ABSTRACT
Working under the same firm, I found a young man, about twenty years of age, who had come with his parents, in 1836, from Suffolk, to Turton, near Bolton, where his father, himself, and others of the family, had been engaged by Messrs. H e n r y and E d m u n d A s h w o r t h for three years. At the expiration of this term, they left Messrs. A s h w o r t h , and went to work for their present masters. This young man, whose name I know, but do not feel at liberty to publish, was perfectly straight when he left Suffolk, and is now obliged, in the short space of five years, to walk in ir o n s , and cannot walk without them. These irons are strapped round the waist, and come down to the ankles, with joints opposite the knees. The strain upon these irons is so great that, though well made, they have given way several times. His legs are very much deformed, and resemble those of R------ H------- , of Bradford, before described. He does not complain of bad treatment from his former masters; but lays the blame to the long hours of labour, and his constantly standing. He walked without irons tili he was obliged to be carried home from his work. His present masters are very kind to him; they have humanely given him a job, where he can sit to his work, and pay him 8s. per week ; and he may, probably, in a few years, get raised to 10s. per week. His two sisters, who were also quite straight, are nearly as bad as he is.
