Does anyone know if there was a minimum working age for working in a shop from 1910 - 1920 and if so, what it was. This is to do with someone leaving home to work and live about 30 miles away from the family home.
Jean
Minimum age for working.....
Moderator: Global Moderators
-
Jean Jeanie
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 1288
- Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2004 6:54 pm
- Location: Stafford West Mids
-
Guest
Hello Jean Jeanie,In 1840s children as young as 4-5 worked very long hours .They could be used to beat the bush for game for example from 4am till 7-8 pm.A law passed in 1842 forbid women ,girls and boys under the age of 12 from working in the mines.This lead to the Education act of 1870(one of many)It introduced the principle of compulsory education .By 1891 school attendance was set at 5-10 and increased to 14 in 1902 and 15 in 1944.In 1891 the minimum age for a child to be sent to work went from 10-11.So to answer your question I guess someone would have to be (or convince their employers they were)14 in 1910.
I found a reference to a site that deals with child labour a while back and found it very informative (and horrifying).You might want to browse it yourself.It's located at:
Encyclopaedia of British History: Child Labour 1750-1850
www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/IRchild.main.htm
Happy hunting
HK
I found a reference to a site that deals with child labour a while back and found it very informative (and horrifying).You might want to browse it yourself.It's located at:
Encyclopaedia of British History: Child Labour 1750-1850
www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/IRchild.main.htm
Happy hunting
HK
-
StewL
- Posts: 1396
- Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 12:59 am
- Location: Perth Western Australia
I am not too sure about the ages in 1910 ( 
me being a social worker who has read considerable literature on the issue of childhood, and its inception. I was a children's studies major in my first degree).
I will look for the site I got heaps of information on later.
I do know that in 1933 my late father left school and went to work for his uncle when his father died, he was the eldest child. So I assume he had some permission to leave school to go to work at 12 years of age??
me being a social worker who has read considerable literature on the issue of childhood, and its inception. I was a children's studies major in my first degree). I will look for the site I got heaps of information on later.
I do know that in 1933 my late father left school and went to work for his uncle when his father died, he was the eldest child. So I assume he had some permission to leave school to go to work at 12 years of age??
Stewie
Searching for: Anderson, Balks, Barton, Courtney, Davidson, Downie, Dunlop, Edward, Flucker, Galloway, Graham, Guthrie, Higgins, Laurie, Mathieson, McLean, McLuckie, Miln, Nielson, Payne, Phillips, Porterfield, Stewart, Watson
Searching for: Anderson, Balks, Barton, Courtney, Davidson, Downie, Dunlop, Edward, Flucker, Galloway, Graham, Guthrie, Higgins, Laurie, Mathieson, McLean, McLuckie, Miln, Nielson, Payne, Phillips, Porterfield, Stewart, Watson
-
StewL
- Posts: 1396
- Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 12:59 am
- Location: Perth Western Australia
Well as promised I had a look, but actual information on dates is a bit thin on the ground, like looking for long lost ancestors 
Excuse the repeats in the following, they are taken from a few different sources, and I apologise to the original authors and my lecturers for not referencing them Harvards style.
The first Factory Act was passed by Parliament in 1833. Under the terms of the new act, it became illegal for children under nine to work in textile factories and children aged between nine and thirteen could not be employed for more than eight hours a day. However, children over thirteen could still work for up to twelve hours a day.
To make sure this legislation was obeyed, the government appointed four factory inspectors. The inspectors were soon complaining that they were having great difficulty checking the ages of the children working in the factories. Although factory children had to obtain age certificates from local doctors it soon became clear that this was not stopping children under nine from working in textile factories.
By the end of the 19th century seven more factory acts had been passed to offer adults and children more protection. Amongst numerous reforms, employers were now obliged to make sure their machinery was (relatively) safe, women had the right to four weeks off work after giving birth, and the minimum age for child workers had been raised from ten to eleven. All of these measures were considered radical at the time.
The acts of 1904 and 1908 deal with many other offences in relation to children and young persons. The act of 1904 introduced restrictions on the employment of children which lie on the border land between cruelty and the regulation of child labour. It prohibits custodians of children from taking them, or letting them be, in the street or in' public-houses to sing, play, perform or sell between 9 P.M. and 6 A.M. These provisions apply to boys under fourteen and girls under sixteen. There are further prohibitions (i) on allowing children under eleven to sing, play, perform or be exhibited for profit, or offer anything for sale in public-houses or places of public amusement at any hour without a licence from a justice, which is granted only as to children over ten and under stringent conditions; (2) on allowing children under sixteen to be trained as acrobats, contortionists, or circus performers, or for any dangerous performance; and the Children's Dangerous Performances Act 1879, as amended in 1897, makes it an offence to employ a male young person under sixteen and a female under eighteen in a dangerous public performance.
The act of 1908 renders liable to a fine not exceeding 25, or alternatively, or in addition thereto, imprisonment with or without hard labour for any term not exceeding three months, any custodian, &c., of any child or young. person who allows him to be in any street, premises or place for the purpose of begging or receiving alms, or of inducing the giving of alms, whether or not there is a pretence of singing, playing, performing or offering anything for sale. An important departure in the act of 1908 was the attempt to prevent the exposure of children to the risk of burning. Any custodian, &c., of a child under seven who allows that child to be in a room Containing an open grate not sufficiently protected to guard against the risk of burning or scalding is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding 10. Provision is made against allowing children between the ages of four and sixteen to be in brothels; it is also made a misdemeanour if any custodian, &c., of a girl under sixteen causes or encourages her seduction or prostitution, and any person having the custody of a young girl may be bound over to exercise proper care if it is shown to the satisfaction of a court of summary jurisdiction, on the complaint of any person, that she is exposed to such risk.
