Archivo del autor: Peter Van der Heyden. docenciapvdh@outlook.com

11.1. External Factors https://history.pictures/2020/02/16/11-1-external-factors/ 11.2. Incomes https://history.pictures/2020/02/18/11-2-incomes/ 11.3. Wheat Prices https://history.pictures/2020/02/20/11-3-wheat-prices 11.4. Purchasing Power of the Wages https://history.pictures/2020/02/20/11-4-purchasing-power-of-the-wages/ 11.5. Price Increases in 1795 and 1800 and Reactions https://history.pictures/2020/02/20/11-5-price-increases-in-1795-and-1800-and-reactions/ 11.6. Absolute Figures as to the Standard of Living https://history.pictures/2020/02/20/11-6-absolute-figures-as-to-the-standard-of-living/ 11.7. Jonas Hanway (1767) and Arthur Young (1771) https://history.pictures/2020/02/20/11-7-jonas-hanway-1767-and-arthur-young-1771/ 11.8. David Davies (1787) https://history.pictures/2020/02/21/11-8-david-davies-1787/ 11.9. Sir FrederickSigue leyendo «Chapter 11. Wages and Living Conditions of Agricultural Labourers 1770-1815»

In 1844, 28 hand-loom weavers in Rochdale, who had only intermittent employment, decided to set up a co-operative shop, where there would be no profit to third parties. They gave it the legal name of “The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers”. They needed 3 months to save up one Pound each, to subscribe the capital,Sigue leyendo «10.9. Co-Operative Societies»

The poor in the countryside were often exploited as to the prices that they paid for their wheat, or the other articles in the small shops in the village. David Davies reports that the wheat passed through several transactions until it arrived in the peasant’s cottage: “ ….. The great farmer deals in wholesale waySigue leyendo «10.8. Truck Shops, Tommy Shops, and Chandler’s Shops»

We will see in other sections, that the prices for food and other articles fell from 1825 to 1860. This was not due to a general decrement in prices, or from government policies, but because the costs of production went down. This was demonstrably due to the Industrial Revolution. We have here an “industrializing dividend”,Sigue leyendo «10.7. Efficiency and Price Reductions»

These were gas lighting, postage stamps, transport by rail, and easier working conditions. The most obvious improvement for the people from the Industrial Revolution was gas lighting in the streets, the interior of public buildings, and in the factories. Gas lighting was first implemented in streets in London in 1810, and in the majority ofSigue leyendo «10.6. Improvements which were not Increases in Monetary Earnings»

The male workers also had the time, energy, and money to frequent prostitutes. Quantitative and descriptive data come from a book written by a Mr. William Logan, a “City Missionary”, i.e. a Christian social worker, in his book “An Exposure from Personal Observation of Female Prostitution in London, Leeds and Rochdale and especially in the CitySigue leyendo «10.5. Prostitutes»

The lower classes of the workers in Manchester found time and money enough, to go to drinking saloons, beer-shops and “dram-shops” (gin-palaces). Benjamin Love reports that in 1840, from own investigation and from a report published by an academic institution, “in all our large towns, the principal taverns and gin palaces have now attached toSigue leyendo «10.4. Drunkenness»

The better members of the factory classes and the men working in engineering workshops, as well as clerical staff in the factories, and small tradesmen, went to study in Mechanics’ Institutes in the evening. These gave classes on technical subjects, physics and chemistry; some gave classes of German and French. The concept started in theSigue leyendo «10.3. Mechanics’ Institutes and Reading Activities»

We do know how much money “the people” had saved up. In 1849 in the savings banks there were 1,100,000 depositors from all the United Kingdom with a total amount of 28.5 million pounds. The number of depositors increased from 370,000 in 1830 to 1,100,000 in 1849. With a total population of 18,000,000 and 5Sigue leyendo «10.2. Savings Banks and Benefit Societies»

The Great Exhibition of 1851, in the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, was the largest public event of the nineteenth century in the United Kingdom. It showed all the technical, scientific, artistic and cultural progress of the country in a structure of 1850 feet by 450 feet. It was visited by more than 6,000,000 peopleSigue leyendo «10.1. Leisure Expenses»