“My
brothers and myself entered on this mill in the summer of 1832[1].
We found nothing but the bare walls of the building, with a worn-out
water wheel[2] (which
had to be almost remade), and about fifty cottages[3];
most of them well built, and of a pretty good size, but in extremely
bad repair, and wanting many little accommodations, such as water,
coal-sheds, cupboards, etc, which are so essential to cleanliness
and comfort. There were only three or four families at this time
on the spot, and my first care was to get rid of these aborigines[4],
and start entirely
de novo.
For the first two years we were almost entirely occupied with
the mill itself; building, making reservoirs, erecting an engine,
putting in shafting and machinery, preparing gas works, etc,
and in collecting about us the requisite number of hands. In
doing this, we endeavoured as far as possible to find such families
as we knew to be respectable, or thought likely to be so, and
who we hoped, if they were made comfortable, would remain and
settle upon the place; thus finding and making themselves a home,
and losing by degrees that restless and migratory spirit, which
is one of the peculiar characteristics of the manufacturing population,
and perhaps the greatest of all obstacles in the way of permanent
improvement among them. Partly with this view, and partly for
the sake of giving them innocent recreation for their leisure
hours, we took three fields lying in front of the cottages, between
them and the mill, and broken them up for gardens, which we divided
with neat hedges, and gave one to every house5. Each garden is
about six roods, and they are separated from each other by a
neat thorn hedge. Besides these, they have most of them a little
flower garden in front of their houses, or behind them; and the
houses themselves have been made as comfortable as their size
and situation would allow.
In the spring of 1834, the mill being then nearly completed,
and a numerous population settled on the spot, I thought it time
to establish a Sunday-school for our children, as there was no
school in the neighbourhood to which they could conveniently
go, or which could afford accommodation to so large an increase
of numbers as those our little colony could supply. I first mentioned
my wish to a few of our elders, who I thought most likely to
engage in such an undertaking. They received the proposal very
gladly, and offered their services in the management of the school,
if we could succeed in establishing it. We then called a general
meeting of all the men in the mill, laid our plan before them,
and, as they all entered warmly into the scheme, and many proffered
their services in the prosecution of it, we at once drew up our
regulations, formed our committee, appointed some of the teachers,
and opened the school I believe the next Sunday. We were for
some weeks obliged to hold it in a cellar, for want of better
accommodation, and we found many more children willing to attend,
than we had the means of providing room for. I was at this time,
however, occupied in making a school-room near my own house,
and when this was finished, the girls, who were the most numerous,
took possession of the new building, and left the cellar for
the use of the boys. From that time the school has continued
to flourish and increase in numbers. The girl’s school now contains
about one hundred and sixty children, and the boys’ one hundred
and twenty. Each school is under the management of a superintendent
and a certain number of teachers who give their services gratuitously,
and relieve each other by dividing the work in such a manner
that each teacher is only obliged to attend every alternate or
every third Sunday. They consist of men and young women entirely
belonging to the mill. I take myself no active part in the management
of the school, farther than spending an hour or two every Sunday
in the room, and making such suggestions to the superintendent
as I think necessary, which, if he approves them, are at once
adopted; or if they involve any important change, are proposed
at the next meeting of the teachers, which takes place every
month, and which, in conjunction with the committee (a distinct
body, however), transacts all the business relating to the school.
The officers, such as the superintendent, treasurer and secretary,
are chosen annually by the body of the teachers; and the committee
is appointed in the same manner. The superintendent of the girls
school, who is the head of the whole concern, and to whose zeal
and exertions its success hitherto is mainly to be attributed,
is himself, during working-hours, one of our dressers, and labours
in the ranks as humbly and diligently as the lowest of his fellows;
but when the week’s work is done, and Sunday morning rises to
make the operative as free as his master, this worthy man assumes
his long, black, clerical cloak, puts on a broad beaver, grasps
his walking-cane, and is at once metamorphosed into a Methodist
minister, a superintendent of the Sunday-school, a spiritual
friend and pastor among his neighbours, and the most important
and honoured man in our whole community.
We celebrate the anniversary of the establishment of our school
by a general meeting and procession of all the children, on some
Sunday in the month of June. They assemble in the morning, with
their teachers, in my garden, and many of the parents come to
at least to our eyes – and when they join together in singing
I share the pleasure of the scene. It is, indeed, a beautiful
sight – hymn, and the little silver voices of the younger children
are heard mingling with the manly tones of their elders, and
the deep bass of the accompanying instruments, we all pronounce
our music to be excellent, and think no choir of a cathedral
could be better.
In the autumn of the same year, 1834, we began our drawing and
singing classes. The drawing class meets every Saturday evening
during the winter, from six to half-past seven, and generally
spends half the time in drawing, and the rest with geography
or natural history. This class I teach myself; it consists of
about twenty-five boys, and some of them have made considerable
proficiency. They occupy themselves at home during the evenings
of the week, with copying drawings that we lend them for the
purpose, and this affords an interest for their leisure hours,
and an attraction to their home fireside, which it was one of
my chief objects in introducing this pursuit to supply. During
the summer they continue the occupation or not, as they choose;
but our regular lessons are given up, as our Saturday evenings
are then spent more profitably in the play-ground, and we return
to our winter occupations with more zeal and relish, after a
long vacation, than if they had been continued without interruption
the whole year. Some variety and change in our pursuits we find
as necessary to keep up our own interest and attention as theirs.
As soon as the drawing class breaks up, at half-past
seven, the singing class assembles and remains till nine. This
class consists of girls and young men to the number of twenty-eight.
