Introduction
Annie Haywood
Appearance
Notable Features
Often she has a large belly, either pregnant or newly postpartum. Her cheeks easily flush pink. She has a distinct, brown birthmark on her left knee in the shape of a jagged triangle.Personal Style
Annie always wears loose dresses in earthy colours. She always has very full skirts to conceal her belly, even though they are not as fashionable anymore. If she isn’t wearing a shawl, she has a baby wrapped up on her chest. Her clothing is always spotlessly clean, even if it is a little threadbare. The only item of clothing that she allows to get dirty is her apron, which is often filthy from her housework, but she never allows herself to wear it out of the house.Circumstances
Currently
It feels like escaping poverty is an arm’s reach away for Annie, if only she could earn that little bit more money, save that little bit extra, so her children have a better life. She is a fearless protected of her husband and children, but she isn’t sure how far she will go to give them the life she thinks they deserve. With her laundry business picking up, financial stability feels closer than it ever has, but she knows how quickly things could change.Health & Capabilities
When she is not newly postpartum, Annie is in generally good health. She does have a nagging pain in her lower back, but she refuses to tell even her husband about it. Often she gets bad morning sickness with her pregnancies, but it quickly passes once her pregnancy progresses. She has trouble seeing fine writing, so often squints to read. She is physically strong from all the lifting of small children and heavy housework.Socioeconomics
Annie feels like she is on the cusp of pulling her family out of poverty, but every time she thinks she has got ahead, there is another expense. Her husband and her currently scrape by, but they remember the years that they starved to keep their children fed all too well. They both work extremely hard, putting as much money away as possible for their children. While they can afford the very occasional middle class luxury, Annie knows she is only an injury or a few weeks of sickness away from starvation again.Skills & Talents
Annie knows how to keep her house spotless despite the little children running around. Her cooking skills are bland but she knows how to fill bellies and to stretch ingredients to last. She has developed a keen eye for fine lace, and is very skilled at removing stains from almost any textile. She can sew clothing, but she prefers to make simple garments for herself and her family. Because she is regularly woken through the night, she can do almost anything while severely sleep deprived.Present Relationships
Charles Haywood - HusbandSix children aged from almost 10 to infant:
Michael – 10
Beatrice – 8
Winnifred - 7
Percy – 3
Abigail – 2
Mary – 8 months
Mother and father in law
Identity
Hobbies
Between her children and her work, Annie has very little time for hobbies. She used to love dancing with her husband, and will very occasionally indulge when she is drunk enough. She does allow herself to spend a few minutes embroidering here and there, but that is most often reserved for when her in laws are caring for the youngest children. When she cleans lace, she wishes she could learn, but it makes more sense economically for her to just clean it instead of selling it.Habits & Routines
Because of all the washing required for her work, Annie rarely leaves the house on Monday and Tuesday. When she does go out later in the week, she regularly has small children in tow; at the very least a baby wrapped up on her chest. She visits middle and high class houses to deliver their clean laundry most weeks.Personality
Annie is caring, passionate and hardworking. Since having children, Annie has become extremely protective, and goes out of her way to do anything for those she loves, to the point of ruthlessly cutting people out of her life if they hurt her family in the slightest. She struggles to let others take charge, and can often be very bossy. Often she is preoccupied with her work or taking care of her house, so even when spending time with friends, her hands are busy with sewing or mending. Often Annie is exhausted, but she is too terrified of failing her family to take the time to look after her body and mind. She always tries to keep up appearances, so rarely shares her emotions except for those she is close with.Background
History
While Annie’s mother spent her childhood on a farm, Annie grew up in a tiny working class home in London. She has many fond memories of her early childhood, running through the streets of South London with her older brother and helping her mother clean the house, but these happy times didn’t last long. Annie’s father died in a building accident when she was 7, and Annie’s mother began to work soon after to keep the family afloat. She worked long hours in a match factory, which greatly affected her health. Annie never finished her schooling, as she started work in a textile factory in her teenage years.Annie met her husband Charles in her early 20s. She spent most of her days in the factory that she worked at, but every weekend she would spend time with the family of her close friend, Elizabeth. Charles and Annie were just close friends for two years, but one autumn, he asked her if she wanted to attend a dance together. That night Annie realised that she felt something deeper than friendship. After a few months of courting, their romance bloomed and soon they were engaged and married.
By this time, Annie’s mother had become very unwell and decided to move to the country. Annie stayed in London with her husband to build the life they had just begun together. She slowly drifted apart from her mother and brother, rarely writing to them. While Annie became close with her in-laws, she missed the company of her family.
Annie’s first child was born when she was 24. The birth went smoothly, and she fell in love with her son’s deep eyes and serious expression from the moment she first saw him. Mothering suited Annie like a well-worn glove, she wanted to do everything she could to give her children the best start in life despite their circumstances. Despite her mediocre literary skills, she read to her growing herd of children every night. For the first four years of marriage, Charles was the primary breadwinner and Annie just looked after the home, but after an accident at the factory, he badly broke his hand and was unable to work. With two small children and rent always due, they couldn’t afford to be without money coming in, so Annie found a job manufacturing shirts. She didn’t mind the work, but she missed her children and the money never seemed to stretch far enough. When Charles was finally able to work again, Annie quit the job. She was exhausted from the long hours, and had three heartbreaking miscarriages during that time. Annie had never felt more helpless than in that time, so she vowed she would do everything to help her children lead better lives than her.
She knew a woman who lived nearby who laundered clothing at her home, so inspired by her, Annie started to do the same between caring for her children. Initially she struggled for hours with other people’s filthy clothing for very little money, but she eventually discovered the market for cleaning handmade lace, which was far more lucrative. She only has a few steady clients so far, but every scrap of extra cash helped with her seventh child on the way.
Last Active
09 Mar 2025, 07:43Total Posts
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