Charles Margerison - Amazing Mothers

Welcome to this inspirational eBook, which provides you with a unique and fascinating collection of life stories. It is part of a series developed by the Amazing People Club, written in the form of a BioView, which is a short name for a biographical interview. A BioView is a new concept that reveals amazing stories, as if the person has given an interview about their life. Each of the stories can normally be read in around five to ten minutes. They are based on the known facts of each individuals life, plus what they may have felt about their experiences. The unique format and flow enables each persons story to come alive, as if it is being personally told to you.

Each one of them reflects the interests, emotions and passions linked to the amazing persons achievements. They are stories that can provide inspiration and ideas for your own journey through life and we hope you will enjoy them. The career notes at the end of each story supply information on each persons life, reflecting their achievements and some of the recognition they have received. They provide the background to the stories, and an easy way of learning about people who made major contributions to our world. The stories show how ordinary people did extraordinary things to tackle problems and opportunities. Amazing people all had one thing in common.

Rather than accepting the situation before them, they developed and implemented plans of action to make improvements. We can all learn from their experiences and the ways they dealt with the challenges and, in this eBook, you can understand their troubles and triumphs. To learn more about the Amazing People Club books and audios, please visit www.amazingpeopleclub.com .

Some days can change your life In June 1608, that happened to me I was working as a servant, for Margaret Forrest She ran into the dining room where I was cleaning Out of breath, she said, Anne, I have received a letter My husband has asked me to join him, at his new place of work I want you to come with me, as my maidservant Where are we going? I asked Jamestown, Virginia, my mistress replied Where in England is that? I enquired It is not in this country, she said with a smile We have to go across the Atlantic Ocean I was not told much more, until we boarded the boat My mistress, Margaret Forrest, was married to a colonial settler As she was moving, I had to follow or lose my job It was not for me to question, so I packed the bags Mrs Forrest told me to include all her dresses and silverware So, I guessed that we would be away for a long time As her maid, it was my duty to have things ready I did not have the option of returning home My parents had died when I was young Therefore, as soon as possible, I took a job in service Never did I think it would mean leaving England Within a few weeks, we were on our way to the port We boarded a boat with big beautiful sails blowing in the breeze It was the first time that I had left dry land The next day, we cast off from the shore and departed At the age of 14, I was sailing across a huge ocean Excited, but also rather concerned Wondering if I would survive the great waves Not sure if I would like Jamestown, Virginia - wherever it was Would I ever see England again? Our accommodation was a small cabin that was damp and smelly My mistress and I were the only two females on board There were over 60 sailors, including my brother John He had enlisted when I told him where I was going Most others were rough types Some tried to get me to spend time alone with them My mistress told them to keep their distance Once away from land, I felt ill I feared for my life, as we sailed from one storm to another Each day became more difficult Our clothes were always wet from the mist and rain Mrs Forrest started to cough, and found it hard to eat Although I tried to feed her, she became weaker Prayers were offered for her health and our safety After about two months, we saw land There was a cheer from all on board Except from Margaret Forrest She was most unwell On September 30 th 1608, we arrived at Jamestown A small British colony in Virginia, America The central area was no more than about one acre in size It looked more like a building site in poor condition The first settlers, who had arrived in December 1606, greeted us They were surprised to see two females disembark Albeit, my mistress had to be carried ashore Conditions in the colony were very difficult, and food was scarce To my despair, soon after we arrived, Margaret Forrest passed away Crying at her woodland graveside, I said two simple prayers One for her, and one for myself I was the only English girl in this new land of over 200 white men Beyond our small port village, the Indians spied on us We knew they were waiting to attack It was a frightening experience Initially, I slept on board the boat, which was guarded by sailors During the day, I cooked meals for the workmen Being the only girl, I had no one to talk to of my own age Thankfully, a young Indian girl came to visit us one day Her name was Pocahontas She had saved the life of Mr Smith, one of our leaders We met, and learnt words in our respective languages She seemed a friendly kind of person Our friendship helped improve relations with the Indians However, within the colony, I felt at risk Many men sought my attention, and there were some fights My brother John was inevitably involved, trying to defend me One Sunday, after church, a tall man spoke to me He looked to be about ten years older than me Hello, he said, Im John Leydon Thank you for the meals you have cooked It is a pleasure, I replied Are you still living in the boat cabin? he asked Yes, but it is only for a while, I said The boat will leave soon, I added If you want, I can help, he offered In what way? I enquired, feeling a bit nervous You need a place of your own to live in, he said Not quite sure if it was a question or a statement, I nodded Im a carpenter and can build you a house, he offered But, I have no money to pay you, I replied He waved his hand and said, There is no need to pay me Taken by surprise, I just said, Thank you, Mr Leydon See you tomorrow, he smiled and left to join the other men Alone, I walked back to my cabin on the ship The next day, I saw him digging and then cutting down a tree This is the best place for a log cabin, he said It is well protected from the wind and has good drainage Being physically strong, he made good progress I could also see the other men respected him for his strength After the foundations, he built the walls He did not speak to me very much but worked hard He seemed kind, in a brusque sort of way When I visited, a couple of days later, he was putting the roof on At the end of the week, the small wooden hut was finished Thank you Mr Leydon, for building me a place to live, I said I hope you will be happy here, he replied, holding his hat ready to go Then, he gave me a quick hug and kissed me on the cheek It was the first time a man had done that to me