Victorian Britain - Child Labour

1. Victorian children were forced to work as soon as they were old enough.

2. The children were used for jobs that adults could not do.

3. Thousands of children worked in Victorian factories, mines and workshops.

4. The children made up more than 25% of the Victorian workforce.

5. Victorian families were large and it was expected that children would contribute to the family income.

6. In Victorian times children’s hours were long, conditions dangerous and wages poor.

7. Children were employed because they were cheap and couldn’t complain.

8. In mines, before 1842, children as young as four sat underground in the dark opening doors for coal wagons.

9. Older children, known as putters, pulled tubs of coal, as they were small enough to crawl through the underground tunnels.

10. In mills, little children cleaned inside moving machinery.

11. Children, called piecers, repaired broken threads in cotton mills.

12. Young, thin boys were used to climb narrow, dirty chimneys to clean out soot.

13. In match factories, children were employed to dip matches into phosphorous, a dangerous chemical, which caused their teeth to rot.

14. Many poor children worked on the streets, polishing shoes, selling flowers or matches, or sweeping crossing places.

15. Children in the country also worked, picking up stones before the crops were sown or scaring birds away from the crops.

16. Their hours were long and the weather was wet and cold.

17. The lucky children got apprenticeships.

18. Accidents and deaths were common.

19. Some children were orphans or homeless children, some were sold to their employers eg chimney sweeps

20. Victorian philanthropists were aware of these situations and were keen to help

21. Barnardo wanted to provide homes for children

22. Lord Shaftesbury knew the working conditions were wrong and wanted to bring in new laws

23. Inspectors were sent round Britain to look at conditions for children and their reports debated in Parliament.

24. New laws were made throughout Victoria’s reign making it illegal to employ young children

25. However, there were still many children over the age of nine working when Queen Victoria died in 1901