|
Pages: 1 ... 3 4 [5]
|
 |
|
Author
|
Topic: Memories of the lanes (Read 2636 times)
|
ronnynel
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 22
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
|
Hi Emms,
I researching my ancestors who were weavers the 1841 census show they lived in Water St. Could you give me an insight into their living conditions.
Thanks ronnynel
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
morskaj
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 17
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
|
Hi Ronnynel, There is a 'History of Duke Street' that I can quote from to give you an idea of how weavers lived and worked in the City of Carlisle at that time. Handloom weavers engaged themselves with one or other of the big manufacturers, who supplied them with yarn newly-spun in the firm's mills to be woven by weavers in their own home. Buyers insisted on 42-43 yard lengths, known as 'cuts' for gingham and 60 yards for 'Union Stripe'. It took a good weaver about a week to weave a 'cut' working 14-16 hours a day for six days if not seven. It had to be done by Saturday or he was not paid. By Thursday many could be behind schedule and they would work into the night, it was said of Duke Street, you could walk through it any time of day or night and you would hear the shuttles working. All this on poor food in ill-lit, stuffy or draughty, noisy low rooms, small, damp, cheaply and badly built, crammed with four to six looms, lit by candles, heated by coal fires. From 1837/8 Messrs. Dixon issued tickets for payment of '1" 0d extra if work approved', but often it was not approved and the shilling was lost'. (This practise was much resented). In 1805 a weaver was paid 28s 0d for a length of gingham, in 1812 this had fallen to 11s 6d. Average pay at Fergusons was 18s 2d. Out of this the weaver had to pay loom rent of 1s, weft winding of 1s 8d, beaming, twisting, pickers,oil 6d, coal and candle 4d, house rent 1s 6d, total 6s 6d. The average family was 6-8 person's, generally living in one room.
In 1848 a report was done by Dr. Henry Lonsdale for the Carlisle Sanitary Association, to jolt the corporation into action. (The report then covers Shaddongate but the conditions everywhere were about the same). Houses let to several familes, one room each, windows wold not open properly. The properties were back-to-back, privies were rare. In all Carlisle there were only 20 baths and 49 w.c.s. supplied by the Carlisle Water Company. Most streets had stand pipes for water at which there were long queues and the water was kept in buckets in properties until used. Carlisle was plagued by 'damp fogs' which rose from marshy places, gathering grounds for filth and diseases.
Usually what weavers did, was dig down on the ground floor to a depth of about a foot or 18 inches, this made the room damp, which would prevent the threads on the looms from snapping. The families lived on the first floor, one family to one room. If you go to www.familysearch.org, and look up William Keddy, look for the one in Duke Street Carlisle, and see how many different familes were living in one house!! (Go to 'household' and then if you click on next/previous households you will see there are lots of families and lodgers in each property). Next time I am in the library I will look up the sanitation report for Water Street, though I don't think it will be all that different from Duke Street, but I will let you know. Better go it's late, (as usual), See you, Morskaj.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
emmsthheight
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1890
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
|
Hi Ronnynel
Sorry I'm only just getting back, I've not been on much this week. I can pon;ly concur with what Morskaj has said except that I wouldn't have had the fantastic data to hand.
Put it this way, though, I certainly wouldn't expect Water St to be any better than Duke St.
I've not really used the sanitary reports, but I've done a study and used the planning (permission?) reports for the next couple of streets out of town to Duke St and in late 19C most of those still did not have bathrooms and they would have been newer than Duke St or Water St. Water seems a real mix of ancient housing and businesses including manufacturing units.
Like Morkaj, though, when I get in again I'll see if anything exists in these reports for Water St. They might start too late though, apart from odd bits of modernisation.
Best wishes
Emms
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
morskaj
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 17
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
|
Hi all, The lives of weavers in the 19th century were very hard. The cotton trade of America had drastically reduced the weavers incomes, that, coupled with the invention of steam and then mechanical looms was what reduced the wages earned so much. If you go to - www.stevebulman.f9.co.uk/cumbria/carlisle_factories_f.html you will find accounts of the lives of factory workers throughout the city of Carlisle. There is a section on the 'hardship of weavers'. William Farish is quoted in this webpage, he was a weavers son in Carlisle in the 1700/1800's and though it is said in the article about the fact that the family would not see meat on the table for weeks at a time, the quote I most remember is not mentioned, - that is, (in my own words), that 'his father was never as proud as the day he put a piece of bread in his son's hand'. This, (in case you have never heard of it), was caused by the 'corn laws' which kept the price of corn high, and so, the price of bread high. People at this time survived on porridge, soup made from bones and vegetables and cheap bacon for a taste of meat, (if they were lucky).
Jonathon Dodgeson Carr - of 'Carr's biscuits' was a man who objected to the corn laws and campaigned against them, he even had a waistcoat made that depicted ears of corn all over it in protest. (This is in Tullie House today!). He said there was no reason for the price of bread to be so high and wanted to bake loaves of all different sizes - which he eventually did, so that all people could afford bread.
Another place you can read about the plight of the weavers is in a book, 'Fire High and Do No Harm, Charles Thurnam, ISBN 0900744111. This is about the 'Shaddongate riots'. This too was about the corn laws.
A tory MP had gone into the Shaddongate area of Carlisle saying that the corn laws were good. The weavers kidnapped him, held him in a cottage and gave him a lesson in handloom weaving, - (though one of the papers say this was not the case!). My favourite quote from the papers at the time was that the council officials that were with him - 'Ran back to Carlisle as fast as their little council legs would carry them!!' The Mayor of the city went into Shaddongate with the entire Carlisle Police Force, - 2 officers, - the Mayor was 'beaten to within danger of his life and the police officers were thrown in the mill race. The riots, coupled with those in, (I think Spennymoor) were discussed in the Houses of Commons at the time as this was 1826 - only 35 years or so after the French revolution, which they were frightened might happened here just as in France. These riots incidently, are what spurred Robert Peel into pushing for a controlled police force throughout the country. Yes, Carlisle has a lot to answer for!!!
There is a photo of a weavers cottage at Kingstown in Carlisle at, www. geograph.org.uk/photo/643259, which shows how low the windows were in some cottages at the time, though not all were like this. (Duke Street were ordinary terraced houses).
So though weaving had been one of the best paid professions for a long time, things changed for the worse in the 19th century.
If I think of any other info or sites I will get back to you all, See you later, Morskaj.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
ronnynel
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 22
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
|
Thanks Morskaj for the interesting information on the life of weavers, I'm a descendant of a convict transported to Australia for seven years his crime was burglary. He along with three others stole seven loaves of bread, sugar & tobacco. He & his mates were found along with the goods they stole in a dwelling house in Brewery Lane. The 1841 census shows his occupation as weaver living in Water street. Your information about the corn laws & the price of bread gives some insight into why he committed this crime.
Ronnynel
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Pages: 1 ... 3 4 [5]
|
|
|
|
|