It is entirely under the management of the superintendent of
the Sunday school, who meets them once a week during winter,
to teach them their different parts, and then brings them on
Saturday evening to our large school-room, where they practise
all together. We confine ourselves at present to sacred music;
singing in four parts, and with the assistance of two instruments,
make what we think very tolerable music. This class is very popular,
especially with the girls, and it is considered a great privilege
to be invited to join it.
As soon as the Sunday-school was fairly established,
and no longer required my immediate attention, we began to think
of establishing games and gymnastic exercises among the people.
With this view we set apart a portion of a field near the mill,
that had originally been designed for gardens, and taking advantage
of a holiday and a fine afternoon, I called some of the boys
together and commenced operations. We began with quoits, trap
and cricket balls, and leap-frog; and as I saw that many others
soon joined us, and our play-ground continued to fill more and
more every evening it was opened, we gradually introduced other
games, and established a few regulations to preserve order, assigning
a particular part of the play-ground for different games, and
appointing certain individuals to distribute and preside over
them. The girls and boys each took their own side of the field,
and generally followed their games separately. The following
summer we erected a swing, and introduced a game called Les Graces,
with bowls – a leaping bar – a tight rope – and afterwards a
see-saw. Quoits are generally the favourite game of the men –
the hoops and tight-rope among the boys – and the hoops and swing
among the girls. The last is in perpetual requisition. With the
hoops, the boys and girls now play a good deal together, and
we encourage this companionship as being extremely favourable
to the cultivation of good manners, kind feelings, and perception
of their proper place, and relation towards each other. When
we first began these games, this was a thing that had yet to
be learned, and instances of rudeness and improper conduct did
occasionally occur; but as I made a point of being always present
on the ground, and gave our young ones to understand that I wished
my leaving it to be the signal for the breaking up of the party,
I had the opportunity of observing any breach of good manners
or good temper, and gradually succeeded in breaking them in to
my system. We are now near the close of the third summer since
the play-ground was opened, and during this season we have not
once had to remark upon any breach of order and decorum. Indeed,
the system is now so well understood among us, that I no longer
feel it necessary to be present during the games, though I generally
am so, because I enjoy them as much as any of the party, and
it is one of my chief opportunities of social intercourse with
the people. The play-ground is open only on Saturday evening
or holidays, during the summer. “One of the most successful of
our plans, and the most effectual in civilising the manners of
the people, has been that of having regular evening parties during
the winter. The number at these parties is generally about thirty.
They consist chiefly of the elder girls and boys, generally an
equal number of each. They come by special invitation, a little
printed card being sent to each, on which is written the day
and hour when the party will take place. Much of the distinction
shown to the guests depends on this individual invitation, and
it is part of my plan to show as much respect as possible to
those whom I invite to join our society. We do not invite all
promiscuously, and among so many as we employ, there are necessarily
some, who on my system, have never been at a tea party at all.
We put those on our list whose manners and character mark them
as in some degree superior to their fellows, or those who, we
think, with a little notice and encouragement, and the advantage
of good society, may gradually become civilised and polished;
and I take care that no family that has any members of the proper
age, who are tolerably respectable, shall be entirely left out,
especially if they attend the Sunday school: - so that out of
about three hundred people who are employed in the mill, and
also live in our own colony, (for many who work in the mill live
at a distance from it, and these it is almost impossible to introduce
into our circle), I think my list of eligible guests amounts
to about one hundred and sixty. Of these, however, the superior
ones – the aristocracy of the place – are invited more frequently
than others, both because the presence of some of these is absolutely
necessary to make the party go off well, and because we wish
to show our sense of their merit by more than ordinary attention
and respect.
These parties are held in the school-room, which I have fitted
up handsomely, and furnished with pictures, busts, etc, and a
piano-forte; and as it is close to my house, the accommodations
necessary for refreshments and amusements are easily supplied.
Before the guests assemble, books, Saturday magazines, or drawings,
are laid on the tables; and with these they amuse themselves
till tea is brought in. The tea and coffee are then handed round
to the company, and they continue to chat with me or with each
other, and keep up a very tolerable amount of conversation till
the meal is ended. I go about from table to table, and always
find several among the company who are not only able to ask a
question and answer one, but to keep up a conversation in a way
that I think would surprise you. I never address myself to the
whole company at once, and avoid, as much as possible, all unnecessary
restraint or formality, endeavouring, as far as the case admits
to carry on the party as if it were held in my drawing-room,
and consisted of my own friends and equals in society. After
tea, we fall to our games, which consist of piecing maps or pictures,
spilicans, chess, draughts, building houses of cards, phantasmagoria,
and several others of less note; while those who do not play,
amuse themselves with reading, or discussing the news of the
week or politics of the colony. Sometimes we have a little music
and singing, and towards the end of the evening, we rouse ourselves
with Christmas games, such as, fiercely, my lady’s toilet, blindman’s
buff, etc, and soon after nine I bid them good night and they
disperse.
I should have told you that there is a little ante-room attached
to the school-room where the guests deposit their hats, bonnets,
etc, and where there is a good fire; so that after their evening
walk they come into the room dry and comfortable, and are generally
dressed with a neatness and propriety, and even good taste, that
do them great credit. The boys and girls sit at different tables
during tea; but in the course of the evening the ranks are generally
broken, and many of them join each other at the different games.
The parties I have just described consist of the elder girls
and boys of our colony. Occasionally, however, we have a junior
party. These are generally the most pleasant ones, as the little
restraint that is somewhat requisite among the elders, is here
voted unnecessary and out of place, and there is much more laughing,
fun and merriment among us. These parties take place about once
in three weeks during the winter, on Saturday evening, the drawing
and singing classes being given up for that day.”
