Hurrying

Adults could not easily do the job because of the size of the roadways, which were limited on the grounds of cost and structural integrity.

The thrusters often had to push the corf using their heads, leading to the hair on their crown being worn away and the child becoming bald.

[3][5][6] As mines grew larger the volume of coal extracted increased beyond the pulling capabilities of children.

[6] Workers in coal mines were naked due to the heat and the narrow tunnels that would catch on clothing.

In testimony before a Parliamentary commission, it was stated that working naked in confined spaces "... it is not to be supposed but that where opportunity thus prevails sexual vices are of common occurrence.

[2] The 1969 song The Testimony of Patience Kershaw[8] by Frank Higgins (recorded by Roy Bailey[9] and The Unthanks) is based on the testimony of Patience Kershaw (aged 17) when she spoke to the Children's Employment Commission.