1824 MOFFAT, AGNES (Old Parish Registers Births 696/ 50 51 Newton)
1. 1841 PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION INTO CHILD LABOUR
Agnes Moffatt, 17 years of age, coal-bearer:-
Began working at 10 years of age; works 12 and 14 hours daily; can earn 12s. in the fortnight, if work be not stopped by bad air or otherwise.
Father took sister and I down; he gets our wages.I fill five baskets; the weight is more than 22cwt.; it takes me 20 journeys.
The work is o'er sair for females; had my shoulder knocked out a short time ago, idle some time.
It is no uncommon for women to lose their burthen and drop off the ladder down below; Margaret M'Neil did a few weeks since, and injured both legs. When the tugs which pass over the forehead break, which they frequently do, it is very dangerous to be under a load.
The lassies hate the work altogether but they canna run away from it.
[Reads well.]
2. http://www.scotsman.com/news/girl-coal-miner-who-shocked-britain-to-get-square-honour-1-1084575
A CHILD coal miner whose testimony helped change labour laws in Victorian times is to be honoured by a new square at the heart of Craigmillar.
Agnes Moffat was only ten years old when she gave evidence to the 1841 parliamentary commission into child labour, saying it was "o'er sore" to have to haul huge buckets up a ladder during her working day.
To commemorate her, and other unknown child workers, the square next to the new 16 million St Francis and Niddrie Mill primary schools is to be renamed Moffat Square.
PARC, the council-founded company behind the regeneration of Craigmillar, says the renaming is part of a new policy to find names celebrating the history of the area's people.
John Quinn, general manager of the company, said it was also considering commissioning a statue of Agnes.
The story of Agnes Moffat was unearthed by Helen Crummy, 88, one of the founders of the Craigmillar Festival Society. She said: "We have to learn from our history. It's a story that should be told because places like Craigmillar are so maligned.
"I am delighted that Agnes Moffat is to be remembered in this way."
Both Agnes Moffat and her sister Janet gave evidence to Lord Shaftsbury's Commission of 1841, telling of the life child labourers had to endure in the mines of Niddrie and Newcraighall, where conditions were said to be among the worst in Britain.
Agnes said: "I fill five buckets. The weight is more than 22 cwt. Twenty journeys is o'er sore for females."
The commissioner who took her evidence noted that Agnes carried coal up ladders over a distance that exceeded the height of St Paul's Cathedral every day.
Mrs Crummy began investigating the history of the mines in the area after she and her family moved into a converted miner's cottage.
She said: "The coal miners could not read or write, so no stories of them were written."
Shaftsbury's report shocked Victorian Britain and in 1842 a law was passed making it illegal for women and girls to work underground. However, it was still legal for boys over the age of ten to work in the mines.
John Quinn, project manager at PARC, said: "Historically, place names in the area recognised the powerful landowning families, such as the Prestons and the Wauchopes, who dominated Craigmillar from the Middle Ages to the late 19th century.
"But Craigmillar has always been about the people who live and work there, and the vibrant community they have created.
"In the spirit of regeneration, we wanted to celebrate these people who made a real difference to the society around them. Agnes Moffat is a wonderful example of this.
"As well as place naming, we will also be working closely with the local community to look at other ways of keeping their memory alive, such as innovative public art projects and street sculpture."
3. No.23 - Agnes Moffatt, aged 17, Newton
Began working at 10 years of age; works 12 and 14 hours daily; can earn 12s. in the fortnight, if work be not stopped by bad air or otherwise. Father took sister and I down; he gets our wages. I fill five baskets; the weight is more than 22cwt.; it takes me 20 journeys. The work is o'er sair for females; had my shoulder knocked out a short time ago, idle some time. It is no uncommon for women to lose their burthen and drop off the ladder down below; Margaret M'Neil did a few weeks since, and inured both legs. When the tugs which pass over the forehead break, which they frequently do, it is very dangerous to be under a load. The lassies hate the work altogether but they canna run away from it.
Comment by Franks
Reads well.
Agnes was the daughter of William and Elizabeth Moffat. Her siblings were Martha, Catherine and William
Record for William Moffat/ www.ancestry.com
Name: William Moffat
Age: 49
Estimated birth year: abt 1792
Gender: Male
Where born: Midlothian, Scotland
Civil Parish: Newton
County: Midlothian
Address: Miller Hill
Occupation: Coal Miner
Parish Number: 696
Household Members:
Name Age
William Moffat 49 Head
Elisabeth Moffat 50 Wife
Martha Moffat 22 Coal Miner
Cathrine Moffat 19 Coal Miner
Agnes Moffat 17 Coal Miner
William Moffat 14 Coal Miner
Saturday 09 August 2008 Scotsman
A CHILD coal miner whose testimony helped change labour laws in Victorian times is to be honoured by a new square at the heart of Craigmillar.
Agnes Moffat was only ten years old when she gave evidence to the 1841 parliamentary commission into child labour, saying it was "o'er sore" to have to haul huge buckets up a ladder during her working day.
To commemorate her, and other unknown child workers, the square next to the new 16 million St Francis and Niddrie Mill primary schools is to be renamed Moffat Square.
PARC, the council-founded company behind the regeneration of Craigmillar, says the renaming is part of a new policy to find names celebrating the history of the area's people.
John Quinn, general manager of the company, said it was also considering commissioning a statue of Agnes.
The story of Agnes Moffat was unearthed by Helen Crummy, 88, one of the founders of the Craigmillar Festival Society. She said: "We have to learn from our history. It's a story that should be told because places like Craigmillar are so maligned.
"I am delighted that Agnes Moffat is to be remembered in this way."
Both Agnes Moffat and her sister Janet gave evidence to Lord Shaftsbury's Commission of 1841, telling of the life child labourers had to endure in the mines of Niddrie and Newcraighall, where conditions were said to be among the worst in Britain.
Agnes said: "I fill five buckets. The weight is more than 22 cwt. Twenty journeys is o'er sore for females."
The commissioner who took her evidence noted that Agnes carried coal up ladders over a distance that exceeded the height of St Paul's Cathedral every day.
Mrs Crummy began investigating the history of the mines in the area after she and her family moved into a converted miner's cottage.
She said: "The coal miners could not read or write, so no stories of them were written."
Shaftsbury's report shocked Victorian Britain and in 1842 a law was passed making it illegal for women and girls to work underground. However, it was still legal for boys over the age of ten to work in the mines.
John Quinn, project manager at PARC, said: "Historically, place names in the area recognised the powerful landowning families, such as the Prestons and the Wauchopes, who dominated Craigmillar from the Middle Ages to the late 19th century.
"But Craigmillar has always been about the people who live and work there, and the vibrant community they have created.
"In the spirit of regeneration, we wanted to celebrate these people who made a real difference to the society around them. Agnes Moffat is a wonderful example of this.
"As well as place naming, we will also be working closely with the local community to look at other ways of keeping their memory alive, such as innovative public art projects and street sculpture."
28/03/1824 MOFFAT, AGNES (Old Parish Registers Births 696/ 50 51 Newton) Page 51 of 363
Newton Parish Births & Baptisms 1824.
Moffat. William Moffat and Elizabeth Reid had their Lawful Child a Daughter born on the 6th March and Baptized the 28th Inst. Named Agnes
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