William
Wilson
was
a doctor in Manchester. Before being
employed by Mr. Douglas, Wilson had signed petitions in favour of
legislation to protect children working in factories. Dr. Wilson was
interviewed by Lord Kenyon's House of Lords
Committee on 29th May, 1818.
Child
Labour Debate Activity (International School of Toulouse)
Child
Labour Simulation (Spartacus Educational)
(1)
William Wilson was interviewed by Lord
Kenyon's House of Lords Committee on 29th
May, 1818.
Question:
Did you, about the 18th of May last, visit any cotton-factories in
Manchester?
Answer: Yes.
Question: How many did you visit?
Answer: Sixteen.
Question: What induced you to visit them at that time?
Answer: I was requested by Mr. Douglas. He is a merchant in Manchester,
and chairman of the committee of cotton-spinners.
Question: How did the general health of those children you saw appear?
Answer: Very good.
Question: Out of the 428 children you examined, how many cases of
distortion or lameness was there.
Answer: Eight.
Question: Boys or girls?
Answer: Both
Question: Were they slight or otherwise?
Answer: Very slight.
Question: Do you know from what they had arisen?
Answer: I cannot tell; some of them were ricketty cases, and others
from disease.
Question: Did you as a medical man, see anything from which you could
infer that the distortion had arisen from their employment in the
cotton-factories?
Answer: I did not.
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