JOAN'S OTHER WORK

Millie, a Lancashire Lass

The story takes place in the Lancashire town of Blackburn during the 1860’s and begins at the time of the American Civil War which had a disastrous effect on the cotton mills of the Lancashire industrial towns and their employees. President Lincoln’s blocking of the Southern Ports had stopped the export of cotton which led to mass unemployment, poverty and even, in many cases, many people having to enter the workhouse in order to survive.Millie, who is a mill girl, is determined to better herself in order to improve her life and that of her family and despite the difficulties that ladies faced in obtaining responsible jobs, at that time, she is successful in finding office work. Her job leads her to meet the wealthy son of the local mill owner which leads to romance and its consequences.

Johnnie’s Story

This book is a sequel to ‘Millie, A Lancashire Lass.’ It continues the story of John’s ambition to open a further Department Store on a piece of land in Newcastle bought for him by his father and, how, quite by accident, he discovers that he is the father of Millie’s baby, now a boy of seven years of age, living with his foster parents on a remote moorland farm outside of the town and how John plans to bring him home to Blackburn to live with him and his wife, Caroline.

Reconciliation

This is the third book in the 'Millie' series. The story takes place in Blackburn in the year 1887. Eight years have gone by since John Taylor, wealthy local cotton mill owner, had discovered that he had a seven year old son, Johnnie, now living with foster parents, on a remote farm in Northumberland. John had brought his son home to live with him and his wife, Caroline and now, Johnnie is about to celebrate his fifteenth birthday. On a trip to Spain, John discovers that Johnnie's long lost birth mother is living there with her husband and their two children and she and John arrange to see if she can meet up with her long lost boy. After keeping her former life a secret from her husband, she eventually reveals the truth and we read how this leads to reconciliation between all those involved.

A Secret Revealed

Several changes have taken place during the last four years, in the lives of the wealthy Taylor family.
John, the owner of one of the largest cotton mills in Lancashire, and also the proud owner of three department stores, all in the north of England, is now a powerful and distinguished member of the community in Blackburn. Having previously been awarded a knighthood by Queen Victoria for his contribution to industry, he is now a Justice of the Peace and Mayor of the town.
His eldest son, Johnnie, the product of a previous romantic affair with a pretty mill girl, a secret that has been kept from the younger members of the family, is now a junior partner in his father's firm. His daughter, Jenny, is now married to Lord Peter Rossington and lives with their two children on their estate in the Lake District.
Her twin brother, Matthew, is now a distinguished Concert Pianist and is about to marry the love of his life, the daughter of a Spanish Entrepreneur and his English wife but all is not well when the secret of John's previous affair starts to implode leading to disastrous results.

Jenny’s Progress

Jenny is the strong-willed seventeen year old daughter of a very prominent and wealthy Lancashire cotton mill owner and entrepreneur and this tells the story of her progress and her father’s efforts to control her rebellious nature and turn her into the lady that he wishes her to be.

Tilly, the Street Sweet

This is the fifth story in the ‘Millie Series.’ It is the story of Tilly, a poor girl who had lost both her parents and who ran away from the hard life in a Victorian Orphanage finding herself in Knotty Ash, a suburb of Liverpool where many of the rich merchants had moved to from the centre of the town. To try to earn a living, Tilly had taken to brushing the roads in front of the pedestrians to prevent the ladies from getting the hems of their skirts and shoes dusty and the gentlemen from dirtying their trousers and boots. For this, she managed to earn a few pennies. The story tells how she was given the opportunity to go into domestic service in a large Manor House and how, in time, she was able to find a new life in another country.