My sister Genie was the next oldest to me. When she was about two years old she developed a small knot in the middle of her back. It caused her spinal chord to start bending outward. It grew until she became paralyzed in the lower part of her body. She was almost bent over double and could not walk.

Next to her were my two brothers James and George. I had another brother Eddie who died of spinal meningitis. My last two sisters Annie and Lily were five and two years old. My baby brother Stanley died before I got home. There were six of us left.

It was 1878 and I was only sixteen years old. After being a happy carefree schoolgirl, I now found myself the head of a family.