Role of Women
During the Industrial Revolution, the role of women in society was greatly altered. Prior to the revolution, a woman's place was originally at home where she was the center of spirituality and domestic endeavors. With the Industrial Revolution, however, women in the working class were forced to leave the confines of their homes for factories and other workplaces.
The best data available to show the roles women played in this developing and constantly changing society come from the census. Although these figures are neither complete nor accurate, they do provide perspective. Many times, figures were skewed because of situations such as agricultural female workers being enlisted as maids or part of domestic services.
These tables from <http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/burnette.women.workers.britain> provide some perspective:
Occupational Distribution in the 1851 Census of Great Britain
Occupational Category
Males (thousands)
Females (thousands)
Percent Female
Public Administration
64
3
4.5
Armed Forces
63
0
0.0
Professions
162
103
38.9
Domestic Services
193
1135
85.5
Commercial
91
0
0.0
Transportation & Communications
433
13
2.9
Agriculture
1788
229
11.4
Fishing
36
1
2.7
Mining
383
11
2.8
Metal Manufactures
536
36
6.3
Building & Construction
496
1
0.2
Wood & Furniture
152
8
5.0
Bricks, Cement, Pottery, Glass
75
15
16.7
Chemicals
42
4
8.7
Leather & Skins
55
5
8.3
Paper & Printing
62
16
20.5
Textiles
661
635
49.0
Clothing
418
491
54.0
Food, Drink, Lodging
348
53
13.2
Other
445
75
14.4
Total Occupied
6545
2832
30.2
Total Unoccupied
1060
5294
83.3
Source: B.R. Mitchell, Abstract of British Historical Statistics , Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1962, p. 60.
Domestic Services, which is the largest profession women seemed to be involved in ranged from cooking, cleaning, caring for family members, and making and mending clothing among various other chores. Many middle class and well to do families could afford other women to do this work for them. To put into perspective – women in London were paid 2s. 6d. a day for washing. Agricultural labor in the country however, only earned them near a third of this amount – 8d. Washing, however, typically filled up a 20 hour day, while an agricultural work day was less than half this long.
Factory Workers in 1833: Females as a Percent of the Workforce
Industry
Ages 12 and under
Ages 13-20
Ages 21+
All Ages
Cotton
51.8
65.0
52.2
58.0
Wool
38.6
46.2
37.7
40.9
Flax
54.8
77.3
59.5
67.4
Silk
74.3
84.3
71.3
78.1
Lace
38.7
57.4
16.6
36.5
Potteries
38.1
46.9
27.1
29.4
Dyehouse
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Glass
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Paper
-
100.0
39.2
53.6
Whole Sample
52.8
66.4
48.0
56.8
Source : "Report from Dr. James Mitchell to the Central Board of Commissioners, respecting the Returns made from the Factories, and the Results obtained from them." British Parliamentary Papers , 1834 (167) XIX. Mitchell collected data from 82 cotton factories, 65 wool factories, 73 flax factories, 29 silk factories, 7 potteries, 11 lace factories, one dyehouse, one "glass works", and 2 paper mills throughout Great Britain.
“On average, girls earned the same wages as boys. Children's wages rose from about 1s.6d. per week at age 7 to about 5s. per week at age 15. Beginning at age 16, and a large gap between male and female wages appeared. At age 30, women factory workers earned only one-third as much as men”
Wages of Agricultural Servants (£ per year)
Year
Location
Male Money Wage
Male In-Kind Wage
Female Money Wage
Female In-Kind Wage
Ratio of Money Wages
Ratio of Total Wages
1770
Lancashire
7
9
3
6
0.43
0.56
1770
Oxfordshire
10
12
4
8
0.40
0.55
1770
Staffordshire
11
9
4
6
0.36
0.50
1821
Yorkshire
16.5
27
7
18
0.42
0.57
Source: Joyce Burnette, "An Investigation of the Female-Male Wage Gap during the Industrial Revolution in Britain ," Economic History Review 50 (May 1997): 257-281.
Wages of Agricultural Laborers
Year
Location
Male Wage (d./day)
Female Wage (d./day)
Ratio
1770
Yorkshire
5
12
0.42
1789
Hertfordshire
6
16
0.38
1797
Warwickshire
6
14
0.43
1807
Oxfordshire
9
23
0.39
1833
Cumberland
12
24
0.50
1833
Essex
10
22
0.45
1838
Worcester
9
18
0.50
Source: Joyce Burnette, "An Investigation of the Female-Male Wage Gap during the Industrial Revolution in Britain ," Economic History Review 50 (May 1997): 257-281.
Business Owners Listed in Commercial Directories
Date
City
Male
Female
Unknown Gender
Percent Female
1788
Manchester
2033
199
321
8.9
1824-5
Manchester
4185
297
1671
6.6
1846
Manchester
11,942
1222
2316
9.3
1850
Birmingham
15,054
2020
1677
11.8
1850
Derby
2415
332
194
12.1
Sources: Lewis's Manchester Directory for 1788 (reprinted by Neil Richardson, Manchester , 1984); Pigot and Dean's Directory for Manchester , Salford , &c. for 1824-5 ( Manchester 1825); Slater's National Commercial Directory of Ireland ( Manchester , 1846); Slater's Royal National and Commercial Directory ( Manchester , 1850)
Women in Trades in Manchester , 1788
Trade
Men
Women
Gender Unknown
Percent Female
Apothecary/ Surgeon / Midwife
29
1
5
3.3
Attorney
39
0
3
0.0
Boot and Shoe makers
87
0
1
0.0
Butcher
33
1
1
2.9
Calenderer
31
4
5
11.4
Corn & Flour Dealer
45
4
5
8.2
Cotton Dealer
23
0
2
0.0
Draper, Mercer, Dealer of Cloth
46
15
19
24.6
Dyer
44
3
18
6.4
Fustian Cutter / Shearer
54
2
0
3.6
Grocers & Tea Dealers
91
16
12
15.0
Hairdresser & Peruke maker
34
1
0
2.9
Hatter
45
3
4
6.3
Joiner
34
0
1
0.0
Liquor dealer
30
4
14
11.8
Manufacturer, cloth
257
4
118
1.5
Merchant
58
1
18
1.7
Publichouse / Inn / Tavern
126
13
2
9.4
School master / mistress
18
10
0
35.7
Shopkeeper
107
16
4
13.0
Tailor
59
0
1
0.0
Warehouse
64
0
14
0.0
Source: Lewis's Manchester Directory for 1788 (reprinted by Neil Richardson, Manchester , 1984)
Participation Rates of Married Women
High-Wage Agriculture
Low-Wage Agriculture
Mining
Factory
Outwork
Trades
All
1787-1815
55
85
40
37
46
63
66
1816-1820
34
NA
28
4
42
30
49
1821-1840
22
85
33
86
54
63
62
Source :
Sara Horrell and Jane Humphries, "Women's Labour Force Participation and the Transition to the male-Breadwinner Family, 1790-1865," Economic History Review 48 (February 1995): 89-117
