*Please note- This site search does not include the Vic. & Tas. BMD's, Lots o' Links & Worth a Look Books
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ROBERT OWEN
TEXTILE INDUSTRY, FACTORY REFORM (EIGHT HOUR DAY)
1771-1858
Robert Owen was born in Newtown, Montgomeryshire, Wales, on May 14th 1771. Owen was second youngest of the 7 children of Robert Owen and Anne Williams. He attended local schools until the age of 10, when he became an apprentice to a clothier in Stamford, Lincolnshire, where he spent 3 years. Robert then worked for a draper in Manchester, and was employed at Satterfield's Drapery in St. Ann's Square (a plaque
currently marks the site). By the time he was 19 he had become superintendent of a large cotton mill in Manchester. Owen made use of the first American Sea Island cotton (fine,long-staple fibre) imported into Britain & made improvements in the quality of the cotton spun. On becoming manager and a partner in the
Manchester firm, Owen induced his partners to purchase the New Lanark mills in Lanarkshire.
With the support of several businessmen from Manchester, Owen purchased 4 textile factories in New Lanark for £60,000. Under Owen's control, the Chorton Twist Company expanded rapidly. However, Robert Owen was not only concerned with making money, he was also interested in creating a new type of community at New Lanark. Owen believed that a person's character is formed by the effects of their environment. Owen
was convinced that if he created the right environment, he could produce rational, good and humane people. Owen argued that people were naturally good but they were corrupted by the harsh way they were treated. Owen was a strong opponent of physical punishment in schools and factories and immediately banned its use in New Lanark. Owen lead the beginning of working-class co-operation.
There were 2,000 inhabitants of New Lanark, 500 of them were young children from the poorhouses & charities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. Owen improved the houses and encouraged the people in habits of order, cleanliness, and thrift.
His entrepreneurial spirit, management skill and progressive moral views were emerging by the early 1790s. In 1793, he was elected as a member of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, where the ideas of reformers and philosophers of the Enlightenment were discussed. Owen was also a committee member of the Manchester Board of Health instigated by Thomas Percival, to promote improvements in the health and working conditions of factory workers.
Whilst travelling on company business Robert Owen met Anne Caroline Dale who was the daughter of a prosperous cotton manufacturer Mr. David Dale, with business interests based in New Lanark. In 1799 Robert Owen, at the age of twenty-seven, married Anne Caroline Dale, having 8 children together, seven surviving infancy.
When Owen arrived at New Lanark, children from as young as five were working for thirteen hours a day in the textile mills. He stopped employing children under ten and reduced their labour to ten hours a day. Young children went to the nursery and infant schools that Owen had built. Older children worked in the factory but also had to attend his secondary school for part of the day. Owen hoped that the way he treated children would encourage other factory owners to follow his example. He wrote several books including The Formation of Character 1813 and A New View of Society (1814).
In 1815 Robert Owen sent detailed proposals to Parliament about his ideas on factory reform. This resulted in Owen appearing before Robert Peel and his House of Commons committee in April, 1816. Also, that same year, he opened the first infant school in Great Britain at the New Lanark mills and gave it his close personal supervision. The School, along with traditional methods, emphasized character development & included dancing and music in the curriculum. Disappointed with the response he received in Britain, Owen decided
in 1825 to establish a new community in America based on the socialist ideas that he had developed over the years. Owen purchased an area of Indiana for £30,000 and called the community he established there, New Harmony. One of Owen's sons became the leader of this new community.
Owen sold his New Lanark textile mills in 1827. His four sons and one of his daughters, Jane, moved to New Harmony and made it their permanent home, Owen deciding to stay in England where he spent the rest of his life helping various reform groups & supporting organisations attempting to obtain factory reform, adult suffrage & the development of successful trade unions. He expressed his views in his journals, The Crisis
and The New Moral World. Owen also played an important role in establishing the Grand National Consolidated Trade Union in 1834 and the Association of All Classes and All Nations in 1835. He also attempted to form a new community at East Tytherly in Hampshire, However, like New Harmony in America, this experiment came to an end after disputes between members of the community.
Owen struggled to offer his 'new view of society', trying to assert a political doctrine which ran counter to the experience of those for whom his social message had real meaning. Among other beliefs, his advocacy of a union between rich & poor made it impossible for him to play a central part in the movement of protest which followed the end of the wars. Although disillusioned with the failure of these communities and most of his political campaigns, Owen continued to work for his "new moral order" until his death on 17th Nov. 1858.
