UK and Ireland, Commissioners' Report of Children's Employment, 1842

In 1840, Parliament established the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Children’s Employment. A report on conditions in mines was released in 1842, followed by a report on conditions of child workers in trades and factories. The reports were based on hundreds of interviews, most of them with children. This appendix includes interviews for the second report on trades and factories.

Children were asked a wide range of questions, including the following:

• name
• age
• type of work
• working conditions
• hours worked
• pay
• whether they go to school
• housing
• what they ate at home

While most of the interviewees were children, some adults, such as parents and employers, are included as well.

This report can provide an unparalleled—and unvarnished—look into your ancestors’ lives during the Industrial Revolution. Both this report and the earlier report on mines led to changes in laws governing child labor.