had been banished, to give the self-appointed disciplinarian of the family a clear field in which to deal with the recalcitrant, now decidedly fearful and, as of now unemployed, member of the Craig family.
Without even allowing Sheena time to hang up her shawl and her tammy on the hook behind the door, Aunt Annie at once got started, “So, what’s all this Ah’ve been hearing? News travels fast, especially bad news, my girl, and the word on the street is that ye apparently consider yourself far too high-n-mighty for the job that was offered tae ye by Mister Orr. Is that indeed the way of it, right or not right?”
Sheena nodded. “But listen, Auntie, we agreed, remember? We talked about it and ye said...”
Annie stood, hands on hips and glared at Sheena and pointing an admonitory forefinger at the unemployed one she said, “No. Ye listen tae me, my girl. Yes, we did agree about yer being finished with the coalmine when the due time arrived, but that is one thing.”
By now feeling thoroughly confused by the speed with which events had unrolled and yet again on the verge of tears, Sheena looked up and said, “And jist exactly what thing would that be Auntie, for Ah don’t get the drift of what it is ye’re trying for tae tell me. Ah aye thought ye were on my side, no taking up the cause of that terrible Mister Orr, a real nasty bit of work o a gaffer.”
Annie waved aside the tremulous words. “Honestly, ye can be a right stupid wee eejit at times. Girl, of course, Ah’m on your side, always hae been and always will be in spite of your daft cantrips. But the fact remains; there’s better ways of doing things, than shoutin out in front of ither folk that ye’re too good tae dae the job, the selfsame daily darg that they themselves are already toilin sore at. Did it no occur tae ye tae wonder, tae stop and think how those poor women were feeling? Surely, with yer sharp tongue, ye really must hae cut them doon tae size and nae mistake.”
Still mentally recalling the catcalls and overheard stage-whispers, Sheena knew exactly what those women workers thought of her, of her outburst and her grandiose ideas.
She was dragged from the turmoil of her inner thoughts when she heard Annie say, “Apart from anything else, most of those women hae spent a lifetime in them pits, from the times with a lit candle in their mouths and dragging alang behind them a bairn tae help haul the baskets of coal, that’s been their life’s work since they first drew breath, so tae them, working at the coal sorting at the pit head, and seeing a blink of daylight, that job tae them must be like a dream come true. Weel, whit ye’ve did this day, it’s did noo. And whit’s done cannae be so readily undone. But Ah tell ye this, hen...” Here she wagged an admonitory forefinger in Sheena’s face. “It’ll take mony a long day before we can as a family outlive this stramash and again hold our heads high in Govan. Frae this day on jist haud on tae this… Govan folk mibbe don’t like some o the awful work they’ve tae dae for tae earn a livin, an honest crust, but at least independent, hardworkin bodies that they are they jist get on wi it. But that’s mibbe enough o ma spechifyin. From the look o ye, Ah’d say ye’ve learnt yer lesson and a real valuable lesson it is this day.”
As Sheena turned away to mop up her copious tears, Annie said, “Aye keep in mind that lowly workers toilin for a pittance or no, they are hardworkin honest folk that can aye hae a guid conceit o their ain worth in God’s scheme o things. We cannae aw be gaffers or nae-working royalty in palaces but we can aw haud on tae oor self-respect. Never forget that. One last word, aye treat others as ye would like tae be treated yersel. Ah think that’s whit it says in the Bible, or words tae that effect.”