The Farm Labourers

Work was varied, and included such tasks as lifting potatoes, weeding, raking and planting, harvesting vegetables, stone picking. Farmers' wives would often take charge of the dairy and the feeding of poultry, whilst those married to small scale farmers might well, in addition to farm duties, work outside the farm in order to supplement the family's income. When experienced and working full time the labourer would be able to turn his hand to a wide range of tasks. This would include threshing after the harvest and hedging and ditching during the winter months. The farm labourer, therefore, had to be very versatile. He also needed to be fit and strong as the tools he used were generally heavy and the jobs tiring.

Days started early for labourers, their cottages would have been cold, and dark when getting up. Before breakfast chores, like tending the garden and clearing out, needed to be taken care of. After breakfast there could be a long walk to the farm, sometimes two to three miles. If he was late a quarter of the days pay would be deducted. The working day could run from 8 in the morning until 6 in the evening,. Single lads, were then, still hired by the year as servants, living on the farm with their board and lodging as part of their wages: they did not go home at night, as the married labourers did.

Around 199,000 female farm workers were employed during the agricultural peak of the mid-19th century. Many of them were employed on a yearly basis, whilst others worked in 'gangs', which often included children. Wages for Farm labourers were a littler higher than the rest of the country because lead mining was also a big industry and workers had to be tempted away. The weekly budget for a typical family was 11s 10d. These were for the bare necessities like bread, tea, treacle, sugar, soap, meat, coal, cheese, candles, rent and school fees. .