Life In Factory
Describe and explain each of the following:
Work Hours:
1.) Work hours of Elizabeth Bentley.-from five in the morning till nine at night.
2. The Sadler Bill stated that children under the age of ___10__ should not work more than ___10_ hours a day.
Food in the Factory: Describe the meals for each child worker:
3.) John Birley:water porridge with oatcake and onions to flavor it. For dinner, they were given Derbyshire oatcakes cut into four pieces, with one stack buttered and the other treacled. They also had cans of milk to drink with their meal.
4.) Mathew Crabtree:Mathew Crabtree said that the food they had to eat at the mill was covered by flues from the wool, and they had to blow it off with their mouth and pick it off with their fingers before they could eat it. They were forced to eat their meals while still working, resulting in their food being covered in dust from the cloth.
5.) Sarah Carpenter:
Sarah Carpenter had a similar experience with her meals at the factory. She mentioned that the food was often covered in dust and fibers from the cloth making process. They would have to quickly eat their meals while still working, not having enough time to properly enjoy or digest their food.
Living Conditions in the Factory:
6.) Elizabeth Bentley slept in a cold, damp room with no bed, blanket or pillow. She had to make do with some straw and a sack for sleeping. The only source of warmth in the room was a small fire made from scraps of wood.
7.) John Birley shared a small room with several other children, sleeping on piles of dirty straw. The room was cramped and dirty, with no proper sanitation facilities.
8.) Mathew Crabtree mentioned that the living conditions in the factory were incredibly poor, with children having to sleep in overcrowded, dirty rooms with no proper bedding or heating. The lack of hygiene and sanitation resulted in many children falling ill.
9.) Sarah Carpenter described her living conditions as dark, dirty and crowded. She slept on a hard bed made of straw, with no proper bedding to keep her warm at night. The lack of privacy and comfort made her feel miserable and homesick.
Overall, life in the factory was incredibly difficult for child workers during the Industrial Revolution. They faced long working hours, inadequate and unhealthy food, and poor living conditions, all of which took a toll on their physical and emotional well-being.
Physical Deformities:
6.) Look at the picture. If you had to give a title to this photo, what would it be?
7.) What happened to the bones of the child workers because they stood for long periods of time?
8.) What effects did the factory work have on girls when they tried to have a child?
9.) After William Dodd had his hand amputated, what did the doctors discover?
Factory Pollution:
10.) What diseases were the result of working in these factories with poor ventilation?
Work House Children:
11.) What is a pauper prentice?
12.) Explain why the Workhouse created housing for children rather than a family.
13.) How did George Courtavid and his silk mill keep children for many years? Why do you think he was paid to take the kids?
6.) The title of the photo could be "Physical Deformities Caused by Factory Work".
7.) Prolonged standing for long hours in the factories often resulted in deformities in the bones of child workers, particularly in their legs and feet. Many children suffered from conditions such as bowed legs, crooked spines, and feet deformities due to the strain of standing for extended periods of time.
8.) The harsh working conditions in factories often took a toll on the health of young girls, affecting their ability to have children later in life. Many girls who worked in factories during the Industrial Revolution suffered from reproductive health issues, leading to difficulties in conceiving or carrying a child to full term.
9.) After William Dodd had his hand amputated, the doctors discovered that his lungs were damaged from inhaling the dust and fibers in the factory. This likely contributed to his poor health and the necessity of the amputation.
10.) Working in factories with poor ventilation often led to various respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, tuberculosis, and lung cancer. The dust and pollutants in the air caused by the manufacturing processes could severely damage the lungs and lead to chronic health issues.
11.) A pauper prentice was a child who was given as an apprentice to a trade or craft in exchange for being supported by the parish or a workhouse. These children were often orphans or came from impoverished families, and the apprenticeship was a way for them to learn a trade and gain a skill while being provided for by the community.
12.) The Workhouse created housing for children rather than families because they believed that separating children from their families would prevent them from inheriting the poverty and dependency of their parents. The Workhouse system aimed to provide children with education, training, and discipline to help them break the cycle of poverty.
13.) George Courtavid and his silk mill kept children for many years by offering them shelter, food, and the promise of a better life. Many children were enticed to work in mills and factories by the prospect of earning a wage and escaping poverty. Courtavid likely received payment for taking in these children as cheap labor for his mill, benefiting financially from their work.
Punishments:
14 & 15..) Pick 2 of the 4 and explain their stories of punishments in the factories.
Tom Birks, William Hughes, Sarah Gooding, Charlotte Smith
14.) Tom Birks: Tom Birks was a child worker in a factory during the Industrial Revolution. He faced harsh punishments for various infractions, such as being late or making mistakes in his work. One particular incident involved Tom accidentally dropping a piece of machinery, which resulted in his supervisor severely beating him with a cane. This physical punishment left Tom with bruises and injuries, but he was expected to continue working despite the pain.
15.) Charlotte Smith: Charlotte Smith, a young girl working in a textile factory, also experienced brutal punishments for minor mistakes or disobedience. One day, Charlotte was caught talking to a coworker during work hours, which was strictly forbidden. As a punishment, her supervisor locked her in a dark, cold room for several hours without food or water. This cruel punishment left Charlotte terrified and traumatized, reinforcing the harsh and oppressive environment in the factory.