• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Online Button Museum

  • Home
  • Button Galleries
    • Button Galleries
    • Backmarks – Hammond Turner (etc) and others
    • Dandy and Dress Buttons 1
    • Dandy and Dress Buttons 2
    • Livery Buttons
    • Military Buttons
    • Naval Buttons
    • Sporting Buttons 1
    • Sporting Buttons 2
    • Sporting Buttons 3
    • Sporting Buttons 4
    • Uniform Buttons 1
    • Uniform Buttons 2
  • History
    • History
    • Hammond Turner timeline
    • Trade directories
    • Native American visit
    • The Penny Magazine Supplement on Birmingham
    • Harriet Martineau for Charles Dickens
    • The Birmingham Button Trade parts 1 – 10
    • Employment of children in the button trade, HT&Sons, 1833, 1841 & 1864
    • Children working in the button trade – 1841
    • Children working in the button trade – 1864
    • West’s patent buttons
  • Wills
    • Wills
    • William Kempson 1768
    • Bonham Hammond 1808
    • Charles Glover 1819
    • Mary Greenhill Hammond 1822
    • John Dickinson 1822
    • Samuel Hammond 1825
    • William Elliot 1831
    • John Turner 1841
    • Samuel Hammond Turner 1841
    • Rebecca Dickinson 1845
    • John Chatwin 1848
    • William Hammond Turner 1851
    • William Brunton 1851
    • George Bragg 1852
    • George Davey Bragg 1900
  • People
    • People
    • Samuel Hammond Turner
    • John Pemberton Turner
    • Locating Birmingham Button Makers
    • Repeal Button
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / 1864 Inspections – Mr Darlaston, Japan Button Manufacturer

1864 Inspections – Mr Darlaston, Japan Button Manufacturer

Article Index
1864 Inspections – Mr William Aston, Button Manufacturer
1864 Inspections – Messrs Dain, Watts and Manton, Button Manufacturers
1864 Inspections – Messrs Smith & Wright, Button Manufacturers
1864 Inspections – Messrs J & T Chatwin, Button Manufacturers
1864 Inspections – Messrs Iliffe and Player, Button Manufacturers
1864 Inspections – Mr Cope, Button Manufacturer
1864 Inspections – Mr Lepper, Button Manufacturer
1864 Inspections – Messrs Thomas Bullock and Sons, Button Manufacturers
1864 Inspections – Mrs Rowley, Peal Button Manufacturer
1864 Inspections – J Watson, Pearl Button Maker
1864 Inspections – William Lane, Pearl Button Maker
1864 Inspections – Messrs Layton, Japan Button Manufacturer
1864 Inspections – Mr Darlaston, Japan Button Manufacturer
1864 Inspections – Mr Matthews, Glass Button Manufacturer
1864 Inspections – All Pages

Page 14 of 15


MR. S. DARLASTON’S, JAPAN BUTTON MANUFACTURER, BRANSTON STREET.

402. A new factory but littery and dirty, and some of the children very forlorn looking. A little girl showing me down some very steep steps, such as have in many Birmingham factories struck me as dangerous, slipped down the two or three last, but without hurting herself. The cutting out of the tin is done by presses like other press work. The japanning is very dirty work indeed, and the smoke from the stoves when opened very strong, and pungent to the eyes, but is said to be healthy.

403. The master’s daughter thought that none of the girls could read. Five of 7 years old had never been at any school, an elder girl not since she was 7.
404. Mr. S. Darlaston.—The work consists of several branches, viz., cutting out, drawing through, putting shanks in, and closing, all done with presses, except putting the shanks on. When made the buttons have two coats of japan; this work is done by two women and four girls. A woman takes work from me at so much a hundred, and keeps a girl or two. If they take two or three presses they keep more girls. Think I am nearly the only japan button maker of notice. There are a few quite small employers working almost in their own houses with their own children. Elastic sides and eyelet holes for boots have almost entirely thrown the trade out. Seven or eight years ago I employed three times my present number of hands. Even formerly, if I wanted more work I put on more hands. Always knew that I should lose more than I gained by working overtime. Generally pay more for overtime something like 25 per cent better. When I have had 10 hours amongst them myself I have had enough, but they are no good without me.
405. Kate O’Brien, age 17.—Employ from 15 to 20 girls, and have a press myself, but I have about enough to do in keeping the rest to work. They are all cleared out for dinner. The little ones begin at about 1s. a week.
406. Kate Dowd, age 8.—Put in. Am working at a press now. Don’t know O or A.
407. Mary Brady, age 11.—At a press a few weeks. Have pinched half a nail off. Pinched my finger once before. Christ is Jesus—is God.
408. Ann Burns, age 14.—Was never at school except sometimes of a Sunday. Have a brother of 8 and two sisters younger that I who have never been to school on Sunday. Don’t know B. Go to church sometimes of a Sunday morning, and hear the preacher, but cannot hear what he says. Have not heard of Noah. Adam and Eve were two wicked men.
[The master’s daughter says that the preaching, &c., is all in Latin.]
409. Bridget Fry, age 17.—Cannot tell any letters or tell you what London is; it is a big town in England, but I have not heard whether it is big or little. Don’t know where rivers run into. Have crossed the sea coming from Ireland. A mountain would be on the water, I should think. Don’t know where the snow falls from, or whether it comes from the clouds, or sky, or where.

Footer

ABOUT OUR MUSEUM

This web site has been created by Lesley Close as an on-line museum displaying some of the buttons and other artifacts manufactured by Hammond Turner & Sons (and related companies), button makers of Birmingham (and Manchester), England.

GET IN TOUCH

 enquiries@hammond-turner.com

 www.hammond-turner.com

WHAT WE DON’T DO

The button-making company Hammond Turner no longer exists – we do not make buttons!

Designed by LTheme.com - Powered by Wordpress

DMCA | Term of Use | Primary Policy