What is your business?—I follow the clothdressing at present.
What is your age?—I was eight-and-twenty last February.
When did you first begin to work in mills or factories?—When I was about ten years of age.
With whom did you first work?—At Mr. Benyon's flax mills, in Meadowlane, Leeds.
What were your usual hours of working?— We began at five, and gave over at nine; at five o'clock in the morning.
And you gave over at nine o'clock?—At nine at night.
At what distance might you have lived from the mill?—About a mile and a half.
At what time had you to get up in the morning to attend to your labour?—I had to be up soon after four o'clock.
Every morning?—Every morning.
What intermissions had you for meals?— When we began at five in the morning, we went on until noon, and then we had 40 minutes for dinner.
Had you no time for breakfast?—No, we got it as we could, while we were working.
Had you any time for an afternoon refreshment, or what is called in Yorkshire your "drinking?"—No; when we began at noon, we went on till night; there was only one stoppage, the 40 minutes for dinner.
Then as you had to get your breakfast, and what is called "drinking" in that manner, you had to put it on one side?—Yes, we had to put it on one side; and when we got our frames doffed, we ate two or three mouthfuls, and then put it by again.
Is there not considerable dust in a flax mill?—A flax mill is very dusty indeed.
Was not your food therefore frequently spoiled?—Yes, at times with the dust; sometimes we could not eat it, when it had got a lot of dust on.
What were you when you were ten years old?—What is called a bobbin-doffer; when the frames are quite full, we have to doff them.
Then as you lived so far from home, you took your dinner to the mill?—We took all our meals with us, living so far off.
During the 40 minutes which you were allowed for dinner, had you ever to employ that time in your turn in cleaning the machinery?—At times we had to stop to clean the machinery, and then we got our dinner as well as we could; they paid us for that. . .
Did you ever work even later than the time you have mentioned?—I cannot say that I worked later there. I had a sister who worked up stairs, and she worked till 11 at night, in what they call the card-room.
At what time in the morning did she begin work?—At the same time as myself.
And they kept her there till 11 at night?— Till 11 at night.
You say that your sister was in the card-room?—Yes.
Is not that a very dusty department?—Yes, very dusty indeed.
She had to be at the mill at five, and was kept at work till eleven at night?—Yes.
During the whole time she was there?—During the whole time; there was only 40 minutes allowed at dinner out of that.
To keep you at your work for such a length of time, and especially towards the termination of such a day's labour as that, what means were taken to keep you awake and attentive?—They strapped [beat] us at times, when we were not quite ready to be doffing the frame when it was full.
Were you frequently strapped?—At times we were frequently strapped.
What sort of strap was it?—About this length (describing it).
What was it made of? Of leather.
Were you occasionally very considerably hurt with the strap?—Sometimes it hurt us very much, and sometimes they did not lay on so hard as they did at others.
Were the girls strapped in that sort of way?—They did not strap what they called the grown-up women.
Were any of the female children strapped?— Yes; they were strapped in the same way as the lesser boys.
What were your wages at 10 years old at Mr. Benyon's?—I think it was 4 s [shillings] 5 a week.