CHILDREN DURING

INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION

Archana
Garg

LIFE OF THE CHILDREN

A l l th e c h i l d re n ab o v e th e ag e o f 5 a n d 6 w e re ex p e c te d to d o s o m e
sort of work
T h e l i v i n g c o n d i ti o n w e re v e r y p o o r an d a n g e ro u s
L i fe w as j u s t l i ke a b i g b u rde n a s th e y l i v e d i n th e m o u th o f d e a th
C hi l dre n u s e d to s u ff e r fro m m an y ty p e s o f d i s e a s e s c au s i ng h i g h
d e a th r ate
C hi l dre n u s e d to b ath o n c e o r tw i ce i n th e i r l i v e s a s th e re w a s o n ly 1
w a te r p u m p a t th e e n d o f e ac h s tre e t. A l s o th e y u s e d to l i v e a v e r y
fi l th y l i fe b e c a u s e th e re w a s o n l y a s i n g l e d i r ty to i l e t p e r s tre e t i n
w h i c h c a u s e d p e o p l e to exc re te o n s tre e ts a n d m a ke h e ap s o f h u m an
m a n u re h e re an d th e re
C hi l dre n u s e d to s ta y i n v e r y c r a m p e d an d o v e r-p o pu l ate d ho u s e s
T h e re w as w a s te a n d s m e l l e v e r y w h e re as th e re w a s s m o ke , d i r ty
w a te r an d s m e l l y an d u n h e al th y g a s e s c o m i n g o u t o f th e fac to r i e s
T h e re w e re aro u n d 3 5 -4 0 p e o p l e i n e a c h ro o m
T h e re w e re n o s ch o o l s
T h e y h ad to u s e th e s a c k a s a b l a n ke t, p i l l o w an d b e d
T h e y w e re m o s tl y p o o r an d thu s l i v e d a l i v e ful l o f tro u b l e s , w o rr i e s
an d d i ffi c u l ti e s

WORK CHILDREN DID

T h e c h i l d re n m o s t l y w o r ke d i n t h e f a c t o r i e s , m i l l s o r i n d u s t r i e s
T h e y w o r ke d a s ' s c a v a n g e r s ' o r ' p i e c e r s
S c a v a n g e r s - I t w a s v e r y d a n g e ro u s j o b a s t h e y h a d t o c r a w l u n d e r m a c h i n e r y t o
p i c k u p l o o s e s c r a p s o f c o t t o n o r w o o l . T h e c h i l d re n c r a w l e d u n d e r t h e m a c h i n e r y
t o m a ke s u re i t w a s c l e a n w h i l e i t w a s w o r k i n g . C h i l d re n g o t c r u s h e d b y m a c h i n e r y ,
l o s t fi n g e r s o r l i m b s , o r l o s t t h e i r h a i r a f t e r g e t t i n g i t t a n g l e d i n t h e m a c h i n e r y
Pi e c e r s - T h e y h a d t o w a t c h o v e r p o w e r l o o m s a n d t i e a n y l o o s e t h re a d s t h a t g o t
b ro ke n b y t h e m a c h i n e r y
T h e f a c t o r y m a c h i n e s w o r ke d o n s t e a m p o w e r , f u e l l e d b y c o a l . T h i s m e a n t t h a t
c h i l d re n w e re e m p l o y e d i n t h e c o a l m i n e s t o o , o f t e n i n d a n g e ro u s c o n d i t i o n s
C h i l d re n w h o o f t e n w o r ke d a s a p p re n t i c e s d i d n o t g e t p a i d a t a l l a n d o n l y g o t t h e
advantage of food and shelter
C h i l d re n w o r ke d f o r l o n g h o u r s w i t h v e r y f e w b re a k s a n d g o t p a i d v e r y l e s s
C h i l d re n w e re w h i p p e d i f t h e y c a m e l a t e t o t h e w o r k
C h i l d re n g o t t h i c k a n d ro u g h o a t c a ke s f o r b re a k f a s t a n d s u p p e r. T h e y g o t p o t a t o
pies with occasional boiled bacon for dinner
T h e r i c h f a c t o r y o w n e r s ke p t o v e r s e e r s a n d p a i d t h e m m o re t h a n t h e c h i l d re n t o
j u s t m a ke s u re t h e c h i l d re n w o r ke d a s h a r d a s t h e y c o u l d
C o m m o n f o o d s : Oatcakes, Porridge solidified, Bread and soups, Mutton (cheaper
m e a t f ro m o l d e r s h e e p ) , B a c o n , Po t a t o e s , G r u e l - a t h i n s o u p m a d e f ro m o a t s o r
p o t a t o e s m i xe d w i t h m i l k a n d w a t e r - v e r y c h e a p a n d fi l l i n g ( m a k e y o u r o w n
g r u e l u s i n g o u r r e c i p e s s h e e t ) , A p p l e s , p e a r s a n d b e rr i e s d e p e n d i n g o n t h e
s e a s o n , B e e r e v e n f o r c h i l d re n , Te a ( m o re e x p e n s i v e t h a n b e e r , t h o u g h )
Less commonfoods:
Wa t e r i t w a s p o l l u t e d , Tro p i c a l f r u i t s t h e y w e re n t
a v a i l a b l e , M i l k a n d d a i r y p ro d u c t s
e x p e n s i v e b u t a s h o r t a g e l e d t o r i c ke t s
( a d i s e a s e t h a t m a ke s y o u r b o n e s s o f t )

