Children of the Labouring Poor

Book excerpt: Chronicling the contributions children made towards their families' livelihoods in hard times, this detailed record catalogs the high price children had to pay--sacrificing their health and education--while employed in agriculture, chimney sweeping, straw-plaiting, silk-throwing, papermaking, and brick making in 19th-century Hertfordshire, England. This enlightening history demonstrates that the poor conditions in factories and mills, as well as in household chimneys, contributed to the many diseases and injuries that afflicted these young laborers. While there are examples of innovative manufacturers such as John Dickinson, who built respectable housing for his employees, the overall picture that emerges during this period is one in which Hertfordshire's children arduously struggled to make ends meet.