Ragged children working in the street to satisfy parents' craving for drink – archive, 13 November 1878

13 November 1878: Children working more than five hours per day and sometimes as late as midnight selling newspapers and matches in the public street

The annual meeting of the Manchester and Salford Ragged School Union was held last evening, in the Memorial Hall, Albert Square. Mr. F. H. Walmsley (ex-Mayor of Salford) presided, and there were also on the platform Mr. E. Jackson, the Rev. Canon Woodhouse, Mr. R. Haworth, Mr. J. A. Birch, Captain Leggett, Mr. R. Le Mare, the Rev. W. Vercoe, and other gentlemen.

Mr. J Snape, the honorary secretary, read the 20th annual report, which stated that during the past year the work in the various schools had been steadily pursued, and that satisfactory results had been obtained. The attention of the Committee had been directed to the condition of the poor and ragged children who were engaged in selling newspapers, matches, &c. in the public streets. By the Factory Acts the Legislature had proclaimed that it was wrong for children under 13 years of age to work more than five hours per day, and that they ought to go to school for at least three hours each day. Notwithstanding that, it had been discovered that great cruelties and hardships were practised upon young children of very tender age by sending them out upon the streets in rainy and inclement weather, and keeping them thus exposed until very late hours at night. Children were, in fact, discovered who worked four hours half-timers, three hours at school, and afterwards five or six hours as hawkers upon the streets, being at work sometimes as late as midnight.

Related: Alarming report on the health of school children – archive, 30 October 1911

Related: Take the kids to … the Ragged School Museum, east London

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2PsDzpV