Such statements as have from time to time come before the public respecting the factories of England, could not be circulated but upon undeniable authority; and even then, many are inclined to doubt their accuracy. A fewyears ago the stories in circulation were so shocking to the feelings, that men were employed for the purpose of proving their truth or falsehood.
In this way two gentlemen of unblemished character and reputation, viz: P. Ashton, M. D., and John Graham, Surgeon, undertook to examine the work people, one by one, employed in six factories of Stockport. Their report was afterwards laid before a committee of the House of Lords, and by that committee received, accepted and printed. This report is a valuable one, as showing the state and conditions of the people employed in these six factories. The factories were taken as a fair sample of all in the town. From this report, I have condensed with great labor, the following particulars. The following table will show the number of persons employed, with the age at which they commenced working.
| Age at which they began to work in the Factories. | Employed. | ||||||||||
| 4 years. | 5 years. | 6 years. | 7 years. | 8 years. | 9 years. | 10 years. | 10 to 20. | Above 20. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
| 4 | 35 | 96 | 147 | 143 | 112 | 102 | 151 | 33 | 429 | 394 | 823 |
The average age of these operatives at the time the examination took place, was eighteen years. The average time worked in factories was nine years and seventeen days each. In the previous twelve months, 182 males, and 204 females, had been off work in consequence of sickness; and the average duration of sickness was about four weeks and a half each.
