The Workers 3

Dancing at New Lanark

Their diet was wholesome if plain and unvarying - beef or cheese with barley broth, potatoes, barley bread, oatmeal porridge with milk in summer, or a sauce called "swats", made of molasses and beer in winter, when milk is in scarce supply. Occasionally fresh herrings were served as a change.

Highlanders

In 1791, a ship load of emigrants from Skye and the Highlands set sail for America, but the ship was storm damaged off the west coast, and put back into port at Greenock. Dale sent a representative to offer these would-be emigrants work and houses in his new mill village. Over 100 accepted, and Dale, who like many of his contemporaries was worried by the drift of population away from the Highlands and Islands, pledged himself to build houses for 200 families, and advertised for more workers. Many subsequently came from Caithness - so many that one of the village streets was named Caithness Row. Many of these Highlanders were Gaelic speakers, and there were arrangements made for a Gaelic Chapel in the village. The Highlanders were certainly able to earn a better living in New Lanark than by the subsistence farming they had been used to.

ACTIVITY

1. Describe the Silent Monitor and explain its use.

2. Explain what a pauper apprentice was and how they were treated by Dale at New Lanark.

3. Look at the 'Daily Routine'. How many hours, on average, did a worker at New Lanark work every week? How much time did he/she have for meal breaks?

4. Dale and Owen provided both food and clothing for their workers. Describe in detail the diet and the 'uniforms'which were supplied.