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Blundells Corner
© Local History Unit Hull College
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Hull's colourful history |
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Working lives
What was it really like to spend the whole of one's working life in a paint manufactory?
Brief glimpses can be gleaned from reports of accidents in the newspapers:
Hull Packet
Dec. 7, 1827
P. 3, Col. 2, 5th para.
“Yesterday a serious accident happened at Mr. Blundell's Colour Manufactory, Spring Row. A man of the name of John Wadsworth, was attempting to fix some machinery, with the nature of which, it not being within his department, he was imperfectly acquainted. Owing to his unskilfulness his right arm became entangled with one of the principal wheels, his hand was laid open, and the little finger torn nearly off. He was taken in the Infirmary where the finger was amputated, and he is doing well.”
Injuries and deaths were commonplace in the paint industry, as they were with most early industrial enterprises. Workers were rarely valued for their abilities, particularly in the less skilful roles, and were frequently view as an expendable part of the business.
Wages and working hours in Blundell's paint manufactory can be seen in this 1871 document:
"Papers obtained from Mr ?. Proposed. Alteration in hours of work and wages.
1. An ordinary weeks work to consist of 56 hours.
Mondays, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday each 10 hours, Saturday 6 hours. Divided thus:
Start at 6am and work till 8am
.. .. 8.30 .. .. 12.30pm
.. .. 1.30 .. .. 5.30.
On Saturday stops at 12.30pm.
2. Wages to be by the hour, so regulated that each shall receive for 56 hours at least as much as he now does for 60 hours. Most of the Mechanics to receive about 1/- per week more than they do now. Coopers on Piece to receive an extra 5 per Cent.
3. Overtime to commence at 6 P.M. and to be paid for by the hour at a rate about ¼ more than day work.
4. The above to come into operation on Friday December 1st next.
True Copy. Signed L M Longstaff. 7th Nov. 1871"
While these may sound like long hours they were in fact average for the time, according to Professor Nick Crafts the average working year in 1870 was 2984 hours long; much longer than the average in 2001, which was just 1653 hours (32 hours per week.).
Words: Christopher Ketchell
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