John
Wood
the son of a comb manufacturer from Bradford
was born in 1793. After finishing his apprenticeship Wood started
his own business in 1812. By the 1820s he owned the most successful
worsted spinning business in Britain.
Wood had a reputation as a man who took good care of the children
who worked in his factories. Wood wanted to reduce the hours that
his children worked but feared that if he did this his cloth would
be more expensive than his competitors. On 28th September, 1830, Wood
had a meeting with Richard Oastler about
the problems of child labour. As a result of this meeting, Oastler
agreed to become involved in the campaign for factory reform.
Child
Labour Debate Activity (International School of Toulouse)
Child
Labour Simulation (Spartacus Educational)
(1)
Richard Oastler describing a meeting with
John Wood, a factory owner from Bradford, in September 1830.
John
Wood turned towards me, reaching out his hand and in the most impressive
manner pressed my hand in his said: "I have had no sleep tonight.
I have been reading the Bible and in every page I have read my own
condemnation. I cannot allow you to leave me without a pledge that
you will use all your influence in trying to remove from our factory
system the cruelties which are practised in our mills." I promised
I would do what I could. I felt that we were each of us in the presence
of the Highest and I knew that that vow was recorded in Heaven.
(2)
John Wood was interviewed by Alfred Kydd in his book The History
of the Factory Movement.
Little
children in my mills work from six in the morning to seven o'clock
in the evening. In some mills in the neighbourhood little children
are working 14, 15, 16 and even 18 hours a day without a single
minute having been set apart for meals. Besides all this, in many
mills they are cheated out of portions of their scanty wages by
fines and other means of fraud.
(3)
William Sharp, a Bradford doctor who was interviewed about John
Wood on 20th June, 1832.
John
Wood pays particular attention to the health of the children employed
in his mills. I regularly visited them, generally once a week, to
ascertain the state of their health. Mr Wood also provides them
all with seats, so that they may sit down when they have the opportunity.
At Mr. Wood's mills the children only work from six till seven,
with half an hour for breakfast, and forty minutes for dinner.
(4)
William Dodd, letter to Lord Ashley (4th
October, 1841)
I went to see the Bradford factory
of Mr. John Wood. The work people generally looked more healthy than
factory people usually do; this is accounted for by the regulations
of the establishment being of a mild and generous kind than those
to be found in most factories. Their hours of labour, even when times
are brisk, are not more than eleven per day. A surgeon is provided
by the firm, for the purpose of inspecting the hands daily; this gentleman
goes over the works, and if he notices any one looking ill, he makes
inquiry As to the cause, and should it be anything requiring rest
or medicine, they are ordered home immediately. During the time they
may be off work, their wages are sent to them, the same as if they
had been at work. Seats are placed along both sides of the rooms,
in addition to which every spinning frame attended by any young person
has stools attached to it. The plan of having seats was originally
suggested by Mr. Richard Oastler, the friend of the factory children;
and as a compliment to that gentleman they are called 'Oastlers'.
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