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were advised to look serious as that expression was much easier to maintain. So Rebecca is just
anxious about standing still for so long as would I be. The girl in front is OK because she’s at
least sitting down!)
The most important aspect of Rebecca’s decision to leave home was that she would need to
earn a respectable living. Not many doors were open to a young girl in Rebecca’s position:
uneducated, no private means of income, no support from family, quite alone. Going into
‘service’ was probably her only respectable option. When I say ‘uneducated’ it gives a clue to
the kind of upbringing Rebecca had. I know for a fact that writing and reading were difficult
tasks for her and hence she could not have had much education at all. Yet, in Shrewsbury there
was a school at the time and I was about to reproduce an extract from Google about the nonpaying town school being established in 1641 by King Henry 8th (yes, HIM). However, I then
discovered that not until 2008 did the school in its evolved form allow girls through its
hallowed (but still deeply Protestant) doors. So what education would be available or indeed
considered necessary for girls other than a private tutor? And who at home would have taught
her anything but the rudiments of the three R’s? How easily we judge from our present point
of view.
Looking at the story of the school I could make a guess as to why Rebecca when she became
mother-in-law to Ruby was so defiantly opposed to Ruby’s Catholicism. The school was most
definitely for Protestant boys. The insistence gives an idea of the inclination of the townsfolk.
Why they were so opposed to Catholicism could well be buried in ancient history. And if it had
anything to do with Henry 8th then of course he would have been anti-Catholic.
It’s difficult for us to imagine the strength or desperation that would drive a very young girl in
those Victorian times to not only ‘go into service’ but to do so in a totally unknown and alien
land far away overseas. It appears, judging from a letter kept amongst Rebecca’s few treasures,
that she knew a lady by the name of Mrs Gray who must already have immigrated to South
Africa and would have been living in or near Pietermaritzburg. Nothing is known about Mrs
Gray except that we can surmise she had persuaded Rebecca or at least agreed to allow
Rebecca to join her in her new country where she felt quite confident work would be found for
her.
So the die was cast and Rebecca decided that the only way she could leave her unhappy family
life was to take this opportunity. But first we have a Story to tell in two episodes: here is the
first.
EPISODE (1) THE LEGEND OF THE SAD SOLDIER AND THE LONELY GIRL:

A seemingly incidental event had occurred some time before Rebecca set sail for Africa and
here’s a good place to mention it in preparation for what’s to follow. One day when she was a
very young girl, perhaps fourteen years old, she travelled to London for what I cannot say nor
do I know who she was with. While in London she had her photo taken. She was already a
pretty girl and much admired by the local lads whom she scorned. After all, it was quite likely
she would marry at 16 so 14 was not too young to start looking. However, marriage was far
from Rebecca’s mind and she knew that it was not the kind of escape she was wanting.
On coming out of the studio, photograph in hand, Rebecca noticed a lone and handsome soldier
walking towards her. She pretended not to notice him (he was so old anyway, at least eighteen
or nineteen) but certainly she caught his eye.

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