Children from the Claypits: William Devereaux's Rag Book Drawings

By Angela Susan Harrison

William Devereaux, a seer's son, describes his daily toil each day, where in 1870 he and his sister work in the Arlesey Claypits. Before William can read and write he expresses his chalk drawings in a Rag Book and draws pictures of the creatures and birds which are dear to him around the hamlet where he lives. Lord Shaftesbury passes a bill in Parliament to abolish child labour and when the Education Act is set in place, William and his sister Sadie start the Slip End school near the Caddington woods. Life takes on a different meaning for these children, and the Red-Kite bird swiftly flies over the Chiltern hills bringing hope and freedom from drugery and toil at long last and the opportunity for all children to learn how to read and write.

The written word and expressing a dialogue has always given meaningful purpose in writing short stories. Since 1984 Angela has written a series of stories for children and likes to write for the purpose of health and wellbeing. She enjoys research and to convey by written word the essence from where the observations were instigated and discovered, either from life's experiences, or from imaginative expression. She enjoys illustrating and from a visual perception expresses her illustrations in images to convey a Visual reference in Pen and Ink Watercolour.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1643458035
• ISBN13: 9781643458038
• Release Date: November 2019
• Publisher: Stratton Press
• Length: 82 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 12 years and under
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 7