William
Rastrick
had worked as an
overlooker at Shute's Silk Mill in Watford. Rastrick was interviewed
by Michael Sadler and his House
of Commons Committee on 23rd July, 1832.
Child
Labour Debate Activity (International School of Toulouse)
Child
Labour Simulation (Spartacus Educational)
(1)
Charles Aberdeen was interviewed by Michael
Sadler and his House of Commons Committee
on 23rd July, 1832.
Question:
How young have you known children go into silk mills.
Answer: I have known three at six; but very few at that age.
Question: What were your
hours of labour?
Answer: From six in the morning till seven at night.
Question: Was it found necessary
to beat children to keep them up to their employment?
Answer: Certainly.
Question: Did the beating
increase towards evening?
Answer: Their strength relaxes more towards the evening; they get
tired, and they twist themselves about on their legs, and stand on
the sides of their feet.
Question:
As an overlooker did you stimulate them to labour by severity?
Answer: Certainly, my employer always considered this indispensable.
Question: Did you not find it very irksome to your feelings, to have
to take those means of urging the children to the work?
Answer: Extremely so; I have been compelled to urge them on to work
when I knew they could not bear it; but I was obliged to make them
strain every nerve to do the work, and I can say I have been disgusted
with myself and with my situation; I felt myself degraded and reduced
to the level of a slave-driver in such cases.
Question: Is not tying the broken ends, or piecing, an employment
that requires great activity.
Answer: Yes.
Question: Does not the material often cut the hands of those poor
children?
Answer: Frequently; but some more than others. I have seen them stand
at their work, with their hands cut, till the blood has been running
down to the ends of their fingers.
Question: Is there more work required of the children than there used
to be when you first knew the business?
Answer: Yes; on account of the competition which exists between masters.
One undersells the other; consequently the master endeavours to get
an equal quantity of work done for less money.
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