Children's Jobs

Children’s Jobs

25.12.1885

Dear Mr. Warne,   

I am concerned about the children in your care and the jobs you make them do.

The children I have observed have tough jobs. They work on farms, in the workhouses and down the mines.  They start work at a very young age often being taken to work by their siblings.

In the workhouse the children work up to 14 hours a day. They get up at 4am and finish at 8pm and only earn 15 pennies per day.  I am pleased to say you have separated the bad children from the good and parents are also separated from their children.

Sometimes the mines get flooded and the children are at risk of drowning. They get up at 5am and finish at 7pm and they can go down in the mines when they are only 6 years old.

On the local farms, children pretend to be scarecrows to keep the birds off the famer’s crops. They also get up at 3am and finish at 9pm. They get so tired they sleep in the bushes.

Some of the local children work in the print shop without supervision. This could be dangerous because they could get their arm squashed in the printing machine.

I realize the Victorian children are poor and work to help their families as children are cheap but unlike many at my club I find this strange and cruel.

I would like to discuss the matter further with you to see what we can do to help the children.

Best regards,

Lord Adam of Upper Welland