The Welsh nation is synonymous with its industrial, mining history. The 18th and 19th centuries saw Cymru transform from an agricultural economy into an industrial one. What many often don’t realise is that many of the mines were worked by children – at one point, boys and girls as young as just 4 years of age would have worked in the mines. It is estimated that around 33% of the workforce was comprised of children in the 19th century.
What Was It?
In 1842, an Act of Parliament (a result of the 1840 Royal Commission) ensured that never again would a child work in the mines. Well, a child below the age of 10, anyway. It also ruled that girls and women of any age could not work down the mines – though this was not strictly enforced at the time, so the practice continued in places.
Children of 10 years and older would continue working until the Children and Young Persons Act of 1933, which declared that no child below the age of 14 would be entitled to a minimum wage. It is believed that, following the legislation, some from poorer backgrounds would fake their age to go and work down the mines to provide for their families.
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Niklas is the founder, owner, manager, editor, writer, video creator, voice over artist, and so forth, of Welsh Histories. He is passionate about the preservation of Welsh culture; the rejuvenation of the Welsh language and the promotion of Welsh history. Niklas currently resides in Pune, Maharashtra, with his beloved wife.