Factory Reform 1815-1848

1. 10 Hours Movement 1830 Humanitarian Richard Oastler and Other factory owners ‘Slavery in Yorkshire’ Workers are treated Worse than victims of colonial slavery Royal Commission of Enquiry Concluded ‘There was a case for the interference on behalf of the children working in Factories’ Lord Althorp’s Factory Act 1833 Factory Reform 1815-1848 • Lord Althorp’s Factory Act • 1833 (Whigs) • -No children under 9 • 9-13 – 9 hrs a day – 48 hrs • a week • 13-18 max 12 hrs + 69 a week • No night work for under 18’s • School for children under 13 • 4 Inspectors Short Time Commission disappointed with Act But it was a breakthrough Applied to all textile Mills Challenged laissez Faire Basis for future fights Some independent inspectors

2. Graham’s Act (Tories) 1844 8-13 could work up to 8 hrs 13-18 women up to 12 hrs Compulsory fencing of textile machinery No cleaning of moving machinery Times Becomes involved with 10 Hour Movement 1846 Shaftesbury promotes 10 Hour Bill 1847 10 Hour Bill passed (Fielden’s Act) From 1848 max length of day For under 18’s was 10hrs Same for Women Factory Reform 1815-1848 BUT factory owners found loophole – by working women And young people in relays with men they could keep Factories open for 14-15 hours Factory Reform depended on owners who agreed with the Humanitarian aims of people like Shaftesbury . Government was against too much interference – ideas of Laissez faire too strongly embedded