Construction History, Vol. In the ninety years preceding the outbreak - PDF document

Construction History, Vol. In the ninety years preceding the outbreak of the First World the construction 'route' miles [l] provided work for the railway building in the United periods, such as the late 1840s when Mania' collapsed, a catastrophic in the demand for labour and, the final decades the nineteenth century, the find an fields of dock and reservoir Nevertheless, no century proved as was the depression of early 1930s when seasoned navvies in London of excavating pedestrian underpass Paddington main line station to the underground system [2]. of Parliament In the course of the nineteenth century, the his masters changed face of any other group except, perhaps, for the behind the Enclosure their importance Victorian economy, information on body of men in contemporary official records. voluminous enquiry Commission on in 1839 and 1840, Parliament had requested railway companies deaths and injuries few companies, amongst which was Western, responded with detailed notably, two major projects of the London & Brighton and Edinburgh & Glasgow, ignored only in and injuries amongst passengers and [3]. potentially valuable line of by ordering companies to supply the different types of men engaged in their lines. that they should be listed but the reply from many companies allocated between only two: and 'Artificers'. this case, latter group included not only clerks, inspectors, accountants, timekeepers, etc. [4]. exception of some passing references in 'Criminal Returns' and an enquiry which mentioned below, this is the sum total of the Parliamentary evidence this very labour group. and incomplete and it several major enquiries into life style of notorious group, canal boatmen [5]. Therefore, it surprising that Construction History, Vol. In the ninety years preceding the outbreak of the First World the construction 'route' miles [l] provided work for the railway building in the United periods, such as the late 1840s when Mania' collapsed, a catastrophic in the demand for labour and, the final decades the nineteenth century, the find an fields of dock and reservoir Nevertheless, no century proved as was the depression of early 1930s when seasoned navvies in London of excavating pedestrian underpass Paddington main line station to the underground system [2]. of Parliament In the course of the nineteenth century, the his masters changed face of any other group except, perhaps, for the behind the Enclosure their importance Victorian economy, information on body of men in contemporary official records. voluminous enquiry Commission on in 1839 and 1840, Parliament had requested railway companies deaths and injuries few companies, amongst which was Western, responded with detailed notably, two major projects of the London & Brighton and Edinburgh & Glasgow, ignored only in and injuries amongst passengers and [3]. potentially valuable line of by ordering companies to supply the different types of men engaged in their lines. that they should be listed but the reply from many companies allocated between only two: and 'Artificers'. this case, latter group included not only clerks, inspectors, accountants, timekeepers, etc. [4]. exception of some passing references in 'Criminal Returns' and an enquiry which mentioned below, this is the sum total of the Parliamentary evidence this very labour group. and incomplete and it several major enquiries into life style of notorious group, canal boatmen [5]. Therefore, it surprising that origins, working conditions and customs the navvy rely heavily on produced by middle-class ladies (who usually deplored the fact that navvies did not conform to their standards [6], their misdeeds in the press and, above evidence given on Railway [7]. The Enquiry the discovery by John Roberton, very active Statistical Society, men driving Pennine tunnel at Woodhead and Sheffield were living in conditions nearly as squalid as those many of the inhabitants of became almost obsession for and he harnessed energy of Edwin Chadwick [a]. from Chadwick led to the appointment Edward Pleydell Bouverie which heard evidence engineers, including Brunel, policemen, railway missionaries, etc. group in question minor role in the navvies were invited speak and they all witnesses. in obvious contrast to the structure working life in the same period. Royal Commission Children in Mines of miners in the South Staffordshire and Shropshire coalfields alone [9]. Apparently factory operatives and on these occasions, not railway navvies. most balanced and account of life Woodhead probably appears not in a the contractor at eastern end, produced to the Manchester society [lo]. correct in inspection and employers' liability in relation accidents should become railway building, counter to that in the Brunel and others see preserved. The in disappointment for the supporters enquiry when failed to even discuss mainly because of the intense and prolonged over the repeal end of 'Mania' and the number of men employed of work, the quietly forgotten. navvy which emerges from nineteenth-century literature, episodes of violence which shaped the opinions of from the evidence given the witnesses before young man whose ignorance, even personal matters, was so did not his own name and by some outlandish of cases, navvy came from the contracts frequently a corner of a hut in some insanitary encampment. the story goes, was dmnken assaults on policemen and women. Altogether, the tranquil rural communities which had misfortune to be experienced only a little disturbance than been created 'Swing Riots' following account, the writer two other sources of and the records of south-western England, in Image of navvy: 'spades & different picture origins and behaviour the Census Returns British decennial census of population commenced in and the coincide with time of railway building Unfortunately, in exact place birth and, of origins, working conditions and customs the navvy rely heavily on produced by middle-class