Sir R. Peel’s evidence before a committee of the House of Commons, 1816:—
“Having other pursuits, it was not often in my power to visit the factories, but whenever such visits were made I was struck with the uniform appearance of bad health, and, in many cases, stunted growth of the children. The hours of labour were regulated by the interests of the overseer, whose remuneration was regulated by the quantity of work done” (p. 9).
Evidence of John Moss, overseer of Blackbarrow Mill, near Preston (summarized):—
The children in the mill were almost all apprentices from London parishes. They were worked from five in the morning to eight at night all the year round, with only one hour for the two meals; in making up lost time they frequently worked from five in the morning till ten at night, and invariably they worked from six on the Sunday morning till twelve, in cleaning the machinery for the week!
| “Did the children sit or stand at work?” | “Stand.” |
| “The whole of their time?” | “Yes.” |
| “Were there any seats in the Mill?” | “None.” |
| “Were they usually much fatigued at night?” | “Yes, some of them were very much fatigued.” |
| “Where did they sleep?” | “They slept in the apprentice house.” |
| “Did you inspect their beds?” | “Yes, every night.” |
| “For what purpose?” | “Because there were always some of them missing; some sometimes might be run away. Others sometimes I have found asleep in the mill.” |
| “Upon the mill-floor?” | “Yes.” |
| “Did the children frequently lie down upon the mill floor at night when their work was over and fall asleep before their supper?” | “I have found them frequently upon the mill floor after the time they should have been in bed” (p. 10). |
Mr. Horner’s statements in the House of Commons, 6th June, 1815.
“These children were often sent one, two, or three hundred miles from their place of birth, separated for life from all relations. It had been known that with a bankrupt’s effect a gang ... of these children had been put up to sale and were advertised publicly as a part of the property ... a number of these boys, apprenticed by a parish in London to one manufacturer, had been transferred to another, and had been found by some benevolent persons in a state of absolute famine.... Not many years ago an agreement had been made between a London parish and a Lancashire manufacturer ... that with every twenty sound children, one idiot should be taken!” (p. 11).
Report of Commissioners, 1833, from Scotland, p. 41. Evidence of a Spinner.