Child labour in the British Industrial Revolution

[2] Breathing in coal dust caused child labourers to develop lung diseases later in life.

[7] In 1841, the most three common jobs for boys under 20 were agricultural labourer (196,640), domestic servant (90,464), and cotton manufacturer (44,833).

The three most common jobs for girls under 20 were domestic servant (346,079), cotton manufacturer (62,131), and dressmaker (22,174).

The most common jobs for boys under 15 were agricultural labourer (82,259), messenger (43,922), and cotton manufacturer (33,228).

Factory owners could justify not paying orphans because they provided them with clothing, food, and shelter,[3][7] even though these things were likely to be substandard.

An 1876 illustration of children working in a British textile factory
A political cartoon from the early nineteenth century illustrating the working conditions of children