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Document C: John Birley (Modified)
John Birley was born in London in 1805. He lost both his parents by the age of 5,
and he was sent to the Bethnal Green Workhouse. He soon began working at the
Cressbrook factory. John was interviewed about his experiences as a child
worker at the Mill in 1849. An article on his life was published in the newspaper,
the Ashton Chronicle in May 1849. Below is an excerpt from the article.
Our regular (working time) time was from five in the morning till nine
or ten at night; and on Saturday, till eleven, and often twelve o'clock
at night, and then we were sent to clean the machinery on the
Sunday. No time was allowed for breakfast and no sitting for dinner
and no time for tea. We went to the mill at five o'clock and worked till
about eight or nine when they brought us our breakfast, which
consisted of water-porridge, with oatcake in it and onions to flavour
it... We then worked till nine or ten at night...
Mr. Needham, the master, had five sons: Frank, Charles, Samuel,
Robert and John. The sons and a man named Swann, the
overlooker, used to go up and down the mill with sticks. Frank once
beat me till he frightened himself. He thought he had killed me. He
had struck me on the temples and knocked me dateless. He once
knocked me down and threatened me with a stick. To save my head I
raised my arm, which he then hit with all his might. My elbow was
broken. I bear the marks, and suffer pain from it to this day, and
always shall as long as I live...
I was determined to let the gentleman of the Bethnal Green parish
know the treatment we had, and I wrote a letter put it into the Post
Office... Sometime after this three gentlemen came down from
London. But before we were examined we were washed and cleaned
up and ordered to tell them we liked working at the mill and were well
treated. Needham and his sons were in the room at the time. They
asked us questions about our treatment, which we answered as we
had been told, not daring to do any other, knowing what would
happen if we told them the truth
Document C: John Birley
1. (Sourcing) What type of document is this? When was it written?
article for a magazine
2. (Sourcing) How old was John Birley when this account was published? 44
3. (Corroboration) Which document, A or B, does this account more closely match?
How?
A. working conditions were abusive and dangerous
4. (Close reading) Why did John Birley not tell the truth about life working in the mill to
the inspectors?
He was threatened by someone with power over him
Document D: Edward Baines
1. (Sourcing) Who wrote this article? When was it written?
2. (Sourcing) Why did Baines write this article?
3. (Close reading) What does he mean in the second paragraph, when he states, "But
abuse is the exception not the rule"?
4. (Close reading) What is Baines' main point in the final paragraph?
5. (Corroboration) Which document, A or B, does this account more closely match?
How?
6. Who do you think is a more trustworthy source, Birley or Baines? Why?