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Black lead and bleaching - the Nottingham lace industry |
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19th Century lace machine |
A boy started on auxiliary jobs in the factory and began to gain experience on the machine at about age 12. As early as 1833 it was recognised that lace machines, weighing up to 20 tons, were too heavy to be worked by anyone under the age of 14 or 15 and this age barrier continued right through the history of the trade.
Twisthand and Levers lace machine
© Cluny Lace Co. Ltd |
On becoming a trainee twisthand the boy usually signed an apprenticeship agreement for a number of years, often seven, and by the beginning of the 1900s could be paid a starting wage of 22s. a week, when the trainee in a bank would be earning about 10s. 0d.
In 1851 there were about 8,000 men employed in the lace trade in the East Midlands and the southwest of England. At the height of the trade at the beginning of the 1900s, when machines were also worked in Scotland, more than 16,000 males were employed in the industry, the majority making lace.
Female workers were in the minority in lace factories, and while men's hours were controlled by their shifts, those of women and children were controlled by the auxiliary tasks required. Until 1861 hours were completely irregular, for both women and children could be required to work at any time that the machines were running, although apparently the work only amounted to about 10 hours in every 24.
Words: Sheila A. Mason, BA (Hons), FRSA
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