Books & Digital Picks
A Guide To Sources For Family Historians
This month’s family history inspiration
Millions of our forebears laboured in textile mills between the 18th and 20th centuries, and this book explores their work and lives in its two sections. The first chapters cover early textile production; the development of mills; different occupations; training and working conditions; and life outside the mill. The second section focuses on sources, outlining many research avenues and citing repositories of information, from census returns and other genealogical records to trade publications, newspaper reports, employment records, Factory Act reports, business archives and museum resources. There is also a useful timeline, suggested places to visit, recommended websites and further reading.
Adèle Emm, an experienced family historian with mill-worker ancestors and northern roots, is ideally placed to write this book and her enthusiasm for the topic is evident throughout. Early on, especially, the style is mainly anecdotal, lively and sometimes sensationalist at the expense of substance and content. More clarity over textile history might help. For example, in pre-industrial Britain and Ireland, homegrown flax and locally produced linen (scarcely mentioned) were more important to most than the luxury global silk trade; and the wealthy classes wore fine linen undergarments, not silk.
Later, the author paints a bold and realistic picture of
textile-mill work, family and community life. Diverse textile processes, complex job titles and the technical skills involved are explained: essential reading for researchers puzzling over terms like ‘heckler’, ‘scutcher’ and ‘slubber’. Whole households, including pitifully young children, were employed. Some earned reasonable wages, yet faced unscrupulous employers and
cruel overseers, enduring interminable working hours, dangerous environments, accidents and illness, while occupying unsanitary homes.
This informative guide, illustrated with photographs, prints and historic documents and providing comprehensive research advice, should interest any family historians tracing textile-mill ancestors.
‘The author paints a picture of textile-mill work, family and community life’