The rules of the factory were very strict, the overseers were there to ensure that all the rules were followed. Examples of some of the rules are;
- 30 minutes for breakfast
- 40 minutes for dinner
- Arrive on time
- Do not leave early
- No arguing with the overseer about rules.
Health and Safety
Cotton factories were in many instances very dangerous places to work. There could at times be very severe accidents and at other times more minor issues. One example of a major accident is being pulled into one of the spinning machines by a hanging tie or a loose apron.
The dust in the humid air of the factory would cause sickness, ill health and more than likely choking. Children have to crawl under the machines and risk their lives while working in the cotton mills.
The earliest the children start work is at around six years old. Usual hours were 6am – 7pm but could be extended to 5am – 10pm. This is in my opinion torture for a young child.
There have been many people who have suffered from deformities working in the factories due to the weight of things they have had to carry, and the long hours of standing and bending.
One overseer is reported to have said that when children have worked in the factory for just a few weeks they become pale, without hope and very lifeless.
`A typical factory around 1800 would be pretty much what I described in part 1. I believe the cotton industry around the year 1800 and beyond was a total torture for six and seven year olds. I hope I have accomplishhed a detailed description of, yes, what I think was a typical factory.
There were of course other factories with very different standards and expectations. An example of this would be, not starting working under 10 years so that the child ccould acquire a decent education for five years before starting work. Robert Owen believed that if you put your best into the care of his mill workers he would get the most out of them, in that they would work harder and more efficiently. But although you readers might like this standard I must say it was not very common at all.
Sadly, the typical mill or factory was the inhumane type, which parents of the children would hate, but would be too scared of complaining in fear of losing work and the small income that did come in at all. I think this type of mill was typical because whether you like it or not, it is what happened. And I strongly believe that from the evidence I have gathered this is the case.
The evidence for my description comes from the internet, one website being and other sources being my exercise book and the outline I was given for this essay.
I would trust the evidence I based my description on because the reports I took my evidence from were taken from real peoples experiences and they must have been reasonable enough to have been published.
I don’t trust the evidence I based my factory on because it is to the definite extreme. The evidence I have taken is trying to persuade children not to work in factories. Therefore the evidence is only stating the bad side of cotton industry and so in that sense, unreliable.
