working life of women seventeenth century - School of Economics ...

AGRICULTUREwife of Thos. Lyne. Tobacco none planted. VagrantsMary How, an Irish woman and her sister were takenand punished according to the Statute and sent awayby pass with a guide towards Ireland in the County ofCork.": or as in another report " We have no bakers oralehouses within our parish. We cannot find by oursearches at night or other time that any rogues orvagabonds are harboured saving Mr. Edward Hall wholodged a poor woman and her daughter. We do notsuffer any vagrants which we see begging in our parishbut we give them punishment according as we ought."'A review of the whole position of women in Agricultureat this time, shows the existence of FamilyIndustry at its best, and of Capitalism at its worst.The smaller farmers and more prosperous husbandmenled a life of industry and independence in which everycapacity of the women, mental, moral and physicalhad scope for development and in which they couldsecure the most favourable conditions for their children-while among capitalistic farmers a tendency canalready be perceived for the women to withdraw fromthe management of business and devote themselvesto pleasure. At the other end of the scale Capitalismfed the man whom it needed for the production ofwealth but made no provision for his children ; andthe married woman, handicapped by her family ties,when she lost the economic position which enabled herthrough Family Industry to support herself and herchildren, became virtually a pauper.Bund (J. W. Willis) Worcestnrbire CO Rec., Vol. I., p. 564, 1634.' Zbid, Vol. I, p. 571, 1634.TEXTILES.(A) Introductory. Historical importance in women's economic development-Predominance of women's labour-Significance in development of ,Industrialism-Lowwages.(R) lYoollen Trade. Historical importance-Proportions of men and womenemployed-Early experiments in factory system abandoned-Declining employmentof women in management and control-Women LVeavers-Burllng-Spinning-Organization of spinning industry-Women who bought wool andsold yarn made more profit than those who worked for wages-Methods ofspinning-Class of women who span for wages-Rates of wages-Disputesbetween spinsters and employers-Demoralisation of seasons of depresslon-Association of men and women in trade disputes.(C) Linen. Chiefly a domestic industry-Introduction of Capitalism-Increaseddemand caused by printlng linens-Attempt to establish a company-Part takrn by women-weaulng-bleaching-spinning-Wages below subslstencelevel-Encouragement of spinning by local authorities to lessen poorrelief-rirmin.(D) Silk. Gold and Silver. Silk formerly a monopoly of gentlewomen-Inseventeenth century virtually one of the pauper trades. Gold and Silverfurnished employment to the poorest class of women-Factory system alreadyIn use.(E) Conclusion.FROM the general economic standpoint, the textileindustries rank second in importance to agricultureduring the seventeenth century, but in the history ofwomen's economic development they hold a positionwhich is quite unique. If the food supply of thecountry depended largely on the work of women inagriculture, their labour was absolutely indispensableto the textile industries, for in all ages and in allcountries spinning has been a monopoly of women.This monopoly is so nearly universal that we maysuspect some physiological inability on the part ofmen to spin a fine even thread at the requisite speed,and spinning forms the greater part of the labour inthe production of hand-made textile fabrics.