Hello Rootschat

Please could you tell me what working conditions were like working at a laundry in the 1870s, 1880s, 1890s and 1900s. Thank you.

All female members of the family: mother, sister, mother-in-law and daughters are working at a laundry (not at home as laundry work could be done at home). I know people died from all different causes but the mother, sister and daughters died very young, just waiting for their death certificates but I have read that they suffered from being in constant wet and damp conditions.

Just out of interest have found out why there were so many 'Chinese' laundries, laundry work provided work for the Chinese sailors who chose to settle in England rather than go out to sea again and the sailors would setup laundries with their English wives. William Achong is fascinating, born in 1824 in China.

I expect it is unlikely, but would there still be records kept of who worked in the laundries? Fulham is known to have several laundries but without an actual name of the laundry would you expect to work at the closest laundry and/or where work was available?

Thank you for your help.