Boy Working at Coalface
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Boy Working at Coalface
BOY WORKING A LOW SEAM Eighteen is the age at which boys are allowed to get coal, and they are at that age considered " three-quarters of a man (from the Report)
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Media ID 592290
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10040052
1842 Allowed Coal Coal Face Conditions Considered Mines Quarters Report Seam
EDITORS COMMENTS
In this evocative image from 1842, a young boy of eighteen years old works diligently at the coalface, chiseling away at the low seam. At this age, boys were considered to be 'three-quarters of a man' in the coal mining industry, marking the age at which they were allowed to begin working in the mines. The coal mining industry was a significant contributor to the Industrial Revolution in Britain, but it came with its own set of harsh realities. Children as young as five years old were often employed in the mines, working long hours in dangerous conditions. The use of boys and children in mining was a common practice due to their small size, which allowed them to work in narrow seams and crawl through tunnels. The Report of the Children's Employment Commission, published in 1842, exposed the deplorable conditions that children endured in the mines. The report led to the passing of the Mines Act of 1842, which prohibited the employment of children under the age of ten in coal mines and set the minimum age for working boys at ten. However, the law did not apply to boys over the age of eighteen, who were still considered adults and were not protected by the same labor laws. This photograph offers a glimpse into the past, providing a poignant reminder of the harsh realities faced by children in the coal mining industry during the Industrial Revolution. The boy in the image appears focused and determined, yet the weight of the responsibility on his young shoulders is evident. The low seam he is working on is a stark reminder of the long hours and back-breaking labor that were required to extract coal from the earth. The photograph also highlights the stark contrast between the harsh realities of the coal mines and the romanticized image of the coal industry as a source of wealth and prosperity.
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