Child Labour in the Victorian
Age
In the 19th century, children lived in very difficult
conditions because they lived near factories and
in unhealthy flats with poor hygiene.
They had bad nutrition. They ate some bread,
pork, milk or cheese (not everyday).
This favoured infant mortality and diseases.
Why did children work?
They needed to work to
help their families
earn enough money
to live.
Why did people employ children?
Factory owners employed
children because:
• they were cheap
• they did not complain
• they had small fingers
• they could crawl under
• machines.
What kind of jobs did children do?
•
•
•
•
•
Chimney sweepers
Factory workers
Street sellers
Coal Mines
Crossing sweepers
Chimney sweepers
This work was dangerous and painful. Some
boys got stuck and died of suffocation
Factory workers
In textile mills children cleaned machines while
the machines were kept running, and there were
many accidents. Many children lost their fingers or
arms in the machinery and some were crushed by
the huge machines
The small child is
crawling under the
machine
Street sellers
Thousands of poor children worked and lived on
city streets.
They worked very long hours for very little money.
To buy bread they sold flowers, matches, ribbons,
buttons, bootlaces, polishes shoes.
Crossing-sweepers
A lot of poor children swept away horse-dung and other
rubbish in the road.
Coal Mines
Coal was the main source of power in Victorian
times.
It was used for cooking and heating, and for
driving machinery, trains and steam ships.
The coal mines were dangerous places where
roofs sometimes caved in, explosions happened
and workers often injured themselves.
In order to produce more coal, children of 5 years
old were used to mine it.
They worked for up to 12 hours a day.
Trappers
Trappers were children who
opened the air doors
providing ventilation for
the miners.
The sat in the dark for many
hours a day, they were
cold and afraid.
Part of a report on child labour (1842)
Drawers
Drawers were children who
pushed heavy coal carts
along tunnels in coal
mines
A girl pulls a cart of coal
(1842)
What was wrong with the working conditions for
children?
• They started working at the age of five
• Children worked very long hours with little
breaks and no fresh air.
• They often worked in very dangerous conditions
• There was no education for the poor, so they
could not get better paid jobs when they were
older.
• Children were paid very little because they were
younger
Laws to protect children
These are three laws passed by Parliament.
• 1841 Mines Act With this law children,
under the age of 10, could not work
underground in coal mines.
• 1847 Ten Hour Act No child could work
more than 10 hours in a day.
• 1874 Factory Act No child under the age
of 10 could be employed in a factory
Lord Shaftesbury
(1801-1885)
was a politician who fought in Parliament for laws
to protect working children.
Lord Shaftesbury meets children
working in a coal mine (1842).
• Life was not the same for
all children during the
Victorian times. The kind
of life a child had in the
Victorian times depended
on its family.
Life was not the same for all children during
the Victorian times. The kind of life
depended on its family.
Children from working class
families
•
•
•
•
had few luxuries.
ate poor food
worked long hours
lived in damp, dirty
conditions.
• Many children died of
disease.
Children from rich families
• usually well fed, clean
and well clothed.
• didn't need to work
• went on holidays
• had expensive toys
• had pets such as ponies.