Working Children of St Michael's, St Albans, 1851
How young children in St Michael's parish were already at work in 1851.
Using the 1851 census for St Michael's urban district, this article examines children aged 7–12 who were already in paid work—often from age 7, contrary to national averages. Hat making and silk spinning dominated, reflecting St Albans' straw-plait and hat trade, and the paper breaks employment down year by year rather than in broad age bands.