Reference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Owen
currently marks the site). By the time he was 19 he had become superintendent of a large cotton mill in Manchester. Owen made use of the first American Sea Island cotton (fine,long-staple fibre) imported into Britain & made improvements in the quality of the cotton spun. On becoming manager and a partner in the
Manchester firm, Owen induced his partners to purchase the New Lanark mills in Lanarkshire.
With the support of several businessmen from Manchester, Owen purchased 4 textile factories in New Lanark for £60,000. Under Owen's control, the Chorton Twist Company expanded rapidly. However, Robert Owen was not only concerned with making money, he was also interested in creating a new type of community at New Lanark. Owen believed that a person's character is formed by the effects of their environment. Owen
was convinced that if he created the right environment, he could produce rational, good and humane people. Owen argued that people were naturally good but they were corrupted by the harsh way they were treated. Owen was a strong opponent of physical punishment in schools and factories and immediately banned its use in New Lanark. Owen lead the beginning of working-class co-operation.
There were 2,000 inhabitants of New Lanark, 500 of them were young children from the poorhouses & charities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. Owen improved the houses and encouraged the people in habits of order, cleanliness, and thrift.
His entrepreneurial spirit, management skill and progressive moral views were emerging by the early 1790s. In 1793, he was elected as a member of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, where the ideas of reformers and philosophers of the Enlightenment were discussed. Owen was also a committee member of the Manchester Board of Health instigated by Thomas Percival, to promote improvements in the health and working conditions of factory workers.
Whilst travelling on company business Robert Owen met Anne Caroline Dale who was the daughter of a prosperous cotton manufacturer Mr. David Dale, with business interests based in New Lanark. In 1799 Robert Owen, at the age of twenty-seven, married Anne Caroline Dale, having 8 children together, seven surviving infancy.
When Owen arrived at New Lanark, children from as young as five were working for thirteen hours a day in the textile mills. He stopped employing children under ten and reduced their labour to ten hours a day. Young children went to the nursery and infant schools that Owen had built. Older children worked in the factory but also had to attend his secondary school for part of the day. Owen hoped that the way he treated children would encourage other factory owners to follow his example. He wrote several books including The Formation of Character 1813 and A New View of Society (1814).
In 1815 Robert Owen sent detailed proposals to Parliament about his ideas on factory reform. This resulted in Owen appearing before Robert Peel and his House of Commons committee in April, 1816. Also, that same year, he opened the first infant school in Great Britain at the New Lanark mills and gave it his close personal supervision. The School, along with traditional methods, emphasized character development & included dancing and music in the curriculum. Disappointed with the response he received in Britain, Owen decided
in 1825 to establish a new community in America based on the socialist ideas that he had developed over the years. Owen purchased an area of Indiana for £30,000 and called the community he established there, New Harmony. One of Owen's sons became the leader of this new community.
Owen sold his New Lanark textile mills in 1827. His four sons and one of his daughters, Jane, moved to New Harmony and made it their permanent home, Owen deciding to stay in England where he spent the rest of his life helping various reform groups & supporting organisations attempting to obtain factory reform, adult suffrage & the development of successful trade unions. He expressed his views in his journals, The Crisis
and The New Moral World. Owen also played an important role in establishing the Grand National Consolidated Trade Union in 1834 and the Association of All Classes and All Nations in 1835. He also attempted to form a new community at East Tytherly in Hampshire, However, like New Harmony in America, this experiment came to an end after disputes between members of the community.
Owen struggled to offer his 'new view of society', trying to assert a political doctrine which ran counter to the experience of those for whom his social message had real meaning. Among other beliefs, his advocacy of a union between rich & poor made it impossible for him to play a central part in the movement of protest which followed the end of the wars. Although disillusioned with the failure of these communities and most of his political campaigns, Owen continued to work for his "new moral order" until his death on 17th Nov. 1858.
