The museum plaque reads “The displays A B and C are a compilation of letters addressed to Matilda Tait (Maiden name used) deceased mother of Jemiah Lister which dates back to 1785, London. At the time these letters were composed, 11-year-old Jemiah was unaware of the death of his mother, who had been separated from him since he was 4 years of age.

                                                                                                                                   Thursday, March 17

Dear Mummy

What have you been doing recently? Do you have a job? Cos if you do, so do I. I recently got it, bit of a dirty job but that’s ok ,cos today I think I made a friend. His name is Dick, he's pretty strange ,but I like him. Also the whippin on me back’s getting all better. Not as sore as before so I can sleep a little bit now, which is great.

Love Jem

                                                                                              Monday, April 1

Dear Mummy

Sorry, I haven't written to you in a while the past weeks have been very busy, Dick’s been teaching me all sorts of things. We even agreed to be pretend brothers. Dick told me that stealing is bad, so I've been very good recently and I haven't taken anything, but I told him I needed a pen to write to you and he said it's ok if it's really important, so he got a really nice pen for me. I hope you have a nice friend like I do, having one makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Sorry, gotta go Dicks calling me.

Love Jem

                                                                                            Saturday, April 6

Dear Mother

Where are you? I need you more now than I've ever needed you, but you are not here, in fact, my memories of you are slowly fading over the years.

I feel so alone Mum, I've never felt so much pain and there are no cuts, bleeding, or bruises. This pain hurts so much more than that, it reaches right through me leaving every part of my body in anguish, like knives being twisted around in my organs. He was so scared Mum, and I was so powerless, I couldn’t save him.

Yesterday Dick and I went to this house. Probably the grandest house either of us had ever worked in, Dick had made me laugh by joking about how one day we’d own a house as grand and have hot steamed potatoes with butter whenever we wanted to. I feel guilty and furious at myself now for having been so happy that morning. If only I’d been warned. We each got assigned to different rooms, mine was this lavishly decorated bedroom and Dicks was the kitchen.

 After laying down a cloth to catch falling soot, I scrambled up the chimney and got to work scraping the grime-covered walls. I thought about Dick and what he’d said, and I liked it very much, living together in our own grand house with enough rooms for you to come and live with us if you wanted? But interrupting my thoughts, the bit of wall my foot was wedged into gave way into thin air, and my heart dropped. I grabbed at the sides of the chimney frantically with all my strength, just catching myself. I let out a quiet gasp, breathing heavily and still in shock, I suddenly heard this piercing scream. Dick!!

 I slid down the sides of the chimney not even noticing the pain of my hands getting shredded against the rocks and soot on the walls. Sprinting through the house I headed towards the kitchen, soot flying off my frayed shoes as I came to a stop. Pushing back tears I stood before the kitchen fireplace, not wanting to confirm my greatest fears, I called “Dick?” My voice cracked… “Help”. I heard his faint voice call, I launched up the chimney without thinking twice. “Dick” I called again. Big salty wet drops rolled down my dirty cheeks, making tracks between the soot and grease. Scrambling around I tried to feel for him, coming to this nook in the chimney my hands ran over a large soft lump. Cold shaking hands reached for mine, enclosing mine in them. My tears were now in torrents, but I tried to remain strong for Dicks sake.

 He was in unimaginable pain and fear but selfishly I thought about myself and how I wouldn’t be able to live without him. Our plans to get that grand house and eat potatoes smothered in warm creamy butter had been crushed within minutes, and slowly the world that I had built with him crumbled as well. Although it was dark, I saw him clearly all twisted up and impossibly stuck. My heart completely shattered when we saw smoke drifting up past us. “Get on down ye idiots” we heard the housekeeper screech from beneath us. “Go” Dick whispered in a shaky voice, “No” I pleaded “I’ll get ye down, I won't leave ye, I won't!” I heard Dick crying now and we cried together as my small hands tried to unwedge his broken body, our breathing slowed as the air around us disappeared and smoke clouded our lungs, I felt faint, and my mind fogged up barely allowing me to hear the commotion of voices bellow. The next thing I knew, I was hanging from Master Jack’s arms as he slowly took me and only me down the chimney “No..I won't leave” I helplessly murmured, then the rest faded into a blur.

See, I need you, Mum, I need you to make this pain go away, I want to be wrapped in your warm arms while you stroke my head and tell me I'm your precious little Jem and everything is okay.

 Dick told me I don’t have to be strong and it’s okay to cry and let out all our pain, but he left me just like you did, and the pain just gets worse, so I must move on, and I will be strong because it’s too hard to love in this cruel world. So, wherever you are mum, I hope you can be strong too.

Goodbye, love Jem