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HOWPEOPLEUSEDTOLIVEINANCOATS

Aprojectwithyear5pupilsfromNewIslingtonFreeSchoolinAncoats,withthehelpofHannahBarker,fromtheUniversityofManchesterHistory

Department,ManchesterHistoriesandtheManchesterandLancashireFamilyHistorySociety

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1.MURRAYMILLS

Photograph,1808:ManchesterLocalImageCollection

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Somequestionstoaskyourselfwhenlookingatyoursources:

o WhyaretheresomanymillsinAncoats?o Whatwaslifelikeforthepeoplewhoworkedthere?o Wouldyouliketobeachildworkerinmill?

Sources

o BBCBitesizewebsite:http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/shp/britishsociety/livingworkingconditionsrev1.shtml

o HistoryofMurrayMills:

http://manchesterhistory.net/manchester/tours/tour12/murraysmill.html

o TheVictorianWebonfactoryworkinthenineteenthcentury:

http://www.victorianweb.org/history/workers1.html

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2.THEICEPLANT(FORMERLYKNOWNASBLOSSOMSTREETICE

COMPANY)

Photograph,1962:ManchesterLocalImageCollection

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Somequestionstoaskyourselfwhenlookingatyoursources:

o Howisthisbuildinglinkedtothehistoryoficecream?o WhywasAncoatscalledLittleItaly?

Sources

o Websiteonhistoryofsite:http://manchesterhistory.net/manchester/ancoats/iceworks.html

o WebsiteonLittleItalyinManchester:

http://www.ancoatslittleitaly.com

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3.LOOMSTREET

Photograph,1962:ManchesterLocal

ImageCollection

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Somequestionstoaskyourselfwhenlookingatyoursources:

o WhatwasthePeterlooMassacre?o WhyisitlinkedtoLoomStreet(andtootherAncoat’saddresses)?

Sources

o BritishLibrary:http://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/the-peterloo-massacre

o http://www.peterloomassacre.org/history.htmlo Eyewitnessaccountbytheweaver,SamuelBamford:http://www.peterloomassacre.org/eyewitness.html

o Listsofsomeofthosekilledorinjured:http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=653291.27

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4.GEORGELEIGHSTREET

Photograph,1966:ManchesterLocalImageCollection

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TheblockofGeorgeLeighStreetthatwearelookingatwasbuiltinthelate1800sinresponsetoconcernsabouturbanlivingconditionsforworkingpeople.Somequestionstoaskyourselfwhenlookingatyoursources:

o Whywerethesehousesbuilt?o Wholivedthere?o Howdidtheylive(infamilygroups,andhowmanyineachhouse)?o Whatsortsofjobsdidtheydo?o Howdoesthisdifferfromthewaythatyoulivetoday?

Sources

o Municipaldreamsblog:https://municipaldreams.wordpress.com/2014/02/18/municipal-housing-in-manchester-before-1914-improving-the-unwholesome-dwellings-and-surroundings-of-the-people/

o HistoryLearningsiteonlifeinindustrialrevolutionBritain:

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/britain-1700-to-1900/industrial-revolution/life-in-industrial-towns/

o 1901censustellsyouhowlivedineachhouse,howoldtheywereandwhat

theydid.Youhavepartofthecensusthatcoverssomenewlybuilthousingfromthe1890s.

o FredrichEngels,TheConditionoftheWorkingClass,abookwrittenin1845abouthisexperienceslivingandworkinginManchester,whichincludesadescriptionofhousinginAncoats.

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From:TheConditionoftheWorkingClassinEngland,byFrederichEngels

(1845)

Inthelast-mentionedbroaddistrictincludedunderthenameAncoats,standthe

largestmillsofManchesterliningthecanals,colossalsixandseven-storied

buildingstoweringwiththeirslenderchimneysfarabovethelowcottagesofthe

workers.Thepopulationofthedistrictconsists,therefore,chieflyofmill-hands,

andintheworststreets,ofhand-weavers.Thestreetsnearesttheheartofthe

townaretheoldest,andconsequentlytheworst;theyare,however,paved,and

suppliedwithdrains.AmongthemIincludethosenearesttoandparallelwith

OldhamRoadandGreatAncoatsStreet.Farthertothenorth-eastliemanynewly

built-upstreets;herethecottageslookneatandcleanly,doorsandwindowsare

newandfreshlypainted,theroomswithinnewlywhitewashed;thestreets

themselvesarebetteraired,thevacantbuildinglotsbetweenthemlargerand

morenumerous.Butthiscanbesaidofaminorityofthehousesonly,whilecellar

dwellingsaretobefoundunderalmosteverycottage;manystreetsareunpaved

andwithoutsewers;and,worsethanall,thisneatappearanceisallpretence,a

pretencewhichvanisheswithinthefirsttenyears.Fortheconstructionofthe

cottagesindividuallyisnolesstobecondemnedthantheplanofthestreets.All

suchcottageslookneatandsubstantialatfirst;theirmassivebrickwallsdeceive

theeye,and,onpassingthroughanewlybuiltworking-men'sstreet,without

rememberingthebackalleysandtheconstructionofthehousesthemselves,oneis

inclinedtoagreewiththeassertionoftheLiberalmanufacturersthattheworking

populationisnowheresowellhousedasinEngland.Butoncloserexamination,it

becomesevidentthatthewallsofthesecottagesareasthinasitispossibleto

makethem.Theouterwalls,thoseofthecellar,whichbeartheweightofthe

ground-floorandroof,areonewholebrickthickatmost,thebrickslyingwith

theirlongsidestouching;butIhaveseenmanyacottageofthesameheight,some

inprocessofbuilding,whoseouterwallswerebutone-halfbrickthick,thebricks

lyingnotsidewisebutlengthwise,theirnarrowendstouching.

