Part 13

We also appointed an old Man to keep the Door, and to carry forth and fetch in Work, and such kind of Services.

Being thus provided, we received in one hundred Girls, and set them to work at Spinning of Worsted Yarn; all which we first caused to be stript by the Mistress, washed, and new Clothed from Head to Foot; which, together with wholesome Dyet at set Hours, and good Beds to lie on, so incouraged the Children, that they willingly betook themselves to their Work.

We likewise provided for them Apparel for Sundays; they went to Church every Lord’s Day; were taught their Catechisms at home, and had Prayers twice every Day; we appointed them set Hours for working, eating, and playing; and gave them leave to walk on the Hills with their Tutresses, when their Work was over, and the Weather fair; by which means we won them into Civility, and a love to their Labour. But we had a great deal of Trouble with their Parents, and those who formerly kept them, who having lost the sweetness of their Pay, did all they could to set both their Children and others against us; but this was soon over.

Hitherto things answered above our Expectations; our Children grew sober, and worked willingly, but we very much questioned, whether their Labours at the Rates we were paid, would answer the charge of their Maintenance; and if not, our great Doubt was how we might advance it, without prejudicing the Manufactures.

To clear the first, we supposed ourselves in a fair way, having appointed their Diets to be made up of such Provisions as were very wholesome, afforded good nourishment, and were not costly in Price, viz. Beef, Pease, Potatoes, Broath, Pease-porridge, Milk-porridge, Bread and Cheese, good Beer, (such as we drank at our own Tables) Cabbage, Carrots, Turnips, &c. in which we took the Advice of our Physician, and bought the best of every Sort. They had three Meals every Day, and as I remember, it stood us (with Soap to wash) in about Sixteen-pence per Week for each of the one hundred Girls. We soon found the effect of their Change of Living, Nature being well supported, threw out a great deal of Foulness, so that we had generally twenty down at a Time, in the Measels, Small-pox, and other Distempers; but by the Care of our Physician, and the Blessing of God on his Endeavours, we never buried but Two, though we have had seldom less than one hundred in the House at any Time.

Having thus provided for their Diets, we next appointed their Times of Working; which in the Summer was ten Hours and a half every Day, and an Hour less in the Winter; by which means we answered the two Objections raised against the Poor, viz. Thar they will not work, and that they spend what they get in fine feeding.

But we soon found, that the great Cause of begging did proceed from the low Wages for Labour; for after about eight Months time, our Children could not get half so much as we expended in their Provisions. The Manufacturers, who employed us, were always complaining the Yarn was spun coarse, but would not advance above Eight-pence per Pound for Spinning, and we must either take this, or have no Work. On the other side, we were labouring to understand how we might distinguish, and put a Value on our Work, according to its Fineness. This we did by the Snap Reel, which when we were Masters of, the Committee made an Order, That the Master should buy in a Stock of Wool, and Spin it up for our own Accounts, and then proceeded to set the Price of Spinning by the Snap Reel, wherein we endeavoured to discourage coarse Work, and to endeavour fine, because we saw the latter was likely to bring more Profit, not only to the Poor, but to the Kingdom in general. We likewise ordered some Things to be made up of the several Sorts of Yarn, at the Rates we had set them; and on the whole, we found the Commodities made of fine Yarn, though they were much better than those made of Coarse, yet stood us in little more; because what the one exceeded in the Charge of Spinning, was very much made good in Abatement of the Quantity used. We therefore sent to the Manufacturers, and shewed them what Experiments we had made; but finding them still unwilling to advance above the old Rate, the Committee voted, that they would give Employment to all the Poor of the City, who would make Application to them, at the Rates we offer’d to work, and pay them ready Money for their Labour.

We soon found we had taken the right Course, for in a few Weeks we had Sale for our fine Yarn as fast as we could make it, and they gave us from Eight-pence to Two Shillings per Pound for Spinning the same Goods, for which a little before they paid but Eight-pence, and were very well pleased with it, because they were now able to distinguish between the fine and the coarse Yarn, and to apply each Sort to the Use for which it was most proper: Since which, they have given us Two Shillings and Six-pence per Pound for a great many Pounds, and we spin some worth Three Shillings and Six-pence per Pound Spinning.

By this Means we had the Pleasure of seeing the Children’s Labour advanc’d, which a little before I came up, amounted to near Six Pounds per Week, and would have been much more, but that our biggest Girls, we either settle forth, or put in the Kitchen; and those we receive in being generally small, are able to do but little for some Time after.

The Encouragement we had received on this Beginning, put us on proceeding further: The Court resolved to purchase a great Sugar-House, out of the Money directed by the Act to be raised for Building of Work-Houses, and fit it up for the receiving in the Remainder of the Poor, (viz.) ancient People, Boys, and young Children; which was accordingly done, and a Committee was appointed to manage it. This we called the Mint Work-House, because it had been hired by the Lords of the Treasury for that Use.

