Chapter Three
Five Acres Nottinghamshire 1820
The two woodsmen heaved the heavy tomb lid into place . A horrible grating noise resounded across the graveyard causing birds to scatter into the sky except a lone magpie which watched the two men.
Sitting on an adjoining wall the elder woodsman instructed his junior helper
" Seal in now lad , seal the old devil in and lets go "
" You weren't calling him an old devil when he gave us two guinees each to do this for him " the younger replied out of breath.
" Just do as your told , let me smoke and watch your lip lad "
An hour or so later both men stood back admiring there work.
" He wont climb outa that" the older weezed and coughing patting the tomb lid .
They had just laid Joshua Tutbury to rest in the family tomb in Five Acres . Only days earlier they had done the same for his daughter and wife .
"We had better go and let his son know the jobs done " the old woodsman said picking up his tobacco pouch.
They set off beyond the Old Coaching Road in the direction of the Giant Tutbury Mill in the lower valley .
"Very tragic " the young man mumbled turning to his old friend
"What is lad" the old man picked tobacco from his yellow teeth , wiping his hands on his shirt front .
" Well , a family wiped out ....him back int cemetery , tha knows ...the Judge....all we in two months " the young mans dialect more pronounced as he tried to emphasise his point.
The Joshua Tutbury Mill loomed like a great smokey city beneath them , vast chimneys billowed smoke into the all ready dark sky, like a mist over a valley , the sun never broke through the industrial vastness of the mill. As far as the eye could see , mill after mill after mill covered the land.
" How come the son survived " the young man asked , kicking some branches from the path.
The old man held his sides wheezing " I don't know.....they hated each other , you know some say he wasn't his son anyway , but one things for sure I'm glad he's gone "
They walked slowly onto the valley path , still high over the mill , they started to descened into the mushroom cloud of smog over the area.
"How long you work for him " the younger asked , turning to the old man
" You ask too many questions lad ...erm I don't know ....ten years at the first place "
"Really ....what was he like then "
The old man stopped
" The devil then the devil now "
The young man laughed " You mean he's with the devil now ......Tell me about him "
Joshua Tutbury originated from Manchester , although some say Sheffield . At the age of twenty five he set up a tiny mill on the spot were the giant mill is now. It is said he double crossed another mill owner in the valley , but soon Tutbury was running both Pond Mill sites . Within five years he had built another smaller mill between the two and had started working on the reservoir above the valley . By diverting water to this dam he fooded one village and cut off the water supply to Riversdale . The land surrounding the villages belonged to him , so what could folk do ? About this time he built the Court House in the town , the warehouses and large coaching stations so he could ship his goods.....But lad , it was the court house were he was worst . Monday, Wednesday and Friday he would rise in the morning at 10am proclaiming
All Come Afore The Judge'
Then anyone would be fined or land confiscated or or thrown into jail . The Government loved him , he could do what he wanted. The land he confiscated he kept for himself.
Maybe ten years later he met he met some trader from the far east in London I think. Over the next year he opened up huge trading links with that part of the world . He made fortunes and fortunes from it . But he wasn't always meeting demand ......He worked that place seven days a week , twenty four hours a day ...people died at their machines, he didn't care .
So he made plans to build a massive mill . The biggest in the world some say on the site of the three mills . With roads out of the valley and and the great canal links brought up to the gates. But whilst he prospered , he plundered and plundered . Anyone who crossed him became homeless they found themselves shipped off to the far east or swapped like slaves.
He was called the riches commoner , richer than any royal.
It was around now that he met Naomi . God was she beautiful . We used to hide so as we could get a glimpse of her when she passed "
" You old sly dog " the youngster chipped in
" Are you listening or what " the old man retorted with a smile on his face " She was from London daughter of a trader . They married down there , real society wedding . Within two years they'd had two children ...Gideon and Deborah ......then he just got richer . He believed he was God , Gods servant on earth , answerable only to God .His empire grew . He traded all around the world , but still we couldn't work hard enough for him .....couldn't produce enough . He called in Thomas Harren , who had built his original mill machinery . Told him he wanted the worlds largest mill machinery .....
