Pottery Works in
Cobridge:
When
Bailey’s Directory was issued in 1784 there were seven potteries in Cobridge
occupied by John Blackwell, Joseph Blackwell, Robert Bucknall (another Roman
Catholic potter), Thomas & Benjamin Godwin, the partnership of Hales &
Adams, Robinson & Smith, and Jacob Warburton.
Just
over half a century later when John Ward was writing his book (1843) (The
Borough of Stoke-upon-Trent) the number of factories had increased to ten:
“Wood and Brownfield, (at the large works formerly Stevenson and Bucknall,
afterwards R & J Clews); John and George Alcock (late R Stevenson’s
works); Francis Dillon (Cobridge); Elijah Jones (Cobridge Villa); Stephen
Hughes and Co; Benjamin Endon Godwin; John Mayer Godwin and James Godwin; John
and Robert Godwin; George and Ralph Leigh; Coxon, Harding and Co. (these all
in Cobridge).”
Samuel
Scriven interviewed employees from six of these concerns for the Royal
Commission on Children’s Employment in 1841. The evidence taken at two of
these Benjamin Godwin’s factory and Messrs Wood and Brownfield’s works —
is reproduced below:-
more on Scriven's
report
Mr.
BENJAMIN GODWIN’s Earthenware Factory, Cobridge.
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No.
202. Joseph Booth aged 9:
I
turn jigger for Wm. Lowe ; I cannot read, I cannot write ; I never went
to day- school ; I do go to Sunday-school and learn to read in spelling
book ; have been to work two years; drove gin at Walsall one year ;
Bessey Boother, my mother, balls at Blackbank ; have two brothers, two sisters ; one brother runs moulds ; I get 2s. 3d.
a-week ; brother gets 1s.
; don’t know what mother gets—oh, yes, I do, she gets between 10
and 11s:. I bring breakfast with me, it is stir pudding ; go home to
dinner and get stir pudding, and stir pudding for supper; get home
between eight and nine ; come at six. I got a jacket at home, and a
shirt for Sundays ; no better trousers ; would sooner work 13 hours than
15 ; if I only worked ‘till four o’clock I should get home, sit me
down, and learn to say my catechism.
This
Child was literally in rags.
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No.
203. William Mumford, aged 12:
I
brush ware and attend the dipper ; I cannot read or ‘write ; my father
is an engine man, he works at pit ; his name is Maller, and so is my
mother’s ; her name was Mumford ; her does nothing ; I have gotten
three sisters, no brothers ; they does nothing ; I get 4s. a-week ; the
dip has never hurt me yet ; don’t know how long I have been there ;
don’t know how many months there are in the year ; went to a school by
day some time ; go to a Sunday-school now, and to church ; I go home at
four or five ; I said I had but 4s. a week, master says I had 5:. ; I
did not count it ; gave it to mother ; don’t know how much it may have
been; I arn’t no scholar! |
Messrs.
WOOD and BROWNFIELD's Earthenware Factory, Cobridge.
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No.
208. Sarah Morris, aged 28,
and Ann Bradbury, aged 35:
We
are the superintendents of’ the apprentice girl’s painting
department, and have 24 females of all ages in the same room ; out of
that number there are 10 children under 13 years of age. Most of them
can read, but few write. They come at seven in the morning, and leave at
six; they - are allowed half an hour for breakfast one hour for dinner.
Some that live away off stay to get their dinners in the work-rooms ;
they cook them on the stove-pots; ; always take their hour, and
sometimes play before they begin work. Some live pretty well,—others
but middling. Their general conduct is tolerably good. We keep our eyes
upon them, and check anything like misconduct. They get their regular
holidays at wake times. We have no other rewards except that of putting
them forward in their trade. Have no punishments by making them paint
extra pieces, because they do piece-work, and all try to do as much as
they can. They get here half the price of journeywomen for the first
five years. We think that taking an equal number of girls from the
painting-room and from other occupations in the same sphere of life, in
point of moral conduct the painters would prove superior.
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No.
209 Robert Humphries, aged 8 :
I
turn jigger for William Massey. Have been to work about six months. Can
read a little, not much—cannot write. Went to Catholic day school ; go
now to Sunday school ; go to the Methodist Chapel every Sunday. My
father has been dead four years. My mother lives at home ; her does
nothing. I have a brother six years old ; he goes to school. I get 10
1/2d. a week ; only work three days a week. I get for breakfast
milk-meat and dry bread ; gravy and tatees for dinner, - sometimes
onions. I come at hafe-past six ; go home at hafe-past six ; get my
supper, and go to bed very tired.
These
premises are extensive, rooms better than common.
February
11th. (1841) |
