Page 21 - Thrapston Life October 2023

BUILDING WORK
Brick makers
Many people may remember the book by Charles Kingsley, The Water Babies; the story of Tom who escapes from the cruel life of a child chimney sweep. What people may not know is that in the 18th century children helped to make the chimneys as well as clean them and that traces of these child
labourers can be found on the old
walls of Thrapston.
and hardening in the sun. As bricks were dried on the edges finger marks are more likely to have been made on the top and bottom surfaces which are later covered in mortar.
Child labour has been common throughout history but increased significantly with the
Traditionally bricks are made by
throwing sloppy clay into a wooden
mould. It is common to see the
impression of the hay or straw or the
slats of wood on which they were laid
but look carefully and you may see (or
better feel) small fingerprints: on the
wall opposite Bennetts Tearoom garden
in Thrapston town centre and in the ally behind the Co-op. Children were probably utilised to turn the bricks while still soft, to assist drying
Children were probably utilised to turn the bricks while still soft, to assist drying
industrial revolution until the appalling mistreatment of children led to the 1833 Factory Act. This act outlawed
the use of children under the age of nine and limited the working week to forty eight hours for those from nine to thirteen.
History surrounds us. We commemorate our war dead by name as well as the rich and famous but for the sharp eyed there is evidence of
those who once lived in our community but were never marked on any sign, road name or gravestone.
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