The Iron Master (16 page)

Charlotte, wearing paper cuffs to protect her sleeves from ink, was writing a note to her that first bitter winter of the ‘90s, and waiting for Toby to come back from France — whither Ralph Fairbarrow had sent him, as foreign correspondent.

So yr Name is now Illustrious, and I Rejoice for you, but Pray do not Forget me Utterly. Tho’ I Look Up to you I shd Detest yr Looking Down at me! The Northern Correspondent does Well in my Home County of Lancaster, and in Yorkshire also, among those who have both Wealth and Insight into the Evil of our present Society, and those Strugglers after Truth — less Fortunate in the Worldly Sense, but with the Wit and Courage to think for themselves, and the Desire that their Children may Live in a country where Liberty, Equality and the Brotherhood of Man may Prevail …

A small rough hand put down a cup of tea on her writing-table. Charlotte acknowledged the attention with an abstract glance, which Polly Slack received as thanks.

I shall send this Letter by Personal Messenger, since they tell me that Government Agents are Watching the Mail. Folk are linking yr Name with that of Tom Paine, but I am Sad that Mr Jordan published his book instead of our Friend, Mr Johnson. Take Care of y’self. If They can bring such Pressures to Bear upon J.J. then They will not Hesitate to Muffle Others, and tho’ I Like You very well — you was never Discreet! It is close on Midnight and I have not yet Done. Farewell, Amazon: yr Friend, Lottie.

She reached out for the cup, and sipped while she read through the proofs Davy had just delivered from downstairs. The candles were flickering in their sconces as she drank tea and made her corrections. She initialled the leading article Y.L.C. and snuffed their flames with a pinch of the fingers.

*

Jack Ackroyd, son of a Millbridge weaver, adopted son of Henry Tucker the late headmaster of Millbridge Grammar School, graduate of Cambridge University, and present headmaster of the same Millbridge academy, picked up his copy of
The
Northern
Correspondent
in March 1792 and began to read Charlotte’s monthly letter.

… and after a Supper of bread, cheese and porter, these nine Honest Men lit their pipes and Discussed the subject of Parliamentary Reform. History will Remember this winter night at The Bell Tavern in Exeter Street, for the Occasion was the First Meeting of the London Corresponding Society, whose Purpose is to Communicate with Groups of people such as themselves Throughout the Realm, and thus Little by Little to Build a Mass of Opinion which shall Topple the present System. The Founder and Secretary, Mr Thomas Hardy, is a shoemaker, who dresses Plainly and speaks Frankly. The Shoemakers are Prominent in Revolutions! But the Society Welcomes all those who seek Reform. Whether Artisans or Labourers, Professional Men or Small Masters, Dissenting Clergy or Soldiers and Sailors, they Belong to the Brotherhood of Man and claim the Rights of Man. The weekly Subscription is One Penny — a Humble sum to make a New World. The First Intention is that Every Adult Person, unless He is Mad or a Perpetrator of Crimes, should be able to Vote for a Member of Parliament. And the Membership of the Society is — UNLIMITED:Y.L.C.

*

School
House
,

The
Grammar
School,
Millbridge
,
Lancashire

7
March
1792

Dear
Madam

I
have
long
been
an
Admirer
of
 
Journal
,
both
for
its
Aims
and
its
Achievements
,
and
to
my
Astonishment
I
now
discover
that
Y
.
L
.
C
. —
Yr
London
Correspondent
? —
is
None
Other
than
the
former
Miss
Charlotte
Howarth
,
whom
I
Knew
as
a
Learned
young
lady
Teacher
at
the
Misses
Whitehead’s
so
-
called
Academy
.
You
Graced
that
Ridiculous
Establishment
in
a
Manner
wh
both
Amused
and
Moved
me
,
and
I
shd
have
liked
to
know
you
Better
,
but
I
was
never
a
Parlour
Gentleman
and
so
Millbridge
ladies
Seldom
received
me
.
But
I
do
not
mean
to
Run
on
merely
in
a
Social
Vein
.
I
mean
to
Pick
a
Bone
with
you
.
In
yr
latest
issue
you
Cry
up
this
London
Corresponding
Society
as
tho’
it
were
the
First
of
its
Kind
,
whereas
Sheffield
,
Derby
and
(
not
Least
)
Manchester
have
already
formed
such
Radical
Organisations
.
Pray
remember of
Loyalties
,
Y
.
L
.
C
.,
for
you
come
from
the
County
of
Lancaster
of self
and
are
writing
to
Lancastrians
—
and
Those
across
the
Border
!
London
is
very
Fine
,
but
it
is
not
the
Only
School
of
Ideas
.
Furthermore
,
I
Wager
that
Radical
London
is
something
like
its
River
,
a
Fluid
Mass
,
while
here
the
Radicals
form
round
Centres
of
Industry
,
thus
making
a
Heart
of
Belief
rather
than
a
Head
of
Opinion
!
Yet
do
not
think
I
Decry
you
or
the
Society
,
for
I
wish
Both
of
you
Very
well
I’
Humble
Servant
,
Madam
.
Jack
Ackroyd
.

*

Longe
&
Son
,

Printers
,
Publishers
&
Booksellers
,

No
.
3
Lock-yard
,

off
Neel
Street
,

London
14
March
1792

Sir
,

I
Remember
you
as
an
Alarming
Person
,
tho’
I
do
not
Doubt
I
shd
now
find
you
Less
so
,
for
my
lift
has
led
me
into
a
Very
Different
Sphere
from
that
up
I
knew
Formerly
.
In
one
Respect
you
have
not
Changed
,
sir
,
for
you
Still
declare
War
upon
the
Slightest
Pretext
!
Tho’
I
Cried
Up
the
London
Corresponding
Society
with
Fervour
,
in
not
One
instance
did
I
say
it
was
the
First
of
its
Kind
,
nor
ever
Hinted
at
such
an
Untruth
.
The
Reason
my
Husband
,
Mr
Tobias
Longe
,
Directed
The Northern Correspondent
at
Lancashire
and
Yorkshire
in
particular
was
Because
these
places
were
foremost
in
Radical
Thought
and
Action
.

Having
said
my
Piece
,
sir
,
may
I
condole
with
you
upon
the
Death
of
y
Benefactor
,
Mr
Henry
Tucker
,
last
year
?
He
wd
have
been
greatly
Heartened
by
the
Choice
of
his
Successor
,
and
the
Grammar
School
is
Fortunate
in
you
.

There
is
great
acclaim
for
the
Second
part
of
Rights of Man
by
Mr
Thomas
Paine
,
wb
we
think
even
Finer
than
the
first
part
.
Shd
you
Require
a
copy
we
shall
be
Pleased
to
send
one
.
I
also
Suggest
that
you
study
its
Female
Counterpart
by
my
Friend
,
Miss
Mary
Wollstonecraft
.
When
she
had
done
Writing
her
Vindication of the Rights of Men
I
asked
her
,
‘What
shall
you
do
next
?
’
She
has
Answered me
with
A Vindication of the Rights of Women
and
we
can
Supply
you
with
a
Copy
of
this
too
,
if
you
Wish
.