ladies (who usually deplored the fact that navvies did not conform to their standards [6], their misdeeds in the press and, above evidence given on Railway [7]. The Enquiry the discovery by John Roberton, very active Statistical Society, men driving Pennine tunnel at Woodhead and Sheffield were living in conditions nearly as squalid as those many of the inhabitants of became almost obsession for and he harnessed energy of Edwin Chadwick [a]. from Chadwick led to the appointment Edward Pleydell Bouverie which heard evidence engineers, including Brunel, policemen, railway missionaries, etc. group in question minor role in the navvies were invited speak and they all witnesses. in obvious contrast to the structure working life in the same period. Royal Commission Children in Mines of miners in the South Staffordshire and Shropshire coalfields alone [9]. Apparently factory operatives and on these occasions, not railway navvies. most balanced and account of life Woodhead probably appears not in a the contractor at eastern end, produced to the Manchester society [lo]. correct in inspection and employers' liability in relation accidents should become railway building, counter to that in the Brunel and others see preserved. The in disappointment for the supporters enquiry when failed to even discuss mainly because of the intense and prolonged over the repeal end of 'Mania' and the number of men employed of work, the quietly forgotten. navvy which emerges from nineteenth-century literature, episodes of violence which shaped the opinions of from the evidence given the witnesses before young man whose ignorance, even personal matters, was so did not his own name and by some outlandish of cases, navvy came from the contracts frequently a corner of a hut in some insanitary encampment. the story goes, was dmnken assaults on policemen and women. Altogether, the tranquil rural communities which had misfortune to be experienced only a little disturbance than been created 'Swing Riots' following account, the writer two other sources of and the records of south-western England, in Image of navvy: 'spades & different picture origins and behaviour the Census Returns British decennial census of population commenced in and the coincide with time of railway building Unfortunately, in exact place birth and, of for the listing of those were building railways, census takers give only an of numbers if they their returns. official covering through which Clayton for the & Brighton in a huts, provided number of people there and, justify his decision, added "Labourers on Rail Road, Strangers to the Parish-'Here today and gone " [ll]. gathered by for another large body in area, those the north in Ouse Valley engaged building Balcombe Viaduct. next census exact places of and ages, family relationships of people listed. 1881, which is census open under the Hundred early as 1851, a pattern origins of engaged in this of work England and Wales. Approximately 25 cent of 1841 had been born in the county in which building taking place to later about 50 per county plus those immediately to it. Lines in south-west, where little industry labour, had especially high levels of local participation. example, 75 per cent men working on Wilts, Somerset & 1851 came south-west, and those building & Somerset twenty years later [12]. majority of these people were, almost certainly, agricultural groups, such handloom themselves increasingly pressure of competition Charles Robert leading firm of testified: "Navvies were pick of through which new railways were being made, as regards physique " [13]. railway work farm labourer were twofold: firstly, paid. Earnings and varied considerably according to the and physical abilities individual men, it appears on evidence derived depositions and proceedings of railway labourers were being offered llp-14p for a 10 hour early 1840s as compared with 9p land. Secondly, many workers suffered from underem- ployment because their work was Railway building may finally have brought many hoped for, of the [14], certainly had a better potential than did these circumstances, difficulty in finding frequently-used recruitment have been required. an example of what often in the neighbourhood of in the spring when word spread work would soon commence the southern part & line. News had gone round the district men would be needed railway and many deserted existing masters [15]. were, however, some circumstances shortages of labour. Very difficult pieces of work could produce requirements which exhausted local reserves. Cutting in Northamptonshire the London & created such a that its contractors posted on the roads of the district offer any male pedestrian [16]. when railway occurred in the country that were thinly such as counties of Scotland northern Pennines, contractors Only about 6 per cent of Settle- Carlisle in Yorkshire. 17 per cent came south-eastern England in north-west Yorkshire and Westmorland almost certainly a result the transfer of labourers from several major contracts in the London Firbank the 1860s to the scene of his works the Settle-Carlisle [17]. Finally, through history of railway building, men deserted the contracts in harvest months of may simply have wanted change of working circumstances, and every hand was required on the land at year. Whatever the motivation, in summer of work and behaviour, allied instinctive affinities with land, briefly onward drive For the men in doubly unfortunate since this was favourable period of On the basis of this evaluation, therefore, was generally which came from the ing countryside. consequence of huge surpluses of men on in the mid-nineteenth century and, no most of these people fields when work had ceased. But it cannot be another element existed amongst men in railway building. Whilst have been former farm labourers, earliest years of were groups peripatetic workers from one for the village of Bletchingley, Surrey, where was being driven on the South noted in on the kind of persons, they and Yorkshire, and are set of beings on [la]. employment they have been the Manchester & another example mobility, when Enoch Naylor was charged with having been gang which committed a number of robberies in the Black Down Hills, his fellow workers & Exeter Railway came forward give evidence said, all Lancashire together 1834 and had subsequently worked with him on series of lines, including the London-Southampton, Paris-Rouen and, shortly before, had "never heard thing against him before this" [19]. Naylor John Green Champion, were amongst professional navvies and, no and experience made them individu- ally worth several of former farm' labourers sequence of events, appears, was news of agricultural labourers fields and they constituted the bulk of labour in of England and Wales. gangs were reinforced, however, by life was dedicated to manual labour. people moved around choosing their own projects which followed a particular contractor. sometimes given the credit for having the entire work on railways England even great outflow from Ireland which followed the 1840s. But they played significant role only the country least one two conditions held: where attraction for resident labour, and for the listing of those were building railways, census takers give only an of numbers if they their returns. official covering through which Clayton for the & Brighton in a huts, provided number of people there and, justify his decision, added "Labourers on Rail Road, Strangers to the Parish-'Here today and gone " [ll]. gathered by for another large body in area, those the north in Ouse Valley engaged building Balcombe Viaduct. next census exact places of and ages, family relationships of people listed. 1881, which is census open under the Hundred early as 1851, a pattern origins of engaged in this of work England and Wales. Approximately 25 cent of 1841 had been born in the county in which building taking place to later about 50 per county plus those immediately to it. Lines in south-west, where little industry labour, had especially high levels of local participation. example, 75 per cent men working on Wilts, Somerset & 1851 came south-west, and those building & Somerset twenty years later [12]. majority of these people were, almost certainly, agricultural groups, such handloom themselves increasingly pressure of competition Charles Robert leading firm of testified: "Navvies were pick of through which new railways were being made, as regards physique " [13]. railway work farm labourer were twofold: firstly, paid. Earnings and varied considerably according to the and physical abilities individual men, it appears on evidence derived depositions and proceedings of railway labourers were being offered llp-14p for a 10 hour early 1840s as compared with 9p land. Secondly, many workers suffered from underem- ployment because their work was Railway building may finally have brought many hoped for, of the [14], certainly had a better potential than did these circumstances, difficulty in finding frequently-used recruitment have been required. an example of what often in the neighbourhood of in the spring when word spread work would soon commence the southern part & line. News had gone round the district men would be needed railway and many deserted existing masters [15]. were, however, some circumstances shortages of labour. Very difficult pieces of work could produce requirements which exhausted local reserves. Cutting in Northamptonshire the London & created such a that its contractors posted on the roads of the district offer any male pedestrian [16]. when railway occurred in the country that were thinly such as counties of Scotland northern Pennines, contractors Only about 6 per cent of Settle- Carlisle in Yorkshire. 17 per cent came south-eastern England in north-west Yorkshire and Westmorland almost certainly a result the transfer of labourers from several major contracts in the London Firbank the 1860s to the scene of his works the Settle-Carlisle [17]. Finally, through history of railway building, men deserted the contracts in harvest months of may simply have wanted change of working circumstances, and every hand was required on the land at year. Whatever the motivation, in summer of work and behaviour, allied instinctive affinities with land, briefly onward drive For the men in doubly unfortunate since this was favourable period of On the basis of this evaluation, therefore, was generally which came from the ing countryside. consequence of huge surpluses of men on in the mid-nineteenth century and, no most of these people fields when work had ceased. But it cannot be another element existed amongst men in railway building. Whilst have been former farm labourers, earliest years of were groups peripatetic workers from one for the village of Bletchingley, Surrey, where was being driven on the South noted in on the kind of persons, they and Yorkshire, and are set of beings on [la]. employment they have been the Manchester & another example mobility, when Enoch Naylor was charged with having been gang which committed a number of robberies in the Black Down Hills, his fellow workers & Exeter Railway came forward give evidence said, all Lancashire together 1834 and had subsequently worked with him on series of lines, including the London-Southampton, Paris-Rouen and, shortly before, had "never heard thing against him before this" [19]. Naylor John Green Champion, were amongst professional navvies and, no and experience made them individu- ally worth several of former farm' labourers sequence of events, appears, was news of agricultural labourers fields and they constituted the bulk of labour in of England and Wales. gangs were reinforced, however, by life was dedicated to manual labour. people moved around choosing their own projects which followed a particular contractor. sometimes given the credit for having the entire work on railways England even great outflow from Ireland which followed the 1840s. But they played significant role only the country least one two conditions held: where attraction for resident labour, and