Labour of Children, etc., in Factories Act 1833
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1833 c. 103 |
| Year | 1833 |
(3 & 4 Will. 4) C A P. CIII.
[29th August 1833]
'WHEREAS it is necessary that the Hours of Labour of Children and young Persons employed in Mills and Factories should be regulated, inasmuch as there are great Numbers of Children and young Persons now employed in Mills and Factories, and their Hours of Labour are longer than is desirable, due Regard being had to their Health and Means of Education;' be it therefore enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, Thatfrom and after the First Day ofJanuary One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four no Person under Eighteen Years of Age shall be allowed to work in the Night, (that is to say,) between the Hours of Half past Eight o'Clock in the Evening and Half past Five o'Clock in the Morning, except as herein-after provided, in or about any Cotton, Woollen, Worsted, Hemp, Flax, Tow, Linen, or Silk Mill or Factory wherein Steam or Water or any other mechanical Power is or shall be used to propel or work the Machinery in such Mill or Factory, either in scotching, carding, roving, spinning, piecing, twisting, winding, throwing, doubling, netting, making Thread, dressing or weaving of Cotton, Wool, Worsted, Hemp, Flax, Tow, or Silk, either separately or mixed, in any such Mill or Factory situate in any Part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland : Provided always, that nothing in this Act shall apply or extend to the working of any Steam or other Engine, Water-wheel, or other Power in or belonging to any Mill or Building or Machinery when used in that Part of the Process or Work commonly called fulling, roughing, or boiling of Woolens, nor to any Apprentices or other Persons employed therein, nor to the Labour of young Persons above the Age of Thirteen Years when employed in packing Goods in any Warehouse or Place attached to any Mill, and not used for any Manufacturing Process; provided also, that nothing in this Act shall apply or extend to any Mill or Factory used solely for the Manufacture of Lace.
II Persons under 18 not to work more than 12 Hours a Day.
II. And be it further enacted, That no Person under the Age of Eighteen Years shall be employed in any such Mill or Factory in such Description of Work as aforesaid more than Twelve Hours in any One Day, nor more than Sixty-nine Hours in any One Week, except as herein-after provided.
III Extension of Hours of working in certain Cases.
III. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That if at any Time in any such Mill, Manufactory, or Buildings situated upon any Stream of Water, Time shall be lost in consequence of the Want of a due Supply or of an Excess of Water, or by reason of its being impounded in higher Reservoirs, then and in every such Case and so often as the same shall happen it shall be lawful for the Occupier of any such Mill, Manufactory, or Building to extend the Time of Labour in this Act prescribed at the Rate of Three Hoursper Week until such lost Time shall have been made good, but no longer, such Time to be worked between the Hours of Five of the Clock in the Morning and Nine of the Clock in the Evening: Provided also, that no Time shall be recoverable after it has been lost Six Calendar Months.
IV Providing for unavoidable Time lost in Cases of Accident.
IV. And be it further enacted, That when any extraordinary Accident shall happen to the Steam Engine, Water-wheel, Weirs, or Watercourses, Main Shafting, Main Gearing, or Gas Apparatus of any such Mill, Manufactory, or Buildings, by which not less than Three Hours Labour at any One Time shall be lost, then and in every such Case such Time may be worked up at the Bate of One Hour a Day in addition to the aforesaid and herein-after restricted Hours of Labour for the Twelve following working Days, but not after.
V Loss of Time from the Want or Excess of Water in the Daytime provided for.
