Figure 1.--This photograph was taken at a mill near Oldham, a city near Manchester. I'm not sure about the date, probably about 1910. The boy was known a "piecer".

Mills especially the cotton mills in the English Midlands played an important roll in launching the industrial revolution and in the 19th century were the largest fabric garment manufctring center in the world. Children were employed in large numbers in the English cooton mills. As many parents resisted sending their children to work in the mills if it could be avoided, mill owbners would resort to othervmeasures to obtain child workers. Theywould buy children from the orphange and workhouses. Some of these children who were called pauper apprentices were required o work until 21 yers of age in the mills for minimal pay. Some of these absuses were ended in the late 19th century, but we hav few details at this time. The photograph here shows a mill in Oldham, Lancaster near Manchester.

Created: August 30, 2003
Last updated: September 2, 2003