Royal Commission
Extracts from the Royal Commission Report on the Employment of Children in Mines 1842
The following quotations are all taken from the evidence given to the Children’s Employment (Mines) Royal Commission, 1842.
Washer Boys were Young - There used to be Girls
"As miners’ boys grow up to be 10 or 11 years of age, they get employed in washing. Our Company does not take them earlier, nor does it employ any girls whatever. Formerly children of 8 or 9 would be employed, but not so of late years. We do not think it proper to employ girls. In some districts a few girls are employed by others. We do not think it suitable to the modesty and delicacy of the sex, to be so much associated in labour with boys."
John Parmley, agent for the mines of the Lead Company of London.
The Hours were Long; the Work was Wet and Cold
"I am 15. I work at washing lead-ore; I come at seven and leave at six, and have an hour for dinner. I like the work middling, not very well; it is cold work, and the wages are low. We often catch cold, very often it does not hurt us much. On Saturday we get up at four, and begin work at five, and leave off at one; we dine at 10 on that day; take only 20 minutes to it, and then go to work; On other days we dine at 12; we leave off at six and come home, and put on dry clothes. We have wooden soles to our shoes to protect our feet from wet, and iron about the heels, and iron about the sides, to make them strong."
Stephen Collingwood, washer boy.
In the Winter
"About 14 years of age I went into the mine for two or three winters. In summer I was employed in washing the ore; in winter it is impracticable, in frost weather, to wash the ore, it is too cold."
William Walton, miner, Allenheads Lead Mines
No 513 - William Crawhall, Esq., Agent for Mr Beaumont at these Mines
The whole of the children here employed, are engaged in washing ore, with the exception of two or three attending trap doors in the mine. No females of any age are allowed to work in any capacity in or about the mines. The children washing ore are rarely below 10 years of age, and the persons working underground rarely below 18 years of age. Adults generally work 5 days per week, and 6 hours in each day. Boys work from 7 to 7 exclusive of 1 hour and a half for meals. Corporal punishment is forbidden and never administered. Discharge is the greatest punishment. There is an excellent school here in which the miner’s children are taught for 1s 6d per quarter; there is also a reading room and a lending library...
No 515 - William Rodham
Aged 9 last January. Dresses ore; gets 7d a day. Has been here 2 summers. Works the same hours and the same way as the preceding witness. Whiles they lick him a little with their hands; the other boys do this, nothing to hurt (and chiefly from boyish quarrels amongst themselves). Can read (fairly), cannot write his name; goes to the Wesleyan Sunday School and Chapel often. Father is dead, was a miner. Has one brother ‘washing’ near here in lead mines.
No 516 - Anthony Johnson
Aged 16 last March. Has been here working 5 summers; this is the sixth. At first he worked the sieve of refuse, for 2 years; had 6d a day the first year and 8d the next. Then worked from 7 to 7, never later; an hour at 12 o’clock being allowed for meals. Next he went to lead washing, and has been at this ever since. The regular hours are from 7 to 7. There are 7 partnerships at this work and each partnership has 2 masters, and each of these partnerships has 7 or more boys under them, washing ore; starting from 9 or 10 years old, and continuing to about 18 years of age, or less. In the fore end of the year stops 2 or 3 hours later than usual sometimes. In the back end of the year, about September, stop always till midnight in their turns, so that it falls on each boy once or twice a week, excepting some little boys, to stop till midnight, from 7am. He himself stops trice or so a week in this way some weeks; this depends on the quantity of work to do.