The Committee began to take in the Boys in August last; these we cloathed, dieted, and governed, much after the same Manner as we had done the Girls, but put them on a different Employment, (viz.) Spinning of Cotton Wool, and weaving of Fustians: We have now about one hundred of them together, who settle well to their Work, and every Day mend their Hands; they get us already six Pounds per Week; they are likewise taught to read, and we shall hereafter teach them to write.

We next took in our ancient People; and here we had principally a Regard to such as were impotent, and had no Friends to help them, and to such as we could not keep from the lazy Trade of Begging; these we cloath’d as we saw they needed, and put on such Employments as were fit for their Ages and Strengths, having our Eyes chiefly on those to which they were bred; we found it difficult at first to bend them down to good Orders, but by Degrees we have brought them under Government.

Then we called in all the Children that were on our Poor’s Books, and put them under Nurses; those who can speak and go, are carried down into the School, to learn their A, B, C, &c. As they grow up, we shall put them into the working Rooms.

The Boys are kept at a Distance from the ancient People, who do also lodge in distinct Apartments, the Men in several Chambers on one Floor, and the Women on another; all do something, though perhaps some of their Labours comes to little, yet it keeps them from Idleness: Both the Old and Young attend Prayers twice a Day, (except the Bedridden, for whom other Care is taken) and go to Church twice on Sundays.

We have now three standing Committees, (viz.) For the Poor, for the New Work-House, and for the Mint Work-House: The first gives all Directions, and makes all Allowance, for the Poor, without whose Order no Guardian can act any Thing considerable, except in Cases of absolute Necessity, which at the next Meeting of the Committee he must give an Account of, and desire their Approbation. The other two Committees have Power to act in the Affairs of that Work-House for which they are chosen: They receive in both Old and Young; they bind forth Apprentices, correct, order the Diet as they please, oversee the Working, sell the Manufactures, when made, order the Payment of all Moneys, which cannot be done unless the Note be sign’d by the Chairman; and generally direct every Thing relating to those Houses.

The Accounts are made up thus: The Treasurer’s Account is audited every Year, by a Committee chosen for that purpose; at which Time he is succeeded by another Treasurer, chosen by the Court: The Accounts of the Guardians who pay the Poor in their several Parishes are audited every three Months, by a select Committee chosen likewise by the Court, and are then paid by the Treasurer: The Accounts for each Work-house are audited by the respective Committee every Month, when the Master adjusts, not only his Account of Cash, but also of each particular Specie of Goods he hath under his Care, the Ballance whereof is still carried forward to the next, which when allowed of is signed by the Chairman: And the Account for each House is so stated, that it shews at one Sight, what the House is indebted; what Debts are out-standing, and from whom; what Goods remain in the House, and the Quantity of each Specie.

At the making up these Accounts, nothing (unless very trivial) is allowed, for which an Order is not produced, or found entered in our Books, so that ’tis very difficult to wrong the Corporation of any thing, if the Guardians should endeavour it.

These Committees keep their Journal Books, wherein all they do is fairly transcribed, and signed by the Chairman.

This is what at present occurs to my Memory touching our Work-houses at Bristol. I have been as brief as the nature of the Thing would admit: The Success hath answered our Expectation; we are freed from Beggars, our old People are comfortably provided for; our Boys and Girls are educated to Sobriety, and brought to delight in Labour; our young Children are well lookt after, and not spoiled by the neglect of ill Nurses; and the Face of our City is so changed already, that we have great reason to hope these young Plants will produce a virtuous and laborious Generation, with whom Immortality and Prophaness may find little Incouragement; nor does our hopes appear to be groundless, for among three hundred Persons now under our Charge within Doors, there is neither Cursing nor Swearing, nor prophane Language, to be heard, though many of them were bred up in all manner of Vices, which neither Bridewell nor Whippings could fright them from, because, returning to their bad Company, for want of Employment, they were rather made worse, than bettered by these Corrections; whereas, the Change we have wrought on them, is by fair means. We have a Bridewell, Stocks, and Whipping-Post, always in their Sights, but never had occasion to make use of either.

What is done in that City, I humbly hope may be carried on by the same Steps throughout the Kingdom; the Poor may be set at Work, their Wages advanced without Danger to our Manufacturers, and they thereby enabled to live on their own Labours, whereby the Charge of the Poor’s Rates may be saved, and a great many worthy Benefactors encouraged to give, when they shall see their Charity so well disposed of. This I have great reason to hope, because we have had near one Thousand Pounds freely given to us within the Compass of one Year, and much thereof by Gentlemen who dwelt at a Distance from us, only were willing to encourage a Work they saw likely to be carried on, which might be of good Example to the Nation.

I am,

Right Honourable

And Honourable,

Your Honours most

Obedient Servant,

JOHN CARY.

ESSAY

Towards Settling a