Lecture Notes: Child Labour during the Industrial Revolution

Introduction

• The Industrial Revolution credited to figures like Matthew Boulton, William Murdoch, and James Watt.
• However, a crucial resource was often overlooked: children.
• Children were a significant part of the workforce during this time.
• There are no memorials for their contribution, but records and testimonies exist.

The Role of Children

• Children of the Industrial Revolution were the first generation of British working-class kids with documented experiences.
• Sources include diaries, letters, autobiographies, government reports, and newspaper interviews.

Personal Accounts

• Charles Bacon, a child worker from the 1870s, compared his experience to slavery.
• Many children didn't know what they were signing up for, believing false promises.

The Life of Child Workers

• Children were often taken from workhouses to become parish apprentices, essentially state-sponsored slavery.
• They were transported to remote mills, such as Quarry Bank Mill in Cheshire.
• Mills required minimal local manpower due to their remote locations.

Working Conditions

• State-of-the-art machinery operated by children as young as 7 or 8.
• Many injuries occurred due to exhaustion and dangerous conditions, e.g., barefoot work to prevent fires.
• Notable incident: A 13-year-old boy was killed by factory machinery.

Perspectives on Child Labour

• Some children saw work as an opportunity for independence and skill learning.
• They received basic education and regular meals, albeit with harsh working conditions and long hours.
• Child labour was crucial for industrial expansion, with machines designed for small, nimble fingers.

The Reality of Workhouses and Punishments

• The master of the apprentices, often cruel, maintained control through fear and punishment.
• Punishments included head shaving and isolation, e.g., Esther Price’s solitary confinement.

Conclusion

• The siphoning of orphans and the socially vulnerable into work did not fully meet industrial needs.
• The system harnessed children extensively with directives from government levels.
• The industrial expansion required a vast amount of cheap child labour.