Primary resources
Background information on Michael Sadler.
Michael Sadler was a British member of Parliament who held hearings. He conducted interviews that told the stories of how children were treated in the textile factories. He launched a campaign to improve working conditions for farmworkers and providing better housing with the help of the churches. 3 years later, Sadler also proposed a law to improve the lives of children working in the British textile factories, including limiting the working hours to 10 hours. He soon gained supporters when he interviewed 89 child factory workers and brought the horrific conditions they endured to life. Sadler lost his seat in Parliament the following year but his report on child labor was still published, with The Testimony of Peter Smart and Elizabeth Bentley.
Michael Sadler was a British member of Parliament who held hearings. He conducted interviews that told the stories of how children were treated in the textile factories. He launched a campaign to improve working conditions for farmworkers and providing better housing with the help of the churches. 3 years later, Sadler also proposed a law to improve the lives of children working in the British textile factories, including limiting the working hours to 10 hours. He soon gained supporters when he interviewed 89 child factory workers and brought the horrific conditions they endured to life. Sadler lost his seat in Parliament the following year but his report on child labor was still published, with The Testimony of Peter Smart and Elizabeth Bentley.
Part of the testimony of peter smart
Sadler- "You say you were locked up all night and day?
Smart-" Yes"
Sadler-"Do the children ever try to escape?"
Smart-"Very often"
Sadler-"Were they pursued and brought back again?"
Smart-"Yes, the overseer pursued them, and brought them back."
Sadler-"Did you ever run away?"
Smart-"Yes, I ran away twice."
Sadler-"And you were brought back?"
Smart-"Yes; and I was sent up to the master's loft, and thrashed with a whip for running away."
Sadler-"Were you *bound to this man?"
Smart-"Yes, for six years."
Sadler-"By whom were you bound?"
Smart-"My mother got 15 **shillings for the six years."
*Bound= Required to work under contract.
**Shilling= A unit of British currency
Smart-" Yes"
Sadler-"Do the children ever try to escape?"
Smart-"Very often"
Sadler-"Were they pursued and brought back again?"
Smart-"Yes, the overseer pursued them, and brought them back."
Sadler-"Did you ever run away?"
Smart-"Yes, I ran away twice."
Sadler-"And you were brought back?"
Smart-"Yes; and I was sent up to the master's loft, and thrashed with a whip for running away."
Sadler-"Were you *bound to this man?"
Smart-"Yes, for six years."
Sadler-"By whom were you bound?"
Smart-"My mother got 15 **shillings for the six years."
*Bound= Required to work under contract.
**Shilling= A unit of British currency
part of the Testimony of Elizabeth Bentley
Sadler-"What age are you?"
Bentley-"Twenty-three."
Sadler-"Where do you live?"
Bentley-"At Leeds."
Sadler-"What time did you begin to work at a factory?"
Bentley-"When I was six years old."
Sadler-"At who's factory did you work?"
Bentley-"Mr.Busk's."
Sadler-"What kind of mill is it?"
Bentley-"*Flax-Mill"
Sadler-"What was your business in that mill?"
Bentley-"I was a little **doffer."
Sadler-"What were your hours of labour in that mill?"
Bentley-"From 5 in the morning till 9 at night, when they were ***thronged."
Sadler-"For how long at a time together have you worked that excessive length of time?"
Bentley-"For about half a year."
Sadler-"What were your usual hours when you were not so thronged?"
Bentley-"From six in the morning till 7 at night."
Sadler-"What time was allowed for your meals?"
Bentley-"Forty minuets at noon."
Sadler-"Had you any time to get your breakfast or drinking?"
Bentley-"No, we got it as we could."
Sadler-"And when your work was bad, you had hardly any time to eat it at all?"
Bentley-"No; we were obligated to leave it or take it home, and when we did not take it, the overlooker took it, and gave it to his pigs."
*Flax-Mill= Place that processed flax, or fiber, for yarn and linen.
**Doffer= A worker who replaced bobbins, spools onto which newly spun yarn was wound with empty spools.
***Thronged= Very busy.
Bentley-"Twenty-three."
Sadler-"Where do you live?"
Bentley-"At Leeds."
Sadler-"What time did you begin to work at a factory?"
Bentley-"When I was six years old."
Sadler-"At who's factory did you work?"
Bentley-"Mr.Busk's."
Sadler-"What kind of mill is it?"
Bentley-"*Flax-Mill"
Sadler-"What was your business in that mill?"
Bentley-"I was a little **doffer."
Sadler-"What were your hours of labour in that mill?"
Bentley-"From 5 in the morning till 9 at night, when they were ***thronged."
Sadler-"For how long at a time together have you worked that excessive length of time?"
Bentley-"For about half a year."
Sadler-"What were your usual hours when you were not so thronged?"
Bentley-"From six in the morning till 7 at night."
Sadler-"What time was allowed for your meals?"
Bentley-"Forty minuets at noon."
Sadler-"Had you any time to get your breakfast or drinking?"
Bentley-"No, we got it as we could."
Sadler-"And when your work was bad, you had hardly any time to eat it at all?"
Bentley-"No; we were obligated to leave it or take it home, and when we did not take it, the overlooker took it, and gave it to his pigs."
*Flax-Mill= Place that processed flax, or fiber, for yarn and linen.
**Doffer= A worker who replaced bobbins, spools onto which newly spun yarn was wound with empty spools.
***Thronged= Very busy.