Seasonal variation in production, household composition and earnings in cottage manufacture: Evidence from women weavers employed by a mid-19th century Yorkshire firm

Abstract

This article uses a unique data set to focus on women weavers in mid-19th century Britain. Records from John Murgatroyd and Sons, worsted manufacturers, focus on women weavers in the Halifax, Yorkshire area. Data are consistent with the hypothesis that cottage industry allowed workers to leave their weaving tasks during the peak labor season in agriculture, contributing to the persistence of putting out when the industrial revolution was underway. Seasonal variation of labor and production and payments provides quantitative evidence on the importance of the flexibility of cottage industries. A large variation in household arrangements also illustrates this flexibility.