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

Woollen (or cloth) was manufactured from the short curly hair of the upland sheep, and worsted from the longer hair of lowland sheep. The long hair of woollen had to be carded before spinning to bring all the hairs into line, which was a long process; after weaving, as it was not strong, it had toSigue leyendo «3.4. The Worsted Industry in the West Riding»

The spinners in the cotton mills, who usually had at least one other family member working, had enough income to purchase a good level of food. The earliest budget calculation that we have is from 1806: (“Calculation of the Expense of maintaining a man, his wife, and six children for a year”, “Tax on Labour”, ManchesterSigue leyendo «3.3. Family Budgets»

Monetary system Pounds (£), shillings (s.), pennies or pence (d.)1 Pound = 20 shillings, 1 shilling = 12 pence Wage of farm labourer = 9 to 12 shillings per weekWage of male worker in textile factory = 20 to 30 shillings per week Dry weight measures 1 bushel wheat = 60 lb., 1 quarter = 480 lb. PriceSigue leyendo «3.2. Monetary Income Levels»

(Board of Agriculture / Mr. John Holt, General View of the Agriculture of the County of Lancaster, 1794, plate facing title page) The phases in the production of cotton cloth, before industrialization, were:  a)         cleaning;  b)         carding (pulling the threads all in one direction, using brushes in the hand); c)         spinning; d)        weaving; e)         bleaching; f)         dyeing. During the lateSigue leyendo «3.1. The Growth of the Lancashire Cotton Industry»

3.1. The Growth of the Lancashire Cotton Industry https://history.pictures/2020/01/20/3-1-the-growth-of-the-lancashire-cotton-industry/ 3.2. Monetary Income Levels https://history.pictures/2020/01/21/3-2-monetary-income-levels/ 3.3. Family Budgets https://history.pictures/2020/01/22/3-3-family-budgets/ 3.4. The Worsted Industry in the West Riding https://history.pictures/2020/01/22/3-4-the-worsted-industry-in-the-west-riding/ 3.5. The Woollen Industry (Cloth) https://history.pictures/2020/01/22/3-5-the-woollen-industry-cloth/ 3.6. The Metal Industries in the West Midlands https://history.pictures/2020/01/23/3-6-the-metal-industries-in-the-west-midlands/

When trying to make useful generalizations about a group of persons with variable characteristics, one recommended step is to identify some “abnormal” sub-group, separate it from the rest of the group, and then analyse the data of the abnormal sub-group, and analyse the data of the majority. What we should not do is to take theSigue leyendo «2.5. Non-representative Regions and Industries»

Your author is not happy with the idea that to calculate “the change in living standards due to the Industrial Revolution”, one should start from 1770, or perhaps 1790. The Industrial Revolution, that is, new processes, new machines, production in factories, started in the cotton industry in Lancashire in around 1780. Even then, the growthSigue leyendo «2.4. Time Frame»

The morally worst aspect of the Industrial Revolution was the employment of small children for long hours, and in bad conditions, in the factories. In the eighteenth century, children did have to work, but generally in their home or in a small workshop, and not continuously in the same activity for 12 hours or more. Sigue leyendo «2.3. Development of Living and Working Conditions»

The question is whether the workers during the period 1770-1860 had enough income to lead a normal life, and if this changed or improved in this time. One would think that the new inventions would improve monetary incomes and living standards. But there are a number of “scenes” of poverty or of insufficient food. However,Sigue leyendo «2.2. Development of Monetary Income and Real Income»

The Industrial Revolution changed England into a country which the world had never seen before: a country in which the physical work was not done by men, women, or horses, but by machines which were faster, stronger, more exact, and more dependable. The net effect on the people from 1770 to 1860 was positive, asSigue leyendo «2.1. Introduction to the Industrial Revolution in England»