Industrialisation and social change in Britain, 1759–1928: forging a new…

The idea

Early cotton mills faced a labour problem: they needed many hands, but free workers were scarce, mobile and resistant to factory discipline. Samuel Greg addressed this at Quarry Bank by recruiting pauper apprentices through the Poor Law. Parish overseers relieved ratepayers by sending dependent children to the mill, where Greg housed, fed, clothed and supervised them. This linked industrial labour to poor relief: parishes gained savings, Greg gained a compliant workforce. He also built cottages for adult families, paid wages and imposed rules, bells and fines to manage attendance and behaviour. The system combined accommodation with control, and its limits appeared when apprentices resisted or ran away.

What earns the marks

• Explain the labour problem: rapid mill expansion created demand for workers that local free labour could not meet, especially in rural sites such as Styal.
• Show how the Poor Law connection worked: parish overseers apprenticed poor children to Greg, transferring the cost of relief and gaining a supply of young workers.
• Describe accommodation and management: purpose-built apprentice houses, cottages for families, provision of food and clothing, and rules enforced by overseers and teachers.
• Assess the balance of care and control: Greg's provision improved welfare for some children but also created dependence and strict discipline, with resistance such as running away.
• Link the workforce system to business needs: a settled, trained and supervised labour force reduced turnover and supported continuous production at Quarry Bank.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Treating the labour problem as only a shortage of adult workers.

  Put it right: It also concerned discipline, turnover and the cost of poor relief.

• Assuming all Quarry Bank workers were apprentices.

  Put it right: Greg also employed local families and adult wage labourers alongside pauper apprentices.

• Presenting the Poor Law connection as purely charitable.

  Put it right: It was a bargain between parishes seeking savings and a manufacturer seeking labour.

• Describing management as either wholly benevolent or wholly harsh.

  Put it right: Evidence shows both provision and control operating together.

Exam tips

• Anchor answers in specific Quarry Bank practices such as apprentice houses, parish indentures and factory rules rather than general statements about factories.
• When discussing the Poor Law, explain the interests of both parish and employer to show causation, not just describe the system.
• Use the wording of the question to organise paragraphs around labour problem, Poor Law connection, and accommodation and management.
• Support judgements about welfare and control with named examples, such as children's diet, clothing, schooling or punishments.