The Cotton Famine 1861-65
The attack by forces of Confederate States on the Federal ‘Fort Sumter’ in Charleston Bay at 4.30 in the morning of the 12th April 1861, and its capture by them the following day, started the American Civil War. The war was to last until April 2nd 1865, when General Lee of the Confederate States surrendered to the Federal General Grant.
No other place outside America would suffer more from its effects than the cotton manufacturing districts of Lancashire; Blackburn the largest of these would endure much deprivation with the rest. Until the catastrophe hit the town, Blackburn had been a boom town like other such towns in the county. In the year before the war twenty-two new mills had been built. The town had truly put its industrial eggs in one basket. No fewer than 25,000 people from a total population of 63,126 were directly employed in the cotton industry. It was usually accepted that each one of these had at least one dependent making a total of 50,000 or 79% of the population. The back-up services of engineering, shuttle and bobbin making etc; would place another 3,000 persons dependent on the mills. The final estimated total was in the region of 56,000 (2) who would be dependent on the Poor Law, leaving less than 8,000 to support themselves through the Poor Law Rate. It was obvious that help would be needed from outside the town, and due to the generosity of people far and wide this was received.
During the prosperous years of the Cotton Industry in the 1850s families in Blackburn could earn from £5-6 each week. Young women could in many cases earn between 18-20s per week and lads of sixteen could earn almost as much.
Here are three examples:
A family of eight persons
|
Husband aged 45 |
Spinner |
£1.10s.0. |
|
Wife aged 45 |
Winder |
14s.0. |
|
Two Daughters aged 22 and 20 |
Winders |
£1.10s.0. |
|
Two Sons aged 18 and 16 |
Weavers |
£1.10s.0. |
|
Two Children |
Half-timers |
5s.0. |
|
|
|
£5.9s.0. |
A family of six persons
|
Husband aged 40 |
Weaver |
18s. 0. |
|
Wife aged 38 |
Warper |
15s.0. |
|
Daughter aged 18 |
Winder or Rover |
12s.0. |
|
Son aged 16 |
Weaver or Piecer |
10s.0. |
|
Two Children |
Half-timers |
5s.0. |
|
|
|
£3.0s.0. |
A family of four persons
|
Husband aged 30 |
Spinner |
£1.10s.0. |
|
Wife aged 28 |
Weaver |
15s.0. |
|
Two Children underaged |
|
0 |
|
|
|
£2.5s.0. |
It is certain that the larger families would contain at least two underaged children. The above were published in the Glasgow Weekly Herald, the information being supplied by Mr. James Henderson, the sub-inspector of factories for the Blackburn District.
Gerald Schofield
|