STORIES
" Tw o c h i l d r e n I k n o w g o t e m p l o y m e n t i n a f a c t o r y w h e n t h e y w e r e fi v e y e a r s
o l d . t h e s p i n n i n g m e n o r w o m e n e m p l o y c h i l d re n i f t h e y c a n g e t a c h i l d t o d o
their business..the child is paid one shilling or one shilling and six pence, and they
w i l l t a ke t h a t ( fi v e y e a r o l d ) c h i l d b e f o re t h e y t a ke a n o l d e r o n e w h o w i l l c o s t m o re . "
George Gould, a Manchester merchant, written in 1816
"T h e s m a l le st ch ild in th e fa c t ori es w ere sca v en ge rs th e y go u n de r t h e m a ch i n e ,
w h i l e i t i s g o i n g . i t i s v e r y d a n g e ro u s w h e n t h e y fi r s t c o m e , b u t t h e y b e c o m e u s e d
t o i t . " C h a r l e s A b e r d e e n w o r k e d i n a M a n c h e s t e r c o t t o n f a c t o r y, w r i t t e n i n 1 8 3 2
" T h e t a s k fi r s t a l l o t t e d t o Ro b e r t B l i n c o e w a s t o p i c k u p t h e l o o s e c o t t o n , t h a t f e l l
u p o n t h e fl o o r. A p p a re n t l y n o t h i n g c o u l d b e e a s i e r . . a l t h o u g h h e w a s m u c h t e r r i fi e d
by the whirling motion and noise of the machinery and the dust with which he was half
s u ff o c a t e d h e s o o n f e l t s i c k a n d w a s c o n s t a n t l y s t o o p i n g ; h i s b a c k a c h e d . B l i n c o e
took the liberty to sit down. But this he soon found was strictly forbidden in cotton
m i l l s . H i s o v e r l o o ke r , M r. S m i t h , t o l d h i m h e m u s t ke e p o n h i s l e g s . T h i s h e d i d f o r s i x
a n d a h al f h o u rs w i th o u t a bre ak . " Joh n B ro wn , a r ep ort er for "Th e Li on". Wri tt en
in 1828
" We w e n t t o t h e m i l l a t fi v e i n t h e m o r n i n g . We w o r k e d u n t i l d i n n e r t i m e a n d t h e n t o
n i n e o r te n a t n i gh t ; on Sa t u rd ay it c o u ld be t ill e le v e n a n d ofte n ti ll tw e lv e a t n igh t .
We w e r e s e n t t o c l e a n t h e m a c h i n e r y o n t h e S u n d a y. " M a n i n t e r v i e w e d i n 1 8 4 9 w h o
h a d w or ked i n a m il l a s a ch i ld
" I n t h e e v e n i n g I w a l ke d t o C ro m f o r d a n d s a w t h e c h i l d re n c o m i n g f ro m t h e i r w o r k .
T h e s e c h i l d re n h a d b e e n a t w o r k f ro m 6 o c l o c k i n t h e m o r n i n g a n d i t w a s n o w 7
o c l o c k i n t h e e v e n i n g . " J o s e p h Fa r i n g t o n , 2 2 n d A u g u s t 1 8 0 1 ( d i a r y e n t r y )

