Old Cotton Mills Words Set to Roast Beef of Old England
Workhouse Children
Many parents were unwilling to permit their children to work in these new textile factories. To overcome this labour shortage manufactory owners had to notice other ways of obtaining workers. One solution to the problem was to purchase children from orphanages and workhouses. The children became known every bit pauper apprentices. This involved the children signing contracts that most made them the property of the manufactory owner.
John Brownish, the author of Robert Blincoe'south Memoir, explained how 80 children were taken from St. Pancras Workhouse: "In the summer of 1799 a rumour circulated that there was going to be an agreement between the church wardens and the overseers of St. Pancras Workhouse and the owner of a great cotton mill, nearly Nottingham. The children were told that when they arrived at the cotton mill, they would be transformed into ladies and gentlemen: that they would be fed on roast beef and plum pudding, be allowed to ride their masters' horses, and take silver watches, and plenty of cash in their pockets. In August 1799, lxxx boys and girls, who were vii years old, or were considered to be that age, became parish apprentices till they had acquired the age of twenty-one."
Robert Blincoe was disappointed when he arrived at Lowdam Mill, ten miles from Nottingham. "There was no cloth laid on the tables, to which the newcomers had been accustomed in the workhouse - no plates, nor knives, nor forks. At a signal given, the apprentices rushed to this door, and each, as he fabricated way, received his portion, and withdrew to his identify at the tabular array. Blincoe was startled, seeing the boys pull out the fore-part of their shirts, and holding it up with both hands, received the hot boiled potatoes allotted for their supper. The girls, less indecently, held upward their muddy, greasy aprons, that were saturated with grease and dirt, and having received their allowance, scampered off as difficult every bit they could, to their respective places, where, with a slap-up appetite, each apprentice devoured her allowance, and seemed anxiously to look about for more. Next, the hungry coiffure ran to the tables of the newcomers, and voraciously devoured every chaff of bread and every driblet of porridge they had left."
Pauper apprentices were cheaper to house than adult workers. It cost Samuel Greg who owned the large Quarry Depository financial institution Factory at Styal, a £100 to build a cottage for a family unit, whereas his amateur house, that toll £300, provided living accommodation for over 90 children. At get-go the children came from local parishes such as Wilmslow and Macclesfield, only afterward he went equally far as Liverpool and London to notice these young workers. To encourage manufacturing plant owners to accept workhouse children, people like Greg were paid between £ii and £4 for each child they employed. Greg likewise demanded that the children were sent to him with "two shifts, two pairs of stockings and two aprons".
(If you are enjoying this article, please feel complimentary to share. You tin can follow John Simkin on Twitter and Google+ or subscribe to our monthly newsletter)
The same approach was taken by the owners of silk mills. George Courtauld, who owned a silk mill in Braintree, Essex, took children from workhouses in London. Although offered children of all ages he usually took them from "inside the age of ten and thirteen". Courtauld insisted that each child arrived "with a complete change of mutual clothing". A contract was signed with the workhouse that stated that Courtauld would be paid £v for each child taken. Another £five was paid after the child's first year. The children also signed a contract with Courtauld that leap them to the factory until the age of 21. This helped to reduce Courtauld'south labour costs. Whereas adult males at Courtauld's mills earned 7s. 2d., children under eleven received just 1s. 5d. a calendar week.
These children were sometimes taken from their parents past force: John Betts wrote a alphabetic character to the radical announcer, Richard Carlile, to explicate what was happening: "In 1805 when Samuel Davy was seven years of age he was sent from the workhouse in Southwark in London to Mr. Watson's Manufactory at Penny Dam near Preston. Later his brother was also sent to piece of work in a mill. The parents did non know where Samuel and his brother were. The loss of her children, and then preyed on the mind of Samuel's mother that information technology brought on insanity, and she died in a state of madness."
Owners of big textile mills purchased big numbers of children from workhouses in all the large towns and cities. By the late 1790s about a 3rd of the workers in the cotton industry were pauper apprentices. Kid workers were peculiarly predominant in large factories in rural areas. For case, in 1797, of the 310 wortkers employed by Birch Robinson & Co in the hamlet of Backbarrow, 210 were parish apprentices. However, in the major material towns, such as Manchester and Oldham, parish apprenticeships was fairly uncommon.
Primary Sources
(i) Alphabetic character from John Betts to Richard Carlile (24th February, 1828)
In 1805 when Samuel Davy was 7 years of age he was sent from the workhouse in Southwark in London to Mr. Watson's Mill at Penny Dam nearly Preston. Later his brother was also sent to piece of work in a manufactory. The parents did not know where Samuel and his blood brother were. The loss of her children, then preyed on the listen of Samuel'south mother that it brought on insanity, and she died in a state of madness.
