Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The current research (academic article in progress) is aimed at examining the effectiveness of the Mines Commission of 1842 in identifying and examining children who were working in coalmines. It examines the origins, personnel and conduct of the Commission. How and why did the commission come about and how effective was it in making contact with and examining children working in mines between 1840 and 1842? The three volumes of reports and appendices to the Commission – amounting to more than 2000 pages – provide more detailed information on coalmining life than all other contemporary sources taken together.

Main Topics:

The Children's Employment Commission (British Parliamentary Papers, 1842, vols. XV, XVI, XVII) was an inquiry into the ages and conditions of children working in coalmines in Great Britain and Ireland in the years 1840-1842. The two large appendices to the report contain minutes of evidence in the form of biographical / autobiographical statements which frequently include evidence relating to the ages, occupations, ages at starting work and occupations at starting work in different British coal districts. These exist for the 4108 witnesses to the Commission. The data were entered into a database to provide a basis for the testing of general statements about employed children. The data are currently being used to compare ages and occupations of employed children in different coal-districts and are useful in testing the efficiency of the various sub-commissioners in collecting their evidence.

No sampling (total universe)

Transcription of existing materials