Edwin Waterson

This account is created to honor and fulfill Evie Waterson’s wish to spread her brother’s story. His diary was uncovered while examining the ruins of England after World War I.

[edwinwaterson]

[written on the back of the journal]

This is property of Edwin Waterson, a victim of the cruel, harsh industrial system. If you find this journal, please share it with the world to honor my brother’s life and sacrifices.

Love, Evie Waterson, a forever loving sister....

[edwinwaterson]

Saturday, October 6th. 1821

Good morning,

This is Evie Waterson. My children uncovered this journal while searching through my old possessions, so I’m here to deliver the last entry. I am now a mother of 3 children: Lily, Peter and Ronald. I married William Addington, Edwin’s only friend, years ago. He was the only one who comforted me and was there for me after Edwin’s tragic death... he was the only beacon of light in my pitch black world. My mom is now stronger and healthier than ever. I bet you are wondering, what changed our somber, agonizing childhood? Shortly after our marriage, William invested all his savings in a textile factory across town as the last attempt to live a comfortable, painless life. Luckily, he gained giant heaps of money that tremendously improved our condition. We traveled there so William can further invest in more factories, and in a short period of time, he was hired as a manager in one of the biggest textile companies in England!! His honesty, integrity and dedication all contributed to the gracious life we have now; I owe him my life.

Our children go to schools now, which was an option we never had as children...never even dreamed of. They fluently read books to the most famous authors of our generation, Charles Dickens, Leo Tolstoy and many more. I still can’t read but I started getting into art because it is a form of self expression, and I have so much inside me to express. My target is to build a gigantic statue of my father and Edwin to honor them and their sacrifices. My mom’s health has tremendously improved due to the breakthroughs in the medical field. She can undergo painless surgeries thanks to Crawford. Not only do we get vaccines against life-threatening diseases, but we can also avoid these diseases by pasteurizing our food and cleaning surfaces with antiseptics.

But my favorite discovery/ invention will always be the train since I can travel back to north western england and recall all memories I had with my father and brother. Unfortunately, I can’t travel to our oldest home during the times of the cottage industy because it was demolished due to urbanzation.

[edwinwaterson]

Thursday, June 16th. 1803

Good evening,

This is Evie Waterson. I just remembered this diary because today, for the first time in my life, I celebrate my 17th birthday alone.... With sadness and despair shredding my hard, I’m here to announce my brother’s death while he was avenging my father’s death. I can’t help but think it is my fault. I kept blaming our father’s death on him while there is nothing he could do. So he secretly snuck out a knife and set out to kill the government officials who executed our dad during the Luddite movement. He actually killed one of them but was immediately arrested and executed publicly in the most horrifying, inhumane manner ever… just a little kid gone too soon just like my dad.

My mom couldn’t sleep for a week and went a little bit blind and I've been having extreme asthma attacks due to everything that has happened. Your thoughts and prayers are needed and we can’t stay quiet about this AT ALL.

[edwinwaterson]

Sunday, February 10th . 1801

Good morning,

I just found out that my sister stole my diary I hope she hasn’t read all those entries. Anyways, I am sick and tired of the way I get treated. My mum has been working non stop along with me and my brother and we are still barely able to afford food; this is unacceptable. She is greatly criticized by society every day because women are expected to stay at home. All men regard her as a desperate, immoral person just for trying to keep us alive. My sister made it very clear that she absolutely despises me and thinks I am the reason that our father died. SHE IS WRONG my father is dead because of the cruel, unjust, bias, and corrupt industrial system. I am tired of my boss punishing me for every minor mistake I make. I am tired of the way people disrespect my father. How the murderers that murdered my father are walking the streets freely instead of being imprisoned and executed for their horrendous, and unforgivable crimes.

[edwinwaterson]

Saturday, February 9th. 1801

Good evening,

I am Evie Waterson and I am starting to write in this journal to talk about what happened to me. 5 years ago, I watched my father get executed outside of my house and I am still traumatized by the scene. Ever since we came to this town, my life has become disastrous. I lost all my friends and lost my father. My father died because of my stupid brother’s hand which is unfair. I hate my brother from the bottom of my heart. He is the reason for ruining my life. I hate him. Now, my mother has to work in other people’s houses and in factories for us to eat. We still live with another family in the house. Their smell makes my breathing worse. My silly brother keeps on talking about revenge on owners as if he can stand up for himself when the foreman hits him with a stick many times a day. I just want to die!

[edwinwaterson]

Monday, September 12th. 1796

Good Morning,

My mum was right the government took action aganst the Luddites and killed most of them publicly. My dad tried to escap but they caugt him and killed him outsid our buildng. It left me completely broken and hopeless...he was my biggest inspiration; he was the only person who saw light during the dark and smiled even during the hardest times. i watched thru the windw me father turning blu this imag will never leave me brain. Eversince my mum has ben serching for a job since we ran out of food. Evie has ben crying all day. On the other hand I just want the children of those who murdered me father watch their father become numb like i watch mine. Or they can lose their beloved ones just like i did. I want revenge.

[edwinwaterson]

Monday, August 29th. 1796

Good morning,

This is 1 day after my hnd was cut and i still canot write prprly. My father rushed out if the house quikly and menshoned something like joining a ludite or somthng i heard alot of peple talk abot joining this organizatin because of the mistretmnt in the factories and that thy lost their jobs. But my dad didn’t lose his job, he wanted to avenge me and tell the world what happens to children in Albert Iron Smelting Factory. My mother scremed at him saying that it is dangros, but i want him to join becaus i despise my job more than anything in the world.