Reference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Owen
1. Timeline
2. Wales
3. Organisations
4. Textile Industry
5. New Lanark, Scotland
6. Eight Hour Day (includes Moomba & Stonemasons)
7. Owen's Memorials
8. Welsh Choirs
2. Wales
3. Organisations
4. Textile Industry
5. New Lanark, Scotland
6. Eight Hour Day (includes Moomba & Stonemasons)
7. Owen's Memorials
8. Welsh Choirs
Timeline
Robert Owen Timeline
http://www.robertowen2008.coop/timeline.htm
http://www.robertowen2008.coop/timeline.htm
Wales
Newtown, Montgomeryshire
The most populated central town in Wales. Newtown was founded at the end of the 13th century when Edward I of England commissioned Roger de Montgomerie (1st Earl of Shrewsbury)to construct a centre for the hamlet of Llanfair-yng-Nghedewain this gave Newtown its original Welsh name. Closely connected to the fate of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Prince of Wales), whose new administrative centre at Dolforwyn Castle, alarmed Edward I that it was besieged. Seizing Llywelyn's lands, he granted them to the Mortimers. |
Wales
http://search.ancestry.com.au/Places/UK/ Genuki- Wales http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/ Newton http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newtown,_Pow Archives Wales http://archiveswales.org.uk/index.php Bangor University- Search http://calmview.bangor.ac.uk/CalmView/ |
Powis castle, Welshpool
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Get your tongue around this one-
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
Have a go at saying it
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Full meaning: “Saint Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool and the Church of Saint Tysilio of the red cave”. It is in the Guinness Book of Records for being the place
with the longest name in Britain. History and Status of the Welsh Language http://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/people/geraint.jones The Welsh alphabet Pronunciation http://www.omniglot.com/writing/welsh.htm |
Ann Caroline DALE
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CAROLINE DALE BALDWIN ALLEN PAPERS
The Caroline Dale Baldwin Allen Papers contain the records of at least nine generations of Owens, Campbells, and Dales. They consist of correspondence and personal papers, legal and business documents; much genealogical material; travel information; travel journals and diaries; writings, speeches, slide presentations of places visited; tapes and slides; photographs (a large collection of R. Owen pictures) of family and friends; original sketches by Owen family members. http://workingmensinstitute.org/caroline-dale-baldwin-allen-papers/ Anne Williams : bond, 1701. Other Searches http://darganfod.llyfrgell.cymru/primo_library/libweb/action/search Family of Robert OWEN & Ann Caroline DALE
http://www.blackiefamily |
The William Bulkeley Diaries
Housed in the University Archives at Bangor is what is known as the Bulkeley Diaries one of the most important pieces of documentary evidence available to the historian on life in eighteenth century Anglesey. Comprising of two volumes the first covers the period 1734 - 1743 whilst the second goes from 1747 - 1760. A third volume for the period 1743 - 1747 has not survived. The two surviving volumes run into over a thousand pages of small but neat handwriting detailing the life of a minor squire in Brynddu, Llanfechell, Anglesey. http://bulkeleydiaries.bangor.ac.uk/index.html The Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh (Brecon) Soldier Search http://royalwelsh.org.uk/research/soldier-search.htm Powys Archives Catalogue- Search http://calmview.powys.gov.uk/CalmView/ Montgomeryshire Churches Survey http://www.cpat.demon.co.uk/projects/longer/churches/montgom/idxmont.htm |
Organisations
Memoirs of the Literary & Philosophical Society of Manchester
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/52227#page/5/mode Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society The Society has published a number of works, including collections of Dalton’s manuscripts and the Manchester Memoirs, which have been published continuously since 1783. http://www.manlitphil.ac.uk/pages/?page_id=20 The Lit & Phil Card Index Searchable Database that covers members of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, both ordinary and honorary. http://cardindex.manlitphil.ac.uk/cards/2349 |
Thomas Percival
http://en.wikipedia.org/ |
Manchester Board of Health
Owen was also a committee member of the Manchester Board of Health instigated by Thomas Percival, to promote improvements in the health and working conditions of factory workers. Thomas Percival (1740–1804) was an English physician and author, best known for crafting perhaps the first modern code of medical ethics. Percival is also known for his early work in Occupational health. His personality, his interest in sociological matters & his close association with the Manchester Infirmary led to the preparation of a scheme of professional conduct relative to hospitals and other charities from which he drafted the code that bears his name. Full text of "A short history of the 'House of Recovery,' or fever hospital in Manchester : from its establishment in 1796 to the present time" https://archive.org/stream/b2475030x/b2475030x_djvu.txt |
Textile Industry
Newtown: Royal Welsh Warehouse
Newtown
Is the largest town in the county of Powys, Wales. Lying on the River Severn, within the historic boundaries of Montgomeryshire, the town is best known as the birthplace of Robert Owen in 1771.
Newton grew in the 18th and 19th century around the textile and flannel industry, stimulated by the completion of the Montgomeryshire Canal.
Is the largest town in the county of Powys, Wales. Lying on the River Severn, within the historic boundaries of Montgomeryshire, the town is best known as the birthplace of Robert Owen in 1771.
Newton grew in the 18th and 19th century around the textile and flannel industry, stimulated by the completion of the Montgomeryshire Canal.
