Shropshire Routes to Roots

The children stay at home

The Story Continues

After a short while, times are as desperate as ever. The cottage which the family live in is little better than a hovel, but they still have to pay a yearly rent to the landlord. If David lost his job on the farm he and his family would also loose their house, so the risk he was taking was considerable.

For farm labourers, most mornings started with a slice of bread in hot milk or water, and cups of tea. Lunch was usually taken in the field and consisted of a hunks of bread with cheese and cold tea. The evening meal was usually a stew of some kind, mainly vegetables and meat if they could get it. The meal was shared out according to rank. The husband would get the largest portion, then the oldest son would get a little less and so on until the youngest and the wife would get just the broth and potato to eat with bread. A hot tea made a cold supper hot.

The winter continues and David faces the difficult decision whether to return to sheep stealing. Aware that he could get caught, once again the family face face desperate times.

Continue

Does David:

• Steal a sheep again: Go
• Put the older children into service: Go
• Leave the family and go to Bridgnorth to seek better paid work: Go
• Put all the family into the workhouse: Go

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