Factory Reform - The Main Legislation

Question 1

(a) The Health and Morals of Apprentices Act 1802

Answer 1

• This was the work of Sir Robert Peel (senior). It was designed to help young apprentices working in textile mills.
  1. Apprentices were not to work more than 12 hours a day and not after 9.00 pm
  2. They were to be given 2 suits of clothes a year and sleep no more than 2 to a bed, with separate sleeping quarters for boys and girls.
• The weakness of the Act was that no inspectors were appointed to make sure that it was enforced; instead it was left to local magistrates who might be mill owners or connected with them

Question 2

(b) Factory Act 1833

Answer 2

• This again was the work of Sir Robert Peel who was influenced by the ideas of Robert Owen. The Act only applied to cotton mills
  1. No Children under the age of 9 could be employed
  2. Young people aged 9 to 16 must not work more than 12 hours a day.
• Once again no inspectors were appointed but the Act was an important step as it interfered with a parent’s decisions relating to their children.

Question 3

(c) Factory Act 1833 (part one)

Answer 3

• The 1833 was the first really effective piece of factory legislation which owed much to Lord Ashley.
  1. No child under 9 could be employed
  2. Children 9-13 could only work an 8 hour day and were to receive at least 2 hours of education per day
  3. Young children from 14-18 were limited to a 12 hour day
  4. 4 inspectors were appointed to supervise the working of the Act and had the power to enter any mill.

Question 4

(c) Factory Act 1833 (part two)

Answer 4

• While the Act was a great advance upon previous legislation, it was still a disappointment. It remained a problem establishing a child’s age. Poor parents needed the extra income. This difficulty was overcome by the compulsory registration of births, marriages and deaths in 1836. The education clauses were ineffective. Four inspectors were not enough to cover the whole country

Question 5

(d) The Factory Act of 1844

Answer 5

Peel was not in favour of a 0 hour day: 12 hours was as far as he would go.

1. Children could start work at 8 (instead of 9) which seemed a backward step but
2. Children aged 8 to 13 only work 6 1/2 hours a day
3. Women over 13 were limited to a 12 hour day
4. Women over 13 were limited to a 12 hour day
5. Dangerous machinery had to be fenced and meals eaten in a separate place

Question 6

(e) The Mines Act of 1842

Answer 6

Ashley got parliament to appoint a royal Commission on the Employment of Women and Children in Mines. Its report showed the dangerous and unpleasant jobs young children did. The public was deeply shocked by what the report revealed. A Mines Bill was introduced by Ashley, which passed the Commons but was amended in the Lords in its final form the Act:

1. Prevented the employment of women and girls in the mines and of boys under the age of 10 (Ashley’s original said no boys under 13).
2. One inspector was appointed to enforce the prevision but this was inadequate.