History of the Factory Act

This was the first Factory Law ever passed by the British Parliament The Act was passed to reform the degrading morals of apprentices and workers in the cotton and woollen mills. In the late 1700s, reformers had tried to push several acts through Parliament to improve the health of the workers and apprentices.

The act received the title, The Factory Health and Morals Act of 1802

The Preamble

As stated in The Factory Health and Morals Acts of 1802:

Whereas it hath of late become a practice in cotton and woollen mills, and in cotton and woollen factories, to employ a great number of male and female apprentices, and other persons, in the same building, in consequence of which certain regulations are now necessary to preserve the health and morals of such apprentices

The Regulations

1.) The Master or Mistress of the Factory must observe the law

2.) All rooms in a factory are to be lime-washed twice a day and duly ventilated

3.) Every apprentice is to be supplied with two complete suits of clothing with suitable linen and stockings.

4.) The hours of work of apprentices are not to exceed twelve a day, nor commence before six in the morning, nor conclude before nine at night.

5.) They are to be instructed every working day during the first four years of apprenticeship in reading, writing and arithmetic.

6.) Male and Female apprenctices are to be provided with seperate sleeping apartments, and not more than two to sleep in one bed.

7.) On Sunday they are to be instructed in the principals of the Christain religion.

Problems with the act

Richard Oastler in 1804 comments on the act:

This act gives little authority to parliament and less restriction on factories. How can factories not resist to break the law?

The act failed to provide a clear law of the hours one is permitted to work and failed to include supervision to make sure the law was being followed.

The law was ignored by the factories but paved the way for more factory acts.