
The first series introduces the life of the apprentices and the daily routines they faced at Quarry Bank Mill in Cheshire.

Episode 1
Just before dawn the bell wakes the young apprentices for another 12-hour shift at Quarry Bank Mill. Charlie Crout forces Miriam to leave the factory floor and his absence leads to an accident.

Episode 2
Esther Price arrives at court after assaulting her overseer, Charlie Crout. On the assumption that she will be found guilty, Mr Timperley is sent to the workhouse to collect a replacement apprentice.

Episode 3
Esther and Lucy head for Liverpool, chased by Timperley, but discover that Lucy's sister Catherine never returned to the workhouse.

Episode 4
Lucy and Esther are convinced that Mr Timperley is responsible for Catherine's disappearance. They're determined to expose him but are blocked at every turn.