London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1927
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]
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31
Factories and Workshops where women are employed.—At the end of the year the registered
workshops at which women were employed numbered 575, and the factories numbered 61.
The following table shows the various trades and occupations carried on in registered workshops and factories where women are employed:—
| Trade or Business. | Workshops. | Factories. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blind makers | 