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Boy dragging coal wagon with belt and chain in mine
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Boy dragging coal wagon with belt and chain in mine
A boy with a belt and chain around his waist drags a heavy coal truck along a low underground passage in a mine at Halifax, Yorkshire. An official investigation in 1842 revealed that children as young as seven were being apprenticed to work in mines, in some cases placed there by workhouses
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Media ID 4470383
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10424748
1840s 1842 Apprentice Apprenticeship Chain Coal Conditions Dragging Halifax Harness Heavy Investigation L Aw Legs Mine Mines Mining Official Passage Poor Poverty Pulling Truck Under Ground Workhouse Workhouses Apprenticed
EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph captures the harsh realities of child labor in the Victorian-era coal mines of Halifax, Yorkshire, during the 1840s. The young boy in the image, likely no older than ten years old, is seen straining to drag a heavy coal truck along a low, damp underground passageway. He is bound by a thick belt and chain, which is attached to the truck, as he attempts to pull it forward. The weight of the truck and the damp, cramped conditions of the mine are evident in the boy's determined yet weary expression. At the time, an official investigation in 1842 revealed that children as young as seven were being apprenticed to work in the mines, often placed there by workhouses. The law allowed for the employment of children as young as eight in mines, and many were forced to work long hours in dangerous conditions for meager wages. The use of harnesses and chains to help younger children pull heavy loads was a common practice. The image serves as a stark reminder of the poverty and hardship that many children endured during this period. The living conditions in the workhouses and the mines themselves were often inadequate, with overcrowding, poor sanitation, and inadequate nutrition leading to high rates of illness and disease. The use of child labor in mines was not unique to Halifax, but was a widespread problem throughout the coal mining regions of England during the 19th century. This photograph is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices and struggles of the children who labored in the mines, and the systemic issues that allowed such exploitation to persist.
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