30th
September
1868
1868
....154 at 2d. [2 pence]
.......18 at 3d.
Difference determined by the means of the parents.
The parents have no other expense to provide for".
| Good wages for children's labour |
Glossary
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Many parents found it hard to find
even the small weekly sum of money demanded by the early schools, which
was often called the 'school pence'. |
Heretofore - before | |
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30th
September
1868 |
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"Weekly
payments by children - ....154 at 2d. [2 pence] .......18 at 3d. Difference determined by the means of the parents. The parents have no other expense to provide for". |
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Drawing
by
Rob Davies |
It was usual for school fees to be higher for the children of farmers, tradesmen, and skilled workers than for those of labourers and others who earned much less. The "means of the parents" meant how much they could afford to pay. This Log Book entry from the same school in 1867 shows that the children of many poor families had to leave school and start earning as soon as possible... |
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17th
May
1867 |
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"The average attendance continues low, there are good wages to be obtained for children's labour both in the Factory and on the Farm, which causes many to leave at an earlier age than heretofore". |
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In Newtown around this time the factory jobs would mostly be in the flannel mills which were still doing well and employing large numbers of workers. The local industry collapsed towards the end of the 19th century because of competition from cheaper woollen goods from the factories of northern England.
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RDR
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