ABSTRACT
In the early days of factory life, it was usual for the cotton mills to be worked 90 to 100 hours per week, or 15 to 16 hours per day, though there were a few notable exceptions. Legislation limiting the hours of work was gradually introduced from 1802 onwards, when the hours of work of certain apprentices were limited to 12 a day. In 1819 an Act was passed which prevented the admission of children to cotton mills before the age of nine, and limited the hours of work of persons under 16 to twelve a day. The most important industry coming under the category of industries dependent chiefly on human labour is coal mining. The work of cutting granite is done chiefly by hand labour, and it requires a good deal of intelligence as well as muscle.
