by Lesley Allen

Created on: July 01, 2008   Last Updated: July 08, 2008

Over the years Meg Carter had learned to accept her solitude by keeping busy. She hadn't always been such a busy person. In fact, she'd been used to taking life at a fairly leisurely pace when she'd had both Jack and Joseph at home. Then, first Jack had gone, and a few years later Joseph had followed.

It all started when the Swing Riots broke out in various parts of the English countryside. By the end of 1831, the machine-breaking had spread as far as Farmer Wallace's place in west Berkshire, where Meg's husband, Jack, worked. The few offenders who had been recognised and caught were used as an example by the county's authorities, resulting in punishments that were both excessive and merciless. It was in January 1832 that Meg lost Jack and she found that she needed to keep herself busy all day long to prevent herself from breaking down in front of her young son, Joseph.

Losing his father had been a terrible shock to nine-year-old Joseph as well. Thankfully, he was a sensible boy and mature for his age. He quickly learned to hide his own grief by following his mother's example, keeping himself busy with the various chores that his father used to carry out, such as chopping wood and looking after the garden.

Although mother and son were occupied with their different tasks during the day, in the evenings they would sit down together for what they called their 'twilight hour'. Meg would sit peacefully with her knitting and listen while Joseph practised his reading skills by candlelight, using the Bible that Reverend Martin had given him for his last birthday.

However, once Joseph was old enough to earn his own living, the need to find regular employment forced him to move to the other side of Berkshire to work for his Uncle Frank, who was a master blacksmith. Joseph had pleaded with Meg to accept Uncle Frank's offer to take her into his household as well. He was worried about leaving his mother to cope on her own and desperately wanted her to make the move along with him and leave their isolated cottage. However, this Meg stubbornly refused to do.

She continued to keep herself busy once Joseph had left and gradually her days took on a new pattern. At seven o'clock each morning she would walk the half mile over to Farmer Wallace's, where she donned her white apron to cook and clean for the farmer's family. Once her work was finished, she would return to her own cottage and her own chores.

In the summer months, after tea, Meg liked to spend the remaining hours of daylight

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