V. 'And whereas during Periods of Drought and of Floods the Power of Water-wheels on some Streams is wholly interrupted, or so far diminished that the Machinery or Part or Parts of the Machinery dependant upon such Power cannot be regularly worked at one and the same Time, and in consequence thereof a certain Portion of the Time of such Persons as are employed in the working of such Machinery may be lost in each Day during such Period of Drought or Floods;' be it therefore enacted, That it shall be lawful for the Occupier of any Mill, Manufactory, or Building, when Time is so lost, then and in every such Case and so often as the same shall happen, to extend the Hours between which Persons under Eighteen Years of Age are herein-before allowed to work, (videlicet , from Five of the Clock in the Morning till Nine in the Evening,) as herein-before limited, to such Period as may in such Case be necessary to prevent the Loss of Time, and no longer: Provided always, that no Child or young Person within the respective Ages prescribed by this Act shall be actually employed a greater Number of Hours within the Twenty-four Hours of any One Day than this Act declares to be lawful; and provided also, that no Child under Thirteen Years of Age shall be employed after the Hour of Nine of the Clock in the Evening nor before the Hour of Five in the Morning.
VI Time for Meals.
VI. And be it further enacted, That there shall be allowed in the Course of every Day not less than One and a Half Hours for Meals to every such Person restricted as herein-before provided to the Performance of Twelve Hours Work daily.
VII Employment of Children under Nine Years prohibited.
VII. And be it enacted, That from and after the First Day ofJanuary One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four it shall not be lawful for any Person whatsoever to employ in any Factory or Mill as aforesaid, except in Mills for the Manufacture of Silk, any Child who shall not have completed his or her Ninth Year of Age.
VIII The Employment of Children under 11, 12, and 13 Years of Age for more than Eight Hours a Day prohibited.
VIII. And be it further enacted, That from and after the Expiration of Six Months after the passing of this Act it shall not be lawful for any Person whatsoever to employ, keep, or allow to remain in any Factory or Mill as aforesaid for a longer Time than Forty-eight Hours in any One Week, nor for a longer Time than Nine Hours in any One Day, except as herein provided, any Child who shall not have completed his or her Eleventh Year of Age, or after the Expiration of Eighteen Months from the passing of this Act any Child who shall not have completed his or her Twelfth Year of Age, or after the Expiration of Thirty Months from the passing of this Act any Child who shall not have completed his or her Thirteenth Year of Age: Provided nevertheless, that in Mills for the Manufacture of Silk, Children under the Age of Thirteen Years shall be allowed to work Ten Hours in any One Day.
IX Holidays to be allowed.
IX. And be it further enacted, That all Children and young Persons whose Hours of Work are regulated and limited by this Act shall be entitled to the following Holidays;videlicet , on Christmas Day and Good Friday the entire Day, and not fewer than Eight Half Days besides in every Year, such Half Days to be at such Period or Periods, together or separately, as may be most desirable and convenient, and as shall be determined on by the Master of such Children and young Persons: Provided nevertheless, that in Scotland any other Days may be substituted for Christmas Day and for Good Friday , both or either, as such Master may determine.
X Children employed in any One Mill less than Nine Hours not to be employed in any other Mill more than the Residue of Nine Hours.
X. And be it further enacted, That if any Child within the Age herein-before restricted to Nine Hours of Day Labour shall have been employed in any One Day for less than Nine Hours in One Factory or Mill, it shall be lawful for any Person to employ such Child in any other Factory or Mill on the same Day for the Residue of such Nine Hours; provided that such Employment in such other Mill or Factory shall not increase the Labour of such Child to more than Nine Hours in any One Day, or to more than Forty-eight Hours in any One Week.
XI Children not to be employed without a Certificate from a Surgeon as to Strength and Appearance.
XI. And be it further enacted, That from and after the Expiration of Six Months after the passing of this Act it shall not be lawful for any Person to employ, keep, or allow to remain in any Factory or Mill any Child who shall not have completed his or her Eleventh Year of Age without such Certificate as is herein-after mentioned, certifying such Child to be of the ordinary Strength and Appearance of a Child of the Age of Nine Years, nor from and after the Expiration of Eighteen Months after the passing of this Act any Child who shall not have completed his or her Twelfth Year of Age, without a Certificate of the same Form, nor from and after the Expiration of Thirty Months after the passing of this Act...
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