Weaving and the Textile Industry http://www.origins.net/Help Newtown Textile Museum http://www.aboutbritain.com Museum loom
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If it wasna for the weavers
what would ye do? Ye wouldna hae your cloth that's made o woo. Ye wouldna hae your cloak neither black nor blue If it wasna for the wark o the weavers! |
Textile Manufactures in Early Modern England By Eric Kerridge
https://books.google.com.au/books?id= YzS8AAAAIAAJ&pg The Robert Owen Museum, Newtown
http://robert-owen-museum.org.uk/gallery |
Industrial Manchester, England; 1760-1825 Manchester was primed to become an efficient industrial city once cotton mill technology caught up to the existing infrastructure. https://sites.google.com/a/wisc |
Types of cotton
*Egyptian cotton http://blog.bargainbeddingusa.com/2012/03/09/why-is-egyptian-cotton *Sea Island cotton http://www.beaufort.com/the- history-of-sea-island-cotton/ *Pima Cotton http://www.supima.com/whats-supima/history/ *Asiatic Cotton *American Upland Cotton Also known as- Gossypium hirsutum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_cotton *Canton Cotton http://historicalpreservation.weebly.com/canton-cotton-mill.html Organic Cotton http://www.purebaby.com.au/about-us/organic-cotton-facts |
1.Sea-Island 2.Egyptian
3.American Upland Long-Staple 4.American Upland Short-Staple 5.Asiatic. |
New Lanark, Scotland
Robert Owen’s educational venture at New Lanark helped to pioneer infant schools and was an early example of what we now recognize as community schooling. A New View of Society (1816), a rallying call for widespread social change, with education at its core. New Lanark, the test-bed for his ideas, became internationally famous. Robert Owen moved on to the world stage, using New Lanark, however inappropriate, as a model for his Village Scheme, where rather than profit mutual co-operation would be the prevailing ethos. Owen later translated his ideas to the United States, attempting to establish a Community of Equality at New Harmony (1824-28) in Indiana. This was followed by a fantastic and abortive scheme to colonise part of the new Mexican republic on communitarian principles.
http://infed.org/mobi/education-in-robert-owens-new-society-the-new-lanark-institute-and-schools/
Robert Owen's- A New View of Society (1813)
http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/newview.html
http://infed.org/mobi/education-in-robert-owens-new-society-the-new-lanark-institute-and-schools/
Robert Owen's- A New View of Society (1813)
http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/newview.html
David Dale
(1739 –1806) |
The New Lanark cotton mills were founded in 1786 by David Dale in a brief partnership with Richard Arkwright. Dale was one of the self-made "Burgher Gentry" of Glasgow. The mills used the recently developed water-powered cotton spinning machinery invented by Richard Arkwright. Dale sold the mills, lands and village in the early 19th century for £60,000, payable over 20 years, to a partnership that included his son-in-law Robert Owen. Owen, who became mill manager in 1800
The New Lanark mills operated until 1968 |
Sir Richard Arkwright
(1732–1792) |
Lanark records http://forebears.co.uk/scotland/lanarkshire/ People Of New Lanark 1785-1935 http://search.findmypast.com/search-world New Lanark’s people – The early years http://scottishgenealogyblog.blogspot.com.au Family history talk by the Genealogy Detective! http://www.newlanarkblog.org/tag/genealogy/ |
Transcribing the New Lanark Mill Visitor Books
https://universityofglasgowlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/04/14/monthly-collections Happy Haggis Genealogy- Lanarkshire http://www.happyhaggis.co.uk/lanark.htm Parishes- A list of historic parishes for the county of Lanark with their parish numbers. Click on a parish name to see information about records. (Scroll down page) https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Lanarkshire,_Scotland_Genealogy |
Lanarkshire was also called Clydesdale (or Strathclyde), being from the valley of the river Clyde. This is where the Clydesdale horses came from.
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The Clydesdale is a breed of draught horse derived from the farm horses of Clydesdale, Scotland, and named after that region. Although originally one of the smaller breeds of draught horses, it is now a tall breed.
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The Reformer Who Dreamed Of A Utopia | Robert Owen
24:25 |
Industrial Revolution Social Change. History Documentary
45:50 |
The Industrial Revolution: A Boon to Industry
A Bane to Childhood 9:57 Poorhouses of Edinburgh & Glasgow.
