4. I Would Not Change a Thing by Neil Mercer
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Charlotte Bowton Addison was born in 1822 in the Essex town of Burnham, the daughter of James and Elizabeth Addison. In 1848 at the age of 26, she married James Edward McConnell[1] the 33-year old Locomotive Superintendent of a brand new Railway Works in Wolverton.
How and when Charlotte met this ground-breaking engineer whose work was based 100 miles away from Essex in a new railway town – is a mystery. However, soon after their marriage, they were ensconced in what must have been a large Victorian house, ‘Park House’ in Wolverton. This would become their home for ten years, as well as for their children and Charlotte’s parents. In the 1999 MK Theatre version of the Living Archive MK documentary drama All Change! , Mrs Charlotte McConnell is spotlighted on stage sewing her tapestry while Neil Mercer’s song is performed. It is as if she is reflecting on her husband’s drive and beliefs: ‘… With dreams much braver than mine / You bring change in…’ ‘… I know… that when you take a stand / For what you believe in/ You try the best that you can…’ The scene that follows concerns a strike by the men following McConnell’s robust and unpopular new system for promotion at Wolverton Works ‘ the special link’. A worker enters to reports events to Mrs McConnell: ‘Before Mr McConnell came and changed everything, it would take a driver eight years to get a rise… even the bad drivers got there by seniority. But now Mr McConnell promotes the engine man on merit and skill… The men are afraid of promotion and demotions depending on a superintendent’s whim…’ Later, McConnell’s changes had a more formidable opponent to deal with: Sir Richard Moon. He had been a significant shareholder in the London and North Western Railway company, joined its Board and eventually became its Executive Chairman. He disputed McConnel’s claims on Wolverton’s efficiency and transferred locomotive construction to Crewe. McConnell resigned in 1861, and the family moved to Great Missenden. Despite such upheavals the McConnell’s life together lasted nearly 40 years until James’ death in 1883; and it was very fruitful, with the procreation of six children: Quentin, Edith, Eliza, Helena, Charles and Florence. Charlotte died in 1886. [1] See the story behind the song James McConnell in Volume 1 of the Milton Keynes Song Book (3. James McConnell - THE MILTON KEYNES SONG BOOK (mksongbook.org) The performance link to the song is on I Would Not Change A Thing | The Living Archive Band (bandcamp.com) |
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