Shropshire Routes to Roots

British Parliamentary Papers
Children's Employment Commission
Appendix to First Report of Commissioners
Mines
1842

The state of the place of work

The mine, with all its disadvantages, is not a disagreeable place. When it was observed to the men at work in the farthest part of the Hill's Lane Pit, that it would make an excellent goal as the prisoners could not by any means make their escape, one of the miners said, that he would greatly prefer dwelling there day and night, than going into Shrewsbury goal; for by being in the mine he should have his liberty. Persons who have done actions not deemed very heinous by the miners have been known to take shelter in the mines, and there are very few constables that would willingly go down after them.

The boys in the pit were lively, cheerful, and playful, and seemed to consider their work to be no hardship. Mr. Jones, the ground-bailiff, stated, that he had two sons, who became negligent of their lessons at school, and he proposed to take them into the mine to drive the horses. They seemed not to dislike it; however, at the end of six weeks they very willingly went back to school, and stuck to their books, as after all the easier employment of the two.

[British Parliamentary Papers
Industrial Revolution, Children's Employment. Volume 7. (Irish University Press Series, 1968). Shropshire Archive reference; 328.42 ]