Child labour in an industrial town : a study of child workers in Birmingham, 1750 to 1880
There has been extensive historical research into child labour in industries such as textiles and coal mining, but there has been little focus on children employed in Birmingham industries such as pin making and button making. This thesis illuminates the extent and nature of child labour in Birmingham and the significant contribution made by child workers to industrialisation between 1750 and 1880. It draws attention to the importance of children's earnings for family incomes and suggests that some families migrated to the town in search of paid employment for their children as well as adults. The attitudes of employers, Poor Law officials, parents and children towards early work are explored, finding that child workers were regarded as an integral part of the Birmingham economy. This thesis provides a case study of child labour and child workers in an industrial town. It uses a wide range of primary sources to highlight the experiences of thousands of child workers who were not bound as apprentices to employers, but engaged on a daily or weekly basis. It challenges the view that the employment of children in manufacturing was a relatively short-lived phenomenon during the early stages of industrialisation,
Nejedly, Mary
D204 Modern History ; DA Great Britain
Child labour in an industrial town : a study of child workers in Birmingham, 1750 to 1880. There has been extensive historical research into child labour in industries such as textiles and coal mining, but there has been little focus on children employed in Birmingham industries such as pin making and button making. This thesis illuminates the extent and nature of child labour in Birmingham and the significant contribution made by child workers to industrialisation between 1750 and 1880. It draws attention to the importance of children's earnings for family incomes and suggests that some families migrated to the town in search of paid employment for their children as well as adults. The attitudes of employers, Poor Law officials, parents and children towards early work are explored, finding that child workers were regarded as an integral part of the Birmingham economy. This thesis provides a case study of child labour and child workers in an industrial town. It uses a wide range of primary sources to highlight the experiences of thousands of child workers who were not bound as apprentices to employers, but engaged on a daily or weekly basis. It challenges the view that the employment of children in manufacturing was a relatively short-lived phenomenon during the early stages of industrialisation,
child_labour industrial_town study child worker birmingham extensive historical child_labour industry textiles coal_mining little focus child employ birmingham industry pin make making illuminates extent_nature child_labour birmingham significant make child worker industrialisation draws_attention importance child family suggest family migrate town search pay employment child well adult attitude employer poor_law official parent_child towards early_work explore find child worker regard integral_part birmingham economy provide case_study child_labour child worker industrial_town wide_range primary_source highlight experience thousand child worker bound apprentice employer engage daily weekly basis challenge_view employment child manufacture relatively_short lived phenomenon early_stage industrialisation