Excuse the repeats in the following, they are taken from a few different sources, and I apologise to the original authors and my lecturers for not referencing them Harvards style.
The first Factory Act was passed by Parliament in 1833. Under the terms of the new act, it became illegal for children under nine to work in textile factories and children aged between nine and thirteen could not be employed for more than eight hours a day. However, children over thirteen could still work for up to twelve hours a day.
To make sure this legislation was obeyed, the government appointed four factory inspectors. The inspectors were soon complaining that they were having great difficulty checking the ages of the children working in the factories. Although factory children had to obtain age certificates from local doctors it soon became clear that this was not stopping children under nine from working in textile factories.
By the end of the 19th century seven more factory acts had been passed to offer adults and children more protection. Amongst numerous reforms, employers were now obliged to make sure their machinery was (relatively) safe, women had the right to four weeks off work after giving birth, and the minimum age for child workers had been raised from ten to eleven. All of these measures were considered radical at the time.
The acts of 1904 and 1908 deal with many other offences in relation to children and young persons. The act of 1904 introduced restrictions on the employment of children which lie on the border land between cruelty and the regulation of child labour. It prohibits custodians of children from taking them, or letting them be, in the street or in' public-houses to sing, play, perform or sell between 9 P.M. and 6 A.M. These provisions apply to boys under fourteen and girls under sixteen. There are further prohibitions (i) on allowing children under eleven to sing, play, perform or be exhibited for profit, or offer anything for sale in public-houses or places of public amusement at any hour without a licence from a justice, which is granted only as to children over ten and under stringent conditions; (2) on allowing children under sixteen to be trained as acrobats, contortionists, or circus performers, or for any dangerous performance; and the Children's Dangerous Performances Act 1879, as amended in 1897, makes it an offence to employ a male young person under sixteen and a female under eighteen in a dangerous public performance.
The act of 1908 renders liable to a fine not exceeding 25, or alternatively, or in addition thereto, imprisonment with or without hard labour for any term not exceeding three months, any custodian, &c., of any child or young. person who allows him to be in any street, premises or place for the purpose of begging or receiving alms, or of inducing the giving of alms, whether or not there is a pretence of singing, playing, performing or offering anything for sale. An important departure in the act of 1908 was the attempt to prevent the exposure of children to the risk of burning. Any custodian, &c., of a child under seven who allows that child to be in a room Containing an open grate not sufficiently protected to guard against the risk of burning or scalding is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding 10. Provision is made against allowing children between the ages of four and sixteen to be in brothels; it is also made a misdemeanour if any custodian, &c., of a girl under sixteen causes or encourages her seduction or prostitution, and any person having the custody of a young girl may be bound over to exercise proper care if it is shown to the satisfaction of a court of summary jurisdiction, on the complaint of any person, that she is exposed to such risk.
Stewie
Searching for: Anderson, Balks, Barton, Courtney, Davidson, Downie, Dunlop, Edward, Flucker, Galloway, Graham, Guthrie, Higgins, Laurie, Mathieson, McLean, McLuckie, Miln, Nielson, Payne, Phillips, Porterfield, Stewart, Watson
Searching for: Anderson, Balks, Barton, Courtney, Davidson, Downie, Dunlop, Edward, Flucker, Galloway, Graham, Guthrie, Higgins, Laurie, Mathieson, McLean, McLuckie, Miln, Nielson, Payne, Phillips, Porterfield, Stewart, Watson
-
Brandane
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 3:29 pm
Child Labour
An excellent article from Stewl. Just to throw my two pence worth into the discussion. Here in Scotland ( and U.K in general ) The enumerators of the 1841 census were giving instructions that, when it came to showing age, those figures were to be rounded up or down to the nearest 5. Why this instruction was given, nobody is really sure, but you can imagine it could make quite a difference where children were concerned.
In an 1851 Census extract, one of my ancestors is shown to be 12 years old and employed as a " Cotten Loom Worker ".
regards Hillhouse
Researching Miller, Halliday, Steel.
In an 1851 Census extract, one of my ancestors is shown to be 12 years old and employed as a " Cotten Loom Worker ".
regards Hillhouse
Researching Miller, Halliday, Steel.
-
DavidWW
- Posts: 5057
- Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 9:47 pm
Re: Child Labour
HillhouseBrandane wrote:An excellent article from Stewl. Just to throw my two pence worth into the discussion. Here in Scotland ( and U.K in general ) The enumerators of the 1841 census were giving instructions that, when it came to showing age, those figures were to be rounded up or down to the nearest 5. Why this instruction was given, nobody is really sure, but you can imagine it could make quite a difference where children were concerned.
In an 1851 Census extract, one of my ancestors is shown to be 12 years old and employed as a " Cotten Loom Worker ".
regards Hillhouse
Researching Miller, Halliday, Steel.
The 1841 rounding down did not apply to children below the age of 15. In other words a 19 year old would be shown as 15, but a 14 year old would be shown as that age (as long as the enumerator followed his instructions!).
The major problem can relate to the fairer sex, it not being unknown for, say, a 44 year old to report her age as 39 thereby appearing in the census as 35
The reason is quite simple! For statistical purposes it's sufficient to know how many people there are in each 5 year age range, i.e. 15 - 19, 20 - 24, and so on ..........
Orraverybest
Wullie