The Conditions For Factory Workers In Nineteenth Century Britain

The Conditions For Factory Workers In Nineteenth Century Britain

In the nineteenth century some people thought that factories were the

best thing that ever created in Great Britain, however, workers inside

them thought differently.

No group was as exploited as children, who were put to work before

they could read or write.Children were employed in industry and

agriculture as soon as they started using their hands and were able to

walk. They worked in farms, mills, factories, coalmines and on the

streets. They sacrificed having an education for working long hours

for little money, working in unacceptable conditions for employers who

had no interest in safety.

Children were put to work because in cities with overpriced rents and

plenty of expenses, families could not get by on simply two incomes.

Children who worked indoors were often exposed to toxic fumes, extreme heat, and dangerous machinery. Those who worked in glass factories often cut or burned themselves on broken or hot glass. Children in textile mills were forced to breathe in dust and cotton fibers. Many suffered permanent lung damage. Small and nimble children were assigned to equipment that required quick motions. Those who operated machinery designed for adults often lost fingers. Working long days meant they sometimes fell asleep on the job, putting them at risk for serious injury. A Manchester spinner explains that they are "locked up in factories eight stories high, (the worker) has no relaxation till the ponderous engine stops, and then they go home to get refreshed for the next day; no time for sweet association with their families; they are all alike fatigued and exhausted."

In 1831, John Hobhou...

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...arse. This oatcake was

put into cans. Boiled milk and water was poured into it. This was our

breakfast and supper. Our dinner was potato pie with boiled bacon it,

a bit here and a bit there, so thick with fat we could scarce eat it,

though we were hungry enough to eat anything. Tea we never saw, nor

butter. We had cheese and brown bread once a year. We were only

allowed three meals a day though we got up at five in the morning and

worked till nine at night.

Matthew Crabtree was interviewed by Michael Sadler's Parliamentary

Committee (18th May, 1832):

I began work at Cook's of Dewsbury when I was eight years old. We had

to eat our food in the mill. It was frequently covered by flues from

the wool; and in that case they had to be blown off with the mouth,

and picked off with the fingers, before it could be eaten.