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Itiscalculatedingeneralthatworking-men'scottageslastonlyfortyyearsonthe

average.Thissoundsstrangelyenoughwhenoneseesthebeautiful,massivewalls

ofnewlybuiltones,whichseemtogivepromiseoflastingacoupleofcenturies;

butthefactremainsthattheniggardlinessoftheoriginalexpenditure,theneglect

ofallrepairs,thefrequentperiodsofemptiness,theconstantchangeof

inhabitants,andthedestructioncarriedonbythedwellersduringthefinalten

years,usuallyIrishfamilies,whodonothesitatetousethewoodenportionsfor

firewood–allthis,takentogether,accomplishesthecompleteruinofthecottages

bytheendoffortyyears.HenceitcomesthatAncoats,builtchieflysincethe

suddengrowthofmanufacture,chieflyindeedwithinthepresentcentury,contains

avastnumberofruinoushouses,mostofthembeing,infact,inthelaststagesof

inhabitableness.Iwillnotdwellupontheamountofcapitalthuswasted,thesmall

additionalexpenditureupontheoriginalimprovementanduponrepairswhich

wouldsufficetokeepthiswholedistrictclean,decent,andinhabitableforyears

together.Ihavetodealherewiththestateofthehousesandtheirinhabitants,and

itmustbeadmittedthatnomoreinjuriousanddemoralisingmethodofhousing

theworkershasyetbeendiscoveredthanpreciselythis.Theworking-manis

constrainedtooccupysuchruinousdwellingsbecausehecannotpayforothers,

andbecausetherearenoothersinthevicinityofhismill;perhaps,too,because

theybelongtotheemployer,whoengageshimonlyonconditionofhistakingsuch

acottage.

Theseeastandnorth-eastsidesofManchesteraretheonlyonesonwhichthe

bourgeoisiehasnotbuilt,becausetenorelevenmonthsoftheyearthewestand

south-westwinddrivesthesmokeofallthefactorieshither,andthattheworking-

peoplealonemaybreathe.

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5.ANITASTREET(FORMERLYKNOWNASSANITARYSTREET)

Photograph,1898:ManchesterLocalImageCollection

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AnitaStreet(whichwasknownasSanitaryStreet)wasbuiltinthelate1800sinresponsetoconcernsabouturbanlivingconditionsforworkingpeople.Somequestionstoaskyourselfwhenlookingatyoursources:

o Whywerethesehousesbuilt?Wholivedthere?o Howdidtheylive(infamilygroups,andhowmanyineachhouse)?o Whatsortsofjobsdidtheydo?o Howdoesthisdifferfromthewaythatyoulivetoday?o WhydoyouthinkSanitaryStreetbecameAnitaStreet?

Sources

o Municipaldreamsblog:https://municipaldreams.wordpress.com/2014/02/18/municipal-housing-in-manchester-before-1914-improving-the-unwholesome-dwellings-and-surroundings-of-the-people/

o HistoryLearningsiteonlifeinindustrialrevolutionBritain:

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/britain-1700-to-1900/industrial-revolution/life-in-industrial-towns/

o 1901censustellsyouhowlivedineachhouse,howoldtheywereandwhat

theydid.Youhavepartofthecensusthatcoverssomenewlybuilthousingfromthe1890s.

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6.VICTORIASQUARE

Photograph,1906:ManchesterLocalImageCollection

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VictoriaSquarewasbuiltinthelate1800sinresponsetoconcernsabouturbanlivingconditionsforworkingpeople.Todayitprovidesshelteredhousingforolderpeople.Somequestionstoaskyourselfwhenlookingatyoursources:

o WhywasVictoriaSquarebuilt?o Wholivedthere?o Howdidtheylive(infamilygroups,andhowmanyineachhouse)?

Whatsortsofjobsdidtheydo?o Howdoesthisdifferfromthewaythatyoulivetodayandthat

currentresidentsinVictoriaSquarelive?Sources

o Municipaldreamsblog:https://municipaldreams.wordpress.com/2014/02/18/municipal-housing-in-manchester-before-1914-improving-the-unwholesome-dwellings-and-surroundings-of-the-people/

o HistoryLearningsiteonlifeinindustrialrevolutionBritain:

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/britain-1700-to-1900/industrial-revolution/life-in-industrial-towns/

o 1901censustellsyouhowlivedineachhouse,howoldtheywereandwhattheydid.Youhavepartofthecensusthatcoverssomenewlybuilthousingfromthe1890s.

o Interviewingcurrentresidentsabouthowthebuildingsareusedtoday

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7.GEORGELEIGHSCHOOL

Photograph,1940:ManchesterLocalImageCollection

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Somequestionstoaskyourselfwhenlookingatyoursources:

o Whatwereschoolslikeintheearlytwentiethcentury?o Howweretheydifferentfromyourschool?o WheredidthechildrenplayatGeorgeLeighSchool?

Sources

o Websiteonhistoryofsite:http://manchesterhistory.net/manchester/tours/tour12/leighschool.html

o NationalArchiveswebsite–howweweretaught:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/how-we-were-taught/

o EdwardianSchoolingwebpages:

http://www.1900s.org.uk/1900s-schools-classrooms.htm