STORIES CONT.
" I b e g a n w o r k a t t h e m i l l i n B r a d f o rd w h e n I w a s n i n e y e a r s o l d w e
b e g a n a t s i x i n t h e m o rn i n g a n d w o r ke d u n t i l n i n e a t n i g h t . W h e n
b u s i n e s s w a s b r i s k , w e b e g a n a t fi v e a n d w o r ke d u n t i l t e n i n t h e
e v e n i n g . " H a n n a h B r o w n , in t e r v i e w e d i n 1 8 3 2
" Ve r y o ft e n t h e c h i l d re n a re w o ke n a t f o u r i n t h e m o rn i n g . T h e c h i l d re n
a re c a rr i e d o n t h e b a c k s o f t h e o l d e r ch i l d re n a s l e e p t o t h e m i l l , a n d
t h e y s e e n o m o re o f t h e i r p a re n t s t i l l t h e y g o h o m e a t n i g h t a n d a re s e n t
t o b e d . " R i c h a r d Oa s t le r, i n t e r v i e w e d i n 1 8 3 2
" Wo o d w a rd a n d o t h e r o v e r l o o ke r s u s e d t o b e a t m e w i t h p i e c e s o f t h i c k
l e a t h e r s t r a p s m a d e s u p p l e b y o i l , a n d h a v i n g a n i ro n b u c k l e a t t h e e n d ,
d re w b l o o d a l m o s t e v e r y t i m e i t w a s a p p l i e d . " J o h n B r o w n q u o t e d i n
the "Lion" newspaper in 1828
" S a r a h G o l d i n g w a s p o o r l y a n d s o s h e s t o p p e d h e r m a c h i n e . J a m e s B i rc h ,
t h e o v e r l o o ke r , k n o c ke d h e r t o t h e fl o o r. S h e g o t u p a s w e l l a s s h e c o u l d .
H e k n o c ke d h e r d o w n a g a i n . T h e n s h e w a s c a rr i e d t o h e r h o u s e . . . . . . . s h e
w a s f o u n d d e a d i n h e r b e d . T h e re w a s a n o t h e r g i r l ca l l e d M a r y. . . . . . s h e
k n o c ke d h e r f o o d c a n t o t h e fl o o r. T h e m a s t e r , M r. N e w t o n , k i c ke d h e r
a n d c a u s e d h e r t o w e a r a w a y t i l l s h e d i e d . T h e re w a s a n o t h e r , C a ro l i n e
Thompson, who was beaten till she went out of her mind. The
o v e r l o o ke r s u s e d t o c u t o ff t h e h a i r o f a n y g i r l ca u g h t t a l k i n g t o a l a d .
T h i s h e a d s h a v i n g w a s a d re a d f u l p u n i s h m e n t . We w e re m o re a f r a i d o f i t
t h a n a n y o t h e r p u n i s h m e n t f o r g i r l s a re p ro u d o f t h e i r h a i r. " A n
i n t e r v i e w i n 1 8 4 9 w i t h a n u n k n o w n w o m a n w h o w o r ke d i n a c ot t o n

STORIES CONT.
" Whe n I was s even ye ars old I we nt to work at M r Marshalls
factor y at Shre wsb ury. I f a child b ecame sle epy, th e ove rlooker
touche s the ch ild on the shoulde r and says " come he re ". In the
corne r of th e room the re is an iron c iste rn fi lle d with w ate r. He
take s the boy by the le gs and dips him in the ciste rn , an d the n
se nds him back to w ork." Jona than D ow ne in terv iew ed in
Ju ne 1 8 3 2
" I have s ee n my maste r, Luke Taylor , with a h or se w hip standing
ou tside th e mill whe n the c hildre n have come too late.........he
lash ed the m all the way to the mill." John Fai rbrother, an
overl ooker, interv i ew ed in 1 8 1 9
" I work at the silk mill. I am an ove rlooker and I h ave to
sup erinte nd the childre n at the mill. Their stren gth g oe s towards
th e e ve ning and the y ge t tire d. I have be e n compe lle d to urge
th em to w ork whe n I kne w the y cou ld not be ar it. I have be e n
disguste d with myse lf. I felt myse lf d e grade d and re duce d to the
le ve l of a slave -driver. W ill ia m R astrick, i nterv iew ed i n 1 8 32

BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.mylearning.org/jpage.asp?
jpageid=2387&journeyid=533
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/children_industri
al_revolution.htm
History notebook

THANK YOU