Case Study 'China' - Topic 7 Flashcards
what was the population of of Merthyr in 1851? Why had it grown so much?
46,400
reason = development of the iron industry
how did the development of the iron industry affect merthyr?
the iron industry transformed Merthyr. the town grew around 4 great ironworks, each of which had its own furnaces, workshops and a village of houses for its workers
what did the Merthyr ironmasters also do?
they opened up their own coalmines in the area and employed as many people in the coalmines as they did in the ironworks.
when did Merthyr’s iron industry decline?
by the 1860s Merthyr’s iron-making days were over
why did the population of Merthyr grow so much?
due to the demand for workers in the ironworks and coalmines and this demand was met through the constant arrival of immigrants
how did Merthyr become overcrowded and unhealthy?
the ironmasters built houses for their workers which they crammed together but there was no planning laws or town council to regulate this expansion. Merthyr
what were the three types of housing in Merthyr?
terraced housing
‘courts’
‘cellar-dwellings’
can you describe the different types of housing in Merthyr and who they were for?
terraced housing - normally 2 or 3 rooms but no bathroom. for skilled workers
‘courts’ - poorer quality. shared toilet. houses built in a square with a yard in the centre. for unskilled workers
‘cellar dwellings’ - three storey houses. dark, windowless, damp. one room may be home to an entire family. for the poorest people
what were three issues of public health?
life expectancy, disease, water supply
how was life expectancy an issue in Merthyr?
- the average life expectancy of a worker was 22 years old
- highest death rate was among children
how was disease an issue in Merthyr?
- outbreaks were frequent due to the overcrowded, damp and dirty housing
- outbreaks of TB, smallpox and measles were frequent
- the most significant was cholera; outbreak in 1849 caused 1467 deaths
how was the water supply an issue in Merthyr?
- much of it was contaminated with waste from the ironworks
- many houses had no toilets so dumped waste onto the streets/rivers
- the supply of fresh water was extremely poor
can you describe poverty caused by the truck system?
ironmasters paid wages in tokens/trucks which were only used in ‘tommy’ shops however prices were generally higher there and so workers went into debt due to being encouraged to ‘buy on loan’
why did crime sometimes increase in Merthyr in the nineteenth century?
when the iron industry was doing well, law and order was relatively stable. However, during periods of high food prices due to bad harvests, there was an increase in lawlessness and disorder e.g. during the early 1840s
how can we divide the criminal acts?
- crime caused by POVERTY
- crimes connected to the IRONWORKS
- crimes associated with LEISURE TIME
- crimes of a SEXUAL NATURE
describe crime caused by poverty
mainly concerned theft. nearly 70% of all reported cases of theft were to do with stealing clothing, food and coal.
describe crimes connected to the ironworks
theft of company property, especially the stealing of coal. other crimes connected with this category included illegal strike activity or the destruction of company property
describe crimes associated with leisure time
most of the crimes in this category were related to drunkeness and disorderly behaviour
describe crimes of a sexual nature
the most common crime was stealing from the person by the towns prostitutes. the prostitutes of China were notorious for stealing from their clients
what was ‘China’ and what did it become known as? What had it become a den of?
an area of Merthyr
became known as ‘Little Hell’
a den of drunks, thieves, prostitutes and their minders
what was the most widespread crime in China and what were rodnies?
most widespread crimes were linked to prostitution and petty crime
rodnies were child thieves and pickpockets
describe attempts to police China during the 1840s
1840s = attempt to clean up China/restore law and order
1846-47 = over 50 criminals of the ‘empire’ were apprehended. Emperor and Empress (Benjamin Richards and Anne Evans) were arrested and sentenced to transportation but other criminals took their place
how was self-policing used in China?
- use of ceffyl pren
- e.g Anne Harman was accused of being unfaithful to her husband and so was forcibly placed on a ladder and carried through China to her mother’s house and was pelted with mud and stones. PUBLIC HUMILIATION
how was China finally conquered?
- it took time to establish a police presence and command respect
- by 1860 China was in decline
- continued police presence and sterner consequences were beginning to have an impact
- by 1870 many of the professional criminals moved to Cardiff
