Reports of special assistant poor law commissioners on the employment of women and children in agriculture.

  • Board of guardians
Date:
1843
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports of special assistant poor law commissioners on the employment of women and children in agriculture. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    Is work agreeable, or out-door preferred to in-door?- Out-door pre- ferred. What proportion of females are employed in out-door work compared with the total number in the parish?—The whole are employed in out-door work. Have you any diseases prevalent ?—Consumption and scrofula. What, is the rent of an average cottage?—Rent varies from 30s. per annum to 5/.; few are so high as bl., being a better class of house; the a verage cottage rent is 3/. 10s. What is the nature of your cottage accommodation ?—The first class of cottages two rooms, with pig-stye, &c. &c.; second class, one room, and v ery poor accommodation. Have you any clothing-clubs in the neighbourhood ?—We have no such clubs. Children. At what ages do the children go out to work?—14 or 15 years of age. What do they learn before going out to work, and if kept up ?—They g enerally attend the parochial schools until that time ; their education is not much attended to after they leave school. What sort of work are boys and girls employed in generally ?—Lisrht f arming work, the boys driving the ploughs, harrows, and carts, and the girls employed the same as the women. Do they work separately or together?—Separately. What are their hours of work ?—From eight in the morning till five in the evening. What is their usual diet and rest hours ?—Same as the women. What are the effects of employment on health ?—Good in general. What wages are they paid ?—From 4d. to 8d. per day. Are they taken from school to earn something by work, or kept at school hough they might earn something by work?—Taken from school in one or two of the summer months for the purpose of enabling their parents to realize something for the winter months, when work in this district is very scarce. Is there any domestic employment, as plaiting, spinning, &c. ?—None in this district. If not, what do they do when not at school or employed out of doors ?— The elder children take charge of the younger children, to enable their parents to go out to work. Are parish apprentices common ?—Very uncommon ; when so bound, fee from ]/. to 3/. Do they receive any wages from their masters ?—No. How are they treated?—Generally very well. Evidence of the Rev. James Holmes, Vicar of the Parish of Kirkby- Fleetham. Women. What sort of out-door labour are women employed in ?—Agricultural. What are their wages ?—8d. a-day. What are their hours of work?—Eight hours, according to the season. What is their usual diet ?—Good and plentiful. What are their meal hours when at work ?—Breakfast at seven, dinner at twelve, supper at six. What are the effects of such employment on health and morals?—Ge- nerally good. Is there any domestic employment ?—No. Is there any allotment system; if any, size of allotments; if dug or