(2) Sarah Carpenter, interviewed in The Ashton Chronicle (23rd June, 1849)
My father was a glass blower. When I was eight years quondam my father died and our family had to go to the Bristol Workhouse. My blood brother was sent from Bristol workhouse in the aforementioned way as many other children were - cart-loads at a fourth dimension. My mother did not know where he was for two years. He was taken off in the expressionless of nighttime without her knowledge, and the parish officers would never tell her where he was.
It was the female parent of Joseph Russell who first found out where the children were, and told my mother. We set up off together, my mother and I, we walked the whole way from Bristol to Cressbrook Mill in Derbyshire. We were many days on the road.
Mrs. Newton fondled over my mother when we arrived. My mother had brought her a present of little glass ornaments. She got these ornaments from some of the workmen, thinking they would be a very dainty present to carry to the mistress at Cressbrook, for her kindness to my brother. My brother told me that Mrs. Newton's fondling was all a bullheaded; but I was so young and foolish, and then glad to meet him again; that I did not listen what he said, and could non be persuaded to leave him. They would not let me stay unless I would have the shilling binding money. I took the shilling and I was very proud of it.
They took me into the counting house and showed me a piece of paper with a red sealed horse on which they told me to touch, and then to make a cross, which I did. This meant I had to stay at Cressbrook Manufactory till I was twenty one.
(3) John Birley interviewed in The Ashton Chronicle (19th May, 1849)
I was born in Hare Street, Bethnal Green, London, in the twelvemonth 1805. My begetter died when I was two years onetime, leaving two children, myself and Sarah my sister. My female parent kept the states both till I was about five years erstwhile, and then she took desperately and was taken to the London Hospital. My sister and I were taken to the Bethnal Green Workhouse. My mother died and we stayed in the workhouse. We had good food, good beds and given liberty two or three times a week. We were taught to read and in every respect were treated kindly.
The aforementioned year my female parent died, I being between six and seven years of historic period, in that location came a man looking for a number of parish apprentices. Nosotros were all ordered to come into the board room, nearly forty of us. There were, I dare say, about twenty gentlemen seated at a table, with pens and paper before them. Our names were called out one past one. We were all standing before them in a row. My name was called and I stepped out in the middle of the room. They said, "Well John, you are a fine lad, would y'all like to go into the country?" I said "Aye sir".
Nosotros had often talked over among ourselves how we should like to exist taken into the state, Mr. Nicholls the old master, used to tell us what fine sport we should have amidst the hills, what time nosotros should have for play and pleasure. He said we should have plenty of roast beef and get plenty of money, and come dorsum gentlemen to see our friends.
The committee picked out virtually twenty of united states of america, all boys. In a day or two afterward this, two coaches came up to the workhouse door. We were got ready. They gave us a shilling piece to have our attention, and nosotros prepare off. I tin can remember a crowd of women standing past the coaches, at the workhouse door, crying "shame on them, to transport poor little children abroad from home in that fashion." Some of them were weeping. I heard one say, "I would run away if I was them." They drove united states to the Paddington Canal, where there was a boat provided to have us.
(4) John Brown, A Memoir of Robert Blincoe (1828)
In the summer of 1799 a rumour circulated that there was going to be an agreement between the church wardens and the overseers of St. Pancras Workhouse and the owner of a slap-up cotton wool manufacturing plant, well-nigh Nottingham. The children were told that when they arrived at the cotton manufacturing plant, they would be transformed into ladies and gentlemen: that they would be fed on roast beefiness and plum pudding, exist allowed to ride their masters' horses, and take silver watches, and enough of cash in their pockets. In August 1799, eighty boys and girls, who were vii years old, or were considered to be that age, became parish apprentices till they had acquired the age of 20-one.
(5) George Courtauld, letter to Mr. Isle of mann (11th December, 1813)
I have 8 children coming from Islington on Tuesday next and 8 or 10 more on Thursday. I had my choice from upwardly of 50 girls of dissimilar ages and accustomed all but one that were within the age of 10 and xiii. They are from a very well-conducted workhouse and I really expect and earnestly promise that by continued care and attention my establishment of apprentices volition prove a plant nursery of respectable young women fitted for whatever of the humble walks of life.
Source: https://spartacus-educational.com/IRworkhouse.htm
Post a Comment for "Old Cotton Mills Words Set to Roast Beef of Old England"