Ironbridge literacy competition will put Shropshire children to work

Harking back to the days around 1900 when children as young as 13 – or even younger – were toiling in industrial jobs in the Gorge, it is the fourth annual literacy competition held by the Friends of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum.

To help the youngsters get a feel of what it was like in the old days, over 50 local primary and secondary schools have been sent copies of the museum's material about the area's child workers of yesteryear.

Jim Clarke, vice chairman of the Friends, said: "The aim is to encourage the children to create a short story based around what it was like to be a child worker in 1900, for example your first day at work, a typical day at work, and so on.

"Extracts from interviews with Coalport China workers conducted by Ken Jones, which are now held in the museum's archives, have been included along with other background information to help pupils with their stories.

"The competition runs from April 29 to June 14 and is designed to both inspire the creativity of children while also raising their awareness of how children in the Gorge lived just over 100 years ago.

"The winning entries will be announced on July 5 and displayed in an exhibition in the Iron Bridge Toll House between July 14 and 31."

He added: "The previous three literacy competitions have attracted over 1,000 entries. This annual competition has become part of the calendar of events for many schools in promoting not only literacy but the interest of local children in the history of the Ironbridge Gorge."

Anyone seeking further details of the competition can contact verity.jones@ironbridge.org.uk or on 01952 435900.

Officially children of those times had to attend school from five to 13, but those over 10 who had achieved their Certificate of Proficiency in reading, writing and arithmetic could leave school and start work. Major industries in the Gorge at the time included china making, brick and tile making, iron foundries, coal mining, quarrying, and more general employment in domestic service, in shops, and on farms.

Among pensioners whose memories of being child workers at Coalport China Works were recorded by the late Ken Jones 30 years ago were a Mr Bagley, who recalled: “I started at the china works aged 13 doing odd jobs before moving on to working in the kilns that were used to fire the china.

"The work was hot, dirty and very hard as temperatures in the kilns were over 1000C. To start with I earned five shillings (25p) a week, though the tradesmen at the china works earned 30 shillings (£1.50p) a week and more if they worked overtime. Usually we worked 10 hours a day and five and a half days a week.”