Conditions in Factories

As work move from the cottage industries into the factories the conditions in them became more and more talked about. There was increasing pressure for the government to do something about the number of injuries suffered, the hours worked, the general conditions and child labour.

Many factory owners believed it was up to them what they paid people and what the conditions were like in their factories. Government, they said should keep out of it. The number of injuries and deaths rose however and people like Robert Owen and Richard Oastler meant that laws were eventually used to stop the worst of the abuses.

KEY DATES

1802- Apprentices Act. Limited the working day and forced factory owners to teach their apprentices.

1833- Factory Act. Nobody under 9 to be employed and further limits of children's hours.

1842- Mines Act. Stopped women and children working underground.

1844- Factory Act. Maximum 12 hour day for women. Fencing of machinery.

1847- Ten Hour Act. Women and all under 18 to work a maximum 10 hour day.

1850-  Factory Act. Machinery only to operate from 6am-6pm.

1867- Factory Extension Act. To make all factory laws cover places that had less than 50 working there.

1895-  Factory Act. Children under 13 to work a maximum 30 hour week.

In a Manchester cotton mill in 1823 the following fines were in place:-

Having a window open                1 shilling fine

Being dirty at work                       1 shilling fine

Whistling                                          1 shilling fine

Being five minutes late               1 shilling fine

Here is a diary of a mill girl from 1842:-

4.30am Get up.    5.30am Starts work at the factory.    7.30am A quick breakfast.    Midday. Stops the machine and cleans it. Goes home for some soup and bread.    1.00pm Back at work.    7.00pm Stops work and cleans machine.    7.30 Goes home.

Note the child having to clean underneath the working machine.

It was certainly true that this was the picture for most factory owners. However, there were some very notable exceptions. Robert Owen with his Factory in New Lanark was one of the most famous. He set up a factory which limited the hours a person could work. He would not have any child under 10 working for him. He offered free education and health care to his workers and their families. He had houses built for them and even paid them during times when cotton was not available for the workers to use. He forbade anyone hitting children in his workplace and made sure they had a ready supply of cheap and high quality food. He certainly did this for good reasons but he tried to show other factory owners that they would benefit in the long run, as a healthy and happy workforce were a productive workforce.

Robert Owen's ideal factory at New Lanark

There are others like him. You may like to find out about Samuel Gregg and Titus Salt.