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Work & Industry in Tredegar during the 19th century A Key Stage 2 Educational Resource Pack Part 6—Truck shops; Trade Directories; Ironworks, Collieries & Workers; A Day in the Life of a Door-boy
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What was the ‘truck system’ and why was it so unpopular amongst workers?
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Tredegar Ironworks Company ‘truck’ shop tokens
People who worked for most ironworks and coal mines in South Wales in the early 19th century or 1800s weren’t paid in money! Instead they were paid in goods supplied by the company through their own shop! The problem with this was that the goods in the company’s shop were more expensive than similar items sold in independent shops (around 25% dearer). Workers also complained that the goods in the company shop were of poor quality. To many people this system of payment to workers called ‘truck’ seemed very unfair.
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Children’s Employment Inquiry, 1841
It was made illegal in 1831 for workers to be paid in ‘truck’. However, owners of ironworks and collieries in South Wales used a loophole in the law to continue using the ‘truck’ system of paying their workers by keeping the pay office and company shop accounts separate. This caused much anger and resentment with workers who often never saw any money from their wages for months at a time!
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John Evans, Schoolmaster, Children’s Employment Inquiry, 1841 The workmen’s wages were paid in public houses, where the men were kept to the “small hours” of morning before receiving their draw or pay, which was given according to the discretion of the “contractor”. It frequently occurred that the Contractor was in debt, hence the men had to be content to go home frequently without any pay, and generally with less than their total earnings. Evan Powell, 1884 Many people did not work directly for the iron and coal companies. Instead they were employed by a contractor who was paid by the company for work carried out by his gang of workers. Many contractors owned ‘beer-shops’ or pubs as we would know them today.
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Tredegar Company Shop, Shop Row, Tredegar
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Trade Directories
Samuel Lewis, 1831
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Pigot & Company’s Directory, 1835—Part 1
Part 2 on next page
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Pigot & Company’s Directory, 1844—Part 1
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Pigot & Co, Directory, 1844 Part 2
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Slater’s Directory, 1858-59 Part 1
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Slater’s Directory, 1858-59. Part 2
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Slater’s Directory, 1858-59 Part 3
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Slater’s Directory, 1858-59 Parts 4&5
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Slater’s Directory, 1858-59 Parts 6&7
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Slater’s Directory, 1858-59. Parts 8 & 9
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Kelly’s Directory, 1901 Part 1
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Kelly’s Directory 1901 Parts 2&3
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Kelly’s Directory 1901 Parts 4&5
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Kelly’s Directory 1901, Part 6
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Ironworks & Collieries of Tredegar
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There are very few images of the Sirhowy Ironworks when it was working. This rare photograph was taken about 130 years ago.
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This drawing of the Sirhowy Ironworks was made by Michael Blackmore, to help us imagine what it was like when it was working. What evidence might Michael have used to create this ‘reconstruction’ drawing?’
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Right: Samuel Homfray in 1790.
Work was begun in 1800 on Tredegar Ironworks by Richard Fothergill and Samuel Homfray.
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Tredegar Ironworks, 1809, drawn by Richard Fothergill junior.
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Tredegar Ironworks in 1864 with the town behind it.
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Tredegar Ironworks 1890
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Tredegar Ironworks 1890
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Graham's Navigation Colliery
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Pochin Colliery about 1900
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Ty Trist Colliery about 1900
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Tredegar about 1900 with Whitworth Colliery on the right
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Whitworth Colliery about 1900
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William Clayton’s worker portraits of 1860s Around 1865, Tredegar photographer, William Clayton produced a large number of portraits of working men and women. Although most of the photographs were taken in a studio, the people appear to be wearing working clothes and many have blackened faces. Some are photographed with tools or other pieces of work equipment. About 50 photos or portraits are known to exist in all. Unfortunately, we don’t know who the people in the photos were but it is likely that they were from Tredegar. We know from the census at this time that many women and men had very hard labouring jobs. It seems that William Clayton thought that he might be able to sell the photos as ‘curiosities’ or souvenirs to rich people rather than being photographs ordered and paid for by the working people actually being photographed themselves.
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A day in the life of a door-boy or ‘trapper’ from the Children’s Employment Inquiry 1841
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