Against such cruelties Lord Shaftesbury was constantly warring; and
his warfare was not in vain.
Quite as badly off were the little chimney sweeps. Boys were
kidnapped, and sold to cruel masters, who forced them to climb high
chimneys filled with soot and smoke. If they refused, a fire was
perhaps lighted below, and they would thus be forced to ascend. The
consequence was that many terrible accidents happened, resulting in
the deaths of these poor little fellows, whilst numbers died early
from disease.
Lord Shaftesbury roused the country to a sense of the wrong that was
being done to the chimney sweeps, and Bills were passed in Parliament
for their protection.
Not only children, but men and women also, needed to be defended from
wrong and overwork.
Lord Shaftesbury visited the factories to see how the labourers were
actually treated; and this is one of the things that came under his
notice.
A young woman whilst working in a mill at Stockport was caught by the
machinery and badly injured. When the accident happened she had not
completed her week's work, so eighteenpence was deducted from her
wages!
Horrified at such treatment Lord Shaftesbury brought an action against
the owners of the factory, and obtained L100 for the woman.
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