[edwinwaterson]

Sunday, August 28th. 1796

Good Morning,

I didn’t write for 4 years becus i had no time at all; I work 12 hours each day with 1 bathroom break. I am not writing prperly nw becaus my hand was burned when I was puting my tiny finger iside the huje Maschine. I was shoveling coal insid the maxhine when sudnly the fir blew stronger than usual and my hnd had to be cut quikly. My face is prmanently scarred and there is nthing we can do about it. My mum had a huje fight with my dad because she didn’t want tk move here for this reason; the safety of her children meant the whole world. My dad felt so guilty and Evie cried the whole day fearing her safety. Unfortunately, we had to go the next day to work or my dad would be fired; many people wanted to fill his position regardless of the drawbacks.

[edwinwaterson]

Monday, May 21st. 1792

Good Morning,

I hate my life now. My life was way better back then, at least I had some free time. Now I have one friend, William ,but we can’t play together with the ball because we don’t have any free time and he doesn’t have a right hand. My back now hurts so bad because my mean boss hits me so hard with a stick every time I make a tiny mistake. When I went to work today 1 minute late, he hit me so hard and when I cried, he hit me more. Living in my old house was so much better than now. I wish everything was back to normal.

[edwinwaterson]

Thursday, May 16th. 1792

Good morning,

Now i know the new job. In order to accept my dad at work, Evie and I had to go to work with him. I was very very excited at the beginning becuz I saw many children like me working. The first person I met at “work” was William, he was 9 and taller than me. His face was covered in black smoke from the iron smelting process and his clothes had a huge hole in them from what seems to be a fire accident. And I couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t have a right hand!! This was very common among many children here!! Maybe they won’t like me because I have both hands but they didn’t even have the energy to ask for my name. William guided me on how to work and how to clean around the factory. I met my mean boss which told me to put coal into the fire to start the machines. The coal was too heavy for me to carry so I accidentally dropped some of it. The mean boss scolded me very harshly and hit my with a long stick on my back. It hurts so bad I hate this weirdo mean old man.

[edwinwaterson]

Tuesday, May 15th. 1792

Good evening,

We settled in a tiny apartment that already had another family there. Finally friends, i guessed since we live in the same house we will be friends. But the was no place to move or even play. the house was half the size of our old home and had 12 members living inside: Evie, me, dad, mum, and 8 members in the other family. The parents looked so exhausted and tired that they didn’t even smile at me. And their little child, called Morise, had only 1 hand!! How does she play this way!! Once my mum saw her, she started to cry and walked near the window, because it was the only place she can breath in. There was no room for our stuff and my toys that we had to throw them out. I cried when i threw my teddy bear becuz he was my only friend but mum told me i would have many friends in the new job….. what new job?

[edwinwaterson]

Monday, May 14th. 1792

Good evening,

We arrived at 6:23 am and everything was so….dirty. The air was so black and everything was disgusting. Dust covered the tables, the people, the houses, everything. But the worst part was my and my sister’s asthma. We coughed all the time. But it was worth it. Everyone seemed so busy… but one man wore very fancy clothes made out of leather. My mum would never buy leather from Mr. Hawthorne becuz it was so expensive. This man seemed very happy unlike everyone else and he was clean surprisingly. “You see this man over there?” My dad asked, “he is the owner of the most productive factory in north western England!! It is called the Albert Iron Smelting Factory. And i got a job there!! One day i will be just like him and bring you all the money in the world!!” Then he looked at my muther and smiled. She didn’t cry this time, she just smiled hopelessly.

[edwinwaterson]

Monday, May 14th. 1792

Good morning,

We packed everything, nothing was in the house except my mother’s tears and memories. Evie was crying too becuz she didn’t want to leave her friends. She is lucky she has friends.. but i was happy. I heard my dad’s friends say that the cities were the lands of opportunities. Maybe we can have more money and I can have more friends!

[edwinwaterson]

Sunday, May 13th. 1792

Good evening,

I forgot i started this but i have very important news. I overheard an argument between my parents. My mum said something like “we can’t do this. We can’t leave the house and change the lifestyle of our children… I heard from my cousin’s friend that they force children too work in the dangerous factories!! We can’t let them take Edwin and Evie!!” Oh i forgot to tell you, i have a twin sister called Evie but she never plays with me. I am always lonely. And then my father said, “I know honey it is hard but we got evicted. The stupid, greedy, lifeless nobles bought the land and they have machines working there now. Do you understand that?! They need our home for agriculture purposes. There is absolutely nothing we can do here. I even worked this past month without stopping to raise enough money to stay, but unfortunately that isn’t possible anymore. We are leaving tomorrow at dawn. I’m so sorry honey.” And i heard my mom weep.

But maybe moving is better for me. I might find friends in those factories and i won't be lonely anymore and maybe dad can have more monney without working non-stop. But why is my muther crying?

[edwinwaterson]

Monday, July 7th. 1792

Good Evening,

My name is Edwin Waterson and i am 6 years old. I hate my life. My dad and mum weave all day after buying the materials from the mean old Mr. Hawthorne, the towns’ merchant. My mum is always angry when he leaves i guess becuz he takes a lot of money. They never have time to play with me and all the other children are older than me so they help their parents work. I wish i was older.