The Down and Out King - 29

EMILY

They sent for a doctor, they sent for a nuss,

But ven they both comed the poor cretur vas vuss.

They guved her some gruel, they tallowed her nose

But werry soon arter she turned up her toes,

Now all the parishioners flewed in a pet,

And svore that a Coroner’s inquest should set;

Vent the Coroner comed, but the wery next day,

The vorms with the body had crawled avay.

We have just come back from our trip to Worcester to stay with my brother, JCR and Caroline. We had a lovely time, and although it was only for a long weekend, we managed to have a trip out into the nearby hills, which was very pleasant indeed.

But the thing I wish to write here about is a curious thing that happened. I went shopping with Caroline, and we went into a very pleasant grocery shop noted for its speciality coffees and teas near the centre of Worcester - J and J Williams it was called. The man who served us looked so familiar to me, yet I doubted that we had ever met - as this was my first time in Worcester. I commented on it to him, and he said that he could not say the same, that he didn’t think he had seen me before. But then I asked him his name - and the reply was George Williams King. That sparked off my memory of meeting William King, who the Saunders had jokingly called King William, when we were first considering taking on the workhouse jobs.

“You don’t have a brother called William by any chance do you?” I asked him.

“I have an older half-brother who was called William. I have lost touch with him so I couldn’t tell you where he is now, or what he is doing.”

“Would you say he looks like you?”

“I suppose some would say that. We both resemble our father with large builds. My mother is a delicate little woman and I am afraid I don’t take after her at all.”

“Would your brother have been a grocer like yourself?”

“Yes, he was first trained as I was at our father’s grocery store - but then he went on and had a shop of his own in Dorking. He had a wife and several children, but we were never very close - and it must be years since I last heard anything about him. I did get a rather strange letter from his sister’s daughter, asking if I knew anything of him, but, of course, I had to reply to her, as I have to you, that I don’t.”

“I might just possibly have the answer as to his whereabouts, Mr. King, but you might not like to know it. I think he is currently in the Workhouse in Stanwell, Middlesex. I may, of course, be wrong, but as his resemblance to you is so uncanny, I cannot believe but that I am right.”

“You say he is in workhouse? You mean he is a pauper? But what of his wife and his children? Are they there as well?”

“I really do not know the answer to your questions, but I can provide you with the name of the Master and Matron of that workhouse, so you might want to contact them to see if this man truly is your lost brother. They are Mr. and Mrs. John Saunders. Stanwell is a small village near Staines - and just addressing the letter to 'The Workhouse' will certainly find them.”

“If I might ask, how do you know these things about workhouses?”

“My husband and I are the Master and Matron of the Workhouse in Calne, and we are here visiting my brother JCR Day, whom I believe you know.”

“Yes, of course, we are great friends.”

“I expect you think the worst when you hear of a workhouse, but I can assure you that the one we visited was run very well indeed, and William King seemed well and happy.”

“My wife's grandfather was the Clerk to the Guardians of the Workhouse in Axbridge, and two of his sons worked there too, so I do have some understanding of the workhouse situation. And although I am sure there are very good ones, I can only say that I hope that you are incorrect, Mrs. Stanley, and that my brother is not in such straits. However, I will, for my own piece of mind, look into the situation. Thank you for calling it to my attention.”

He had made note of the names of the people and places I mentioned, so I felt that I had done all I could in the matter.

Our short holiday ended much too soon, and we are now busily back at work trying to right the wrongs in our current situation.