Living and working in industrial Britain. Flashcards
What was the main aim when employers were building houses at this time?
Maximum gain, minimum outlay. Efficient, cheap and low quality.
Name 3 generally unsatisfactory elements of these houses.
- Light: Very little natural light due to only one side of the house having windows.
- Build: Poor brick quality, foundations only go three bricks deep.
- Oil lamps, candles and fires burning but no ventilation -> respiratory issues.
What was one advantage of going for a ‘back’ house?
Cheaper; 1s10d a week, whereas houses opening into street were 2s6d
How many of the Brum popn lived in back to backs in 1801?
A third.
What caused the sanitation issues?
- Large groups of people living together.
- Cesspits not emptied as landlords wanted to save money.
- Waste seeped in to the ground, causing contaminated water.
How many did the 1831 cholera outbreak kill and where was it?
Sunderland, 32,000.
What did the 5th annual report for the poor law commission say in 1839?
That rich areas had had markable improvements in sewage infrastructure but the poor didn’t.
What social issue existed in these communities?
No communal spaces. Had to make makeshift inns etc.
What did model towns try to do? Give an example.
They tried to provide better housing and sanitation, schools and even institutes for adults to get a better education. Saltaire in Yorkshire.
What political effect have?
Distinct class consciousness emerged from the stark differences between the living conditions of the poor and rich.
What was the tricky part of the employment laws?
Hard to enforce.
What is another aspect of factory work that pertains to the individual?
Hard to foster independence. Factory workers were meant to function like automated machines.
When did working hours improve?
1833 factory act
How long was the day for men?
6 days long, 14 hours a day. Reforms never affected women and children. The day was always 10 hours at least in the 19th century.
What happened if you did anything that reduced productivity?
You were fined, helped employer to make up for lost profit. 10 hours late resulted in a fine of 2 hours wages.
What reform happened in 1844?
Specific reform aimed at reducing injuries. Injuries were very common.
How much did steal production go up between 1770 and 1850?
production of coal went from 6 million tons to 45 million
How did miners keep up with demand on coal? What risks did this cause?
Made the mines deeper. 90 meters in 18th century to 300 meters in 1850. High chance of floods, gas explosions or collapsing shafts.
What was the contract that miners had?
Miners ‘bound’ to present themselves when needed for an agreed amount of time but no guarantee of work.
Name a common role that women would take in mines?How did employers feel about female employees?
‘Hurrier’ hauling coal along a track. They liked to employ women as they can be paid less.
How much of the working population was under 20 in 1821?
41%
What were children often employed as? Give an anecdote for what often happened to child employees.
‘scavengers’, e.g. picking up spare bits of thread. 1859, 13yo Martha Appleton from Wigan lost the fingers of her left hand after
catching it in a machine & lost her job
What did the 1842 mining act do? When did further reform come?
1842 Mining Act:
○ Royal Commission into working conditions in mines, after a scandal over men and women working together and the tendency, due to the heat in the mines, to work naked → fears about loose morality led to the investigation, which highlighted the terrible conditions
○ The Act meant that women and children (inc boys under 10) couldn’t work underground
1850, which raised the limit for boys to 12 and introduced overall inspections, but did little to improve conditions