The old man paused almost reflectively
" My wife died in that factory .....she just was worked to death "
The youngster opened his mouth to speak .....but the old woodsman shook his head and continued .
" Newspaper people came from all over , he said his legacy to the world would be the most advanced machinery the world had ever seen , he said he would revolutionise industrial mill work forever . Well, they completed it in just under three years .He proclaimed to the world .....he was as powerful as God , and could increase output twenty times over .......Then you know the Weston Dam ?
He pointed in its direction
" Well , that used to be the village of Hirchover ....they just flooded it , houses, school the lot . Now he had another dam feeding the bloody thing. Villagers hated him more and more . But the one that hated him most was his son Gideon. They argued and cursed .Sometimes we saw them going at it . Gideon shouted at him about the terrible conditions everyone worked under . One day two old boys were crushed another day an old woman drowned ....He had this great nameplate over his machine , said BOAZ , no one knew why ...just a name I suppose ........But lad , he loved his daughter and his wife . He bought them the finest silks and perfumes , and they say that when they went to London people begged to be introduced to him at the huge house he had down there . Wealthy , like you wouldn't believe ....beyond belief " He held his arms out as if to say this much
" Maybe he was the richest man in the world ? " the youngster asked
" Maybe , maybe " ...the old guy shrugged " Certainly richest in England"
They walked further along the winding path , the heather and wild flowers a beautiful contrast to the dark rolling mass of smog and industrial bleakness
" Did they live in the big house then "
" No Lad, they were all living at the west side of the mill ...there used to be a big house there , but it was getting swamped by the mill and the noise and the smoke wasn't good for his family " he laughed at the irony " All right for us to live in squalor and struggle to breathe but not for his family "
He bent down to pick some wild flowers , placing one in his shirt button hole
" Now aint I the gent " the old boy laughed .
" Anyway , they then built The Judges House ...the one that's there now ....but before all that he did the worst thing ever "
"What " the youngster stopped "What"
" Well about five years ago , building work began on his new place , The Judges House , by using stone from the derelict monastery , by his tomb back there . He owned the land the monastery was on ...Everyone was appalled , he didn't care ...The monastery was stripped of everything , stone , wood panelling , fireplaces .....all except for a few outbuildings . The Judges house was built ...well the first part of it was .....He was going to extend it ten times the size ...to create a palace , but they ran out of time "
"You mean they died"
" Yes lad , exactly what I mean "
The youngster steadied his older friend as they descended the stony hillside .
" Did you work for him"
" Well I did a bit , a bit of wood gathering , but he wanted me to work over by the first dam . We never saw eye to eye . In fact with ten years of working for him , he didn't even know my name "
They both paused as the path levelled out
" So what happened then " the young woodsman enquired
" It just got busier , there were so many barges on the canal you couldn't see the water , never stopped , day and night ...he turned a field into a paupers communal grave , so many people died ."
He sucked further on his pipe , his creased face seemed to tell line by line the history of devastation it had witnessed.
" They moved into the big house , then it happened"
"What did"
" Both wife and daughter started with a rash on their arms , then they were dead . He brought in surgeons from all over the country , but no good ....they died .......Todays first time since then he's left the house ...feet first at that ......I got sent for last week"
The youngster leaned against a wall ,
" Go on......why you "
" Well he'd got the same thing , no one would go near the house , I got asked , got given the instructions and the money ...didn't hang around I wasn't gonna say no was I ...Everyone else they thought he was the devil and he'd brought the plague to the village, I just heard he was gonna pay for the job doing "
To their left Charlie Cranford looked up , leaning on his crook , his face gnarled with years of living against the wild hillside elements and of hatred for The Judge . Charlie was the village carpenter , and a very good one , until Tutbury had sentenced him to three months for stealing an apple . No one dare employ him after that for fear of being evicted or worse . He lived on handouts and meagre wages for tending sheep .
" Tha burn him Ned , burn the devil " Charlie asked spitting his disgust as he finished " Cos if not he'll rise just like t'devil "
" Don't worry Charlie , he wont get outta that tomb"
A lone magpie sat on the far wall watching the three men