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Edinburgh/ Edinburgh City Archives name indexes Registers of Aliens 1798-1825 St Cuthbert's Parochial paupers' claims 1850-52 Register- Edinburgh Charity Workhouse 1835-1841 Edinburgh Poll Tax returns 1694-1699 http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/download |
BBC- Industrial revolution, Robert Owen clip
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zx6w2hv The Scottish Enlightenment Enlightenment thinkers, that the findings of science, and not tradition, should be the basis of the laws of the universe: that any theory should be established by observation and testing of hypotheses against the evidence. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/scottishhistory/enlight The Children Who Built Victorian Britain
59:08 |
Eight Hour Day
In 1833 the Government passed a Factory Act
to improve conditions for children in factories.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/1833-factory-act/
to improve conditions for children in factories.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/1833-factory-act/
Time-based currency exchanges date back to the early 19th century. The National Equitable Labour Exchange was founded by Robert Owen. Time Dollars are a tax-exempt complementary currency. Some time-based currencies value everyone’s contributions equally: one hour equals one service credit. In these systems, one person volunteers to work for an hour for another person; thus, they are credited with one hour, which they can redeem for an hour of service from another volunteer. (wiki)
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Robert Owen raised the demand for a ten-hour day in 1810 and instituted it in his socialist enterprise at New Lanark. By 1817 he had formulated the goal of the eight hour day and coined the slogan:
'8 HOURS LABOUR 8 HOURS RECREATION 8 HOURS REST' |
Original Slogan Banner in 1856
LABOUR DAY
On 21 April 1856, stonemasons & building workers marched through the city of Melbourne, gathering supporters on the way Heading for Parliament to demand regulated working hours with no loss of pay. Their demands were granted & today, the 8 hour working day is a symbol of the democratic rights of workers. |
Labour Day - Eight Hour Day - Victoria
*21st April 1856 - The Eight Hour Day is won by Stonemasons in Melbourne on this day.
*15th May 1856- the first celebratory march takes place.
*The Victorian Berry Colonial government formally declares the 21st April 1879 a public holiday
*18th March- 1929,5000 unionists march in the Eight Hour Day procession in Melbourne.
*The Eight Hour Day is renamed Labour Day and there is a March through Melbourne on the 19th March 1934.
*1955 - The Labour Day in Victoria is superseded by the Moomba Parade.
The Eight Hour Day
http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/fight-rights/workers-rights/origins-8-hour-day
*21st April 1856 - The Eight Hour Day is won by Stonemasons in Melbourne on this day.
*15th May 1856- the first celebratory march takes place.
*The Victorian Berry Colonial government formally declares the 21st April 1879 a public holiday
*18th March- 1929,5000 unionists march in the Eight Hour Day procession in Melbourne.
*The Eight Hour Day is renamed Labour Day and there is a March through Melbourne on the 19th March 1934.
*1955 - The Labour Day in Victoria is superseded by the Moomba Parade.
The Eight Hour Day
http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/fight-rights/workers-rights/origins-8-hour-day
STONEMASONS
Memoirs of James Smith, Stonemason Dundee http://www.scan.org.uk/researchrtools/james_smith_diary.htm Where to find Stonemason Records http://www.genguide.co.uk/source/stonemason-records |
1st Moomba Parade 1955 (Flinders Street Station in background)
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Moomba
Moomba Festival has been celebrated on Labour Day weekend for over 60 years The first festival for 15-days, officially opened on 12 March 1955 by Governor Sir Dallas Brooks. 25,000 turned out to watch the inaugural Moomba parade down Swanston Street. The First Moomba Festival http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M Moomba Floats http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/stories/ |
Well Known to the Parade-
Stilt Walker- Alex Jurman 1970
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Zig & Zag 1984
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Moomba Through the Years
http://www.theage.com.au/photogallery/victoria/moomba-through-the-years-20130308-2fqfc.html
http://www.theage.com.au/photogallery/victoria/moomba-through-the-years-20130308-2fqfc.html
Owen's Memorials
Bronze Plaque, Newton, Montgomeryshire
Welsh Choirs
Often a group of miners working together in Wales, would form a choir to enter a competition and disband shortly after. Other choirs survived, such as the Treorchy & Morriston Orpheus choirs, famous throughout the world. Recently there has been a resurgence of Welsh male choral singing. Tim Rhys-Evans, formed the award winning choirs - “Only Men Aloud!”, “Only Boys Aloud!" & “Only Kids Aloud!”, helping to ensure that choirs have a future among the younger generation in Wales. (From Melbourne Welsh news No.3)
World's Largest Ever Male Choir sing Gwahoddiad
14:29 Only Boys Aloud Welsh Choir -
Britain's Got Talent 2012 Final 6:58 |
Only Men Aloud, Welsh Choir- One Voice
3:28 I Dreamed a Dream-
Melbourne Welsh Choir 3:30 |