Our Babies' Battle, Story 1: 1854

In 1853, the British government passed the Compulsory Vaccination Act. All babies under three months old had to be vaccinated against smallpox. Some hailed this as a great step forward for medical science. Others called it tyranny. For 50 years, Rose Emery sought to raise her children and grandchildren in this turbulent environment. This series of seven short stories follows Rose on this difficult journey.

In Story 1: 1854, Rose is just three months old. She lives in a community of downtrodden cotton mill workers in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Early one morning, she is drugged, put in a box, and covertly taken away from her home and family. For days there is no news of her fate.