Some of the jobs carried out by children in the early mills.

 Textile industry jobs for children

 

Back Tenter

Stands at the back of weaving looms taking hold of cloth as it  passes between the rollers, checking that the cloth has no creases.

Billy Piecer

Collects broken yarn and joins it together

Blower

Operates a blowing machine used to clean and separate fibres

Card Setter

Made “cards” by setting bent wires into flat pieces of wood

Carder

Prepared yarn for spinning by brushing with wire pads so that all the fibres ran in the same direction.  Originally done by hand, then later using a carding machine.

Creeler

Operated a machine which had rows of spindles on which bobbins could be run.

Doffer

Removed full bobbins from mules or spinning frames.

Fly Gatherer

Removes cotton waste from floor

Hooker

Laid out fabric in uniform folds to the required length

Reeler

Unwound yarn from cops or bobbins and rewound it on to a revolving reel in the form of skeins or hanks.

Scavenger

Picked up loose thread from under machinery.  This job was given to small children as they were more nimble. This was extremely dangerous as the job had to be done while the machines were still working ( stopping the machines cost money) and there were no safety guards.

Slubber

Prepared cotton for spinning by removing the ‘slubs’.

Tenter

Stretched the cloth, after it was dyed on a frame for drying

Twister

Operated a machine used for twisting the yarns and threads together

Winder

Transferred yarn from bobbins ready for weaving