cotton operative

[Antonia]

I have my mother's birth certificate from the 1920's.
It lists her mother's occupation as "cotton operative/card room hand".
Can someone explain what this is? Thank you.

[Geoffers]

Cotton operative, someone who worked in a cotton mill

Card room - where carding was carried out. Carding is combing of wool or cotton fibres before spinning.

There are numerous web-sites and books which deal with cotton mills. One (for Blackburn and Darwen) is:
http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?pageid=257

Geoffers

[Antonia]

Hi Geoffers,

Thanks for the info. Do you know if there was an age range or age limit
for this particular occupation?

I have heard that very young children used to work in the cotton mills.

Antonia

[Geoffers]

Thanks for the info. Do you know if there was an age range or age limit for this particular occupation?
I have heard that very young children used to work in the cotton mills.
The age limit varied according to legislation in force at the time.

There was compulsory education with the Education Act of 1870; but those aged 10-14 often attended school for half the day and worked the other half (hence they were known as 'halftimers'). The minimum age for working was raised to 12 by 1900 and the Fisher Act of 1918 made full time education compulsory.

Geoffers