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journeymen bakers had suffered in the same way. The brickmakers alone bore
any comparison in this respect, their proportion being 46 per cent.
The special diseases however to which the journeyman baker is liable are
those of the lungs and air passages. And here the comparison is equally striking,
for taking the compositors, a very sickly class of operatives, it has been found
that whilst amongst these, about 24 per cent. were liable to chest affections, no
less than 80 per cent. of journeymen bakers were so affected, and taking
Hcemoptysis (or spitting of blood) alone, the journeymen bakers suffered in the
proportion of 31 per cent. of their numbers, whilst the compositors gave only
about 12 per cent.
It is not to be expected that the journeymen bakers of the Fulham District
form any exception to this general rule, they are indeed for the most part of
weak physical construction, pale and careworn in appearance.
The number of bakehouses in the Fulham District, including those of
confectioners and piemen, are 65: in Hammersmith, 40; in Fulham, 25. The
number of journeymen employed in them being 86, whilst 45 masters take part
of the work with their men; 13 lads and one woman. Of the bakehouses, 32
are above and 33 under ground, their dimensions varying from 27 ft. × 9 ft.
by 6 ft. in height to 9 ft. × 9 ft. by 8 ft. 53 are lighted by gas, and 12 by
other means. Their general condition has presented every phase from one
of perfect cleanliness, to that of the greatest negligence, and the personal
appearances of the men have given similar results.
In anticipation of my visit some of the bakehouses had been partially cleansed,
but as a rule, great laxity has evidently existed in the general management of
these workshops. The walls and ceilings in many instances were found very
discoloured and covered with dust and cobwebs, the floors much out of repair
and excessively dirty, and the atmosphere heated and unwholesome.
The ventilation comprised every condition between that which is sufficient and
an almost entire absence of this necessary provision. The principal outlet in use
for the gases and air of the bakehouses, in some, have been either into the shop
or the dwelling house, and even where other outlets have been available for this
purpose and windows of ample dimensions exist they have been allowed totally
to fall into disuse.
It is a remarkable feature amongst the underground bakehouses of the district,
that in Fulham, the height of eight did not exceed 7 feet, whilst that of five
was only 6 feet. In Hammersmith there are five in which the height does not
exceed 7 feet, and seven in which the height is only 6 feet, showing that nearly
41 per cent of the whole number in the district are thus deficient in one
important particular.
It is specially to be noticed that with a few exceptions much carelessness
exists in regard to general cleanliness. Partly, this depends upon the master,
but greatly on the man. I have found more than one bakehouse the depository
for all the lumber of the household, and in the great majority of cases the
sweepings of the floor mixed with ashes from the furnace accumulated in quantity
beneath the troughs. As a rule too, coal for, and the ashes from the furnace
are kept side by side upon the floor, extending over several feet of surface and
trampled on by the workmen, increasing considerably the dusty impurity of the:
air of the apartment.
The mode of working and the hours of labour vary much, depending on the
views of the master or the extent of trade. I find, as a rule, the sponge is set
at from 7 or 8 to 11 o'clock p.m., and the labour of preparing the dough begins
at hours varying at different bakers from 1 to 4 or 5 o'clock a.m.