cottage industry in pre industrial britain

THE COTTAGE SYSTEM© Dr Sayah 2nd Years.

Development of the Domestic System of Production Domestic system developed in England Late 1600s-late 1800s Rural society experienced the

beginnings of an industrial system called “the cottage industry”

Domestic system of production – “putting out” system or the cottage industry”

Domestic System Agricultural families worked at

night in their cottages in carding, spinning or weaving cloth.

Used rudimentary machines, such as old spinning wheels.

Carding Spinning

Processing fibers as cotton or wool before spinning

Converting these fibers into threads

Weaving (early textile production)

Man weaving on a 17th century shuttle

Threads are interlaced to form a fabric or cloth

Cottage industry

Early organization of Cottage industry

The Cottage industry

Typical system:• Single room dominated by a spinning wheel worked by a

young lady - the spinster. • Food is being cooked in the same room. • A ladder on the left of the picture will take the workers to

their beds • A window allows for light and ventilation.

Merchants’ Role in Cottage Industry Supply materials – wool and cotton

– to cottages to be carded and spun

Pay workers for finished item Take supplies from spinning

cottage to weaving cottage to dying cottage to sell finished cloth

Take goods to market Keep profit from sale, make larger

investment = higher profit

Workers’ role Almost never provided own raw

materials Never marketed their goods either Were “wage earners” Who owned

tools of production Or rent tools, or move to work in

other cottages

Work organization Household’s head manages work of

housewife, grandparents, and children. Work involved monotonous repetition of a

few simple movements of the fingers Unskilled and undemanding

Use of women’s and children’s labour Worked as a team so practice division of

labour Female workers were generally in a clear

majority in the work force until late 19th century

Merchants vs workers Disputes about wages could be

frequent and bitter. Employers using the domestic system

operated in tough competitive environment

In times of crisis, cut the piece-rates they paid their workers.

Scattered rural outworkers disorganised no resistance,

Women and children: a miserable pay better than no Work at all

Economic organization Scattered mass of labourers Dixons of Carlisle, cotton manufacturers,

employed 3,500 handloom weavers scattered over England and Scotland

Belper, hosiers, provided work for some 4,000 knitting frames in counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire

Required an elaborate system of communication and control by agents — called ‘putters- out’, ‘bagmen’ , and ‘foggers

Effects of Cottage Industry Big profits for new class of

merchants Rise of capitalism (an economic

system based on private ownership, free competition, and profit)

Cottage industry is an example of early capitalism

Alternative source of income for peasants

Stengths of the Domestic System Workers could work at their own

speed Work at home or near their own

home. Rested when they needed to. Meals could be taken when

needed. Tension at work minimal as family

worked as a unit.

Stengths of the Domestic System (2)

Children better treated than in the factory system.

Mothers work at home = someone to look after the children.

Conditions of work better as windows could be open

And Weaknesses Production slow and not enough to

meet the demand. A better and faster system of production

needed. Loss of time

Materials taken from cottage to cottage (production done in several stages)

Small cottages could not take advantage of new sources of power. (such as water)

No quality lifestyle : - Four year old children work in the

domestic system - Waste gathered around country

cottages - Small wages

Q1- How did the cottage Industry serve as a transition from a rural to an industrial economy?

Two concepts wage labor, cloth production, tools and machines, a market to buy and sell raw materials (cotton) and finished products (clothes).

Let’s Sum Up

Quiz time

Q1

A. Putting inB. Putting on C. Putting outD. Putting off

Domestic system is also called

Q2

A. Converting fibers into threadsB. Processing fibers of wool and

cottonC. Collecting wool from sheepsD. Interlacing threads to make

cloth

What is spinning?

Q3

A. Supply wool and cotton to cottages

B. Distribute tasks within the cottage

C. Pay workers for itemsD. Take finished cloth to market

Which of the following is not part of the merchants’ role?

Q4

A. Provided own raw materials

B. Owned tools of productionC. Marketed their goodsD. Fixed prices of finished

items

Wich statement about workers’ role is right?

Q5

A. Work managed by Putters-out.B. Required skilled labor C. Women were a majority in the

workforceD. System based on individual work

Which of the following best describes Work organization

Q6

A. Disputes about wages frequent. B. Workers were cheated on piece-

rates. C. Women and children had to accept

a miserable payD. Outworkers offered resistance

Merchants vs workers: tick the wrong statement

Q9

A. Production exceeded the demand. B. Production was done in only one

stageC. Production was slow D. Small cottages reluctant to use

new sources of power.

What were the disadvantages of the Domestic system?

Q7

A. Rise of consumerismB. Rise of capitalismC. Rise of communismD. Rise of absenteeism

Effects of Cottage Industry

Q8

A. Workers now have access to imported goods

B. Workers could work at their own speed

C. Workers could take their Meals when needed.

D. Tension at work was minimal

Stengths of the Domestic System: tick the wrong statement

Q10

A. Men who manufactured cotton bags

B. Men who supervised cottages’ work

C. Men who wore baggy trousersD. Men who manufactured bags

Who were the ‘bagmen’