At the beginning of the 19th century it was common practice for children to work. School was a luxury which had to be paid for so for many poor families it was an economic necessity that children earned an income.
In 1842 the government conducted a study into the employment of children; when this was published many people were shocked at the employment practices which were going on. The conditions in mines were amongst the worst, here boys as young as six were commonly employed below ground. The Shrewsbury Chronicle reflected public horror when it published an article headed "White Slavery in Shropshire".
Below you can see extracts from documents which describe what work was like for children in the mining districts of east Shropshire.
Pit Bank Girls at work
Image kindly supplied by Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
Annie Payne was the last survivng Pit Girl when she was recorded for this interview in the 1970's. Click on the link below to hear a short extract from this interview in which Annie describes her working conditions.
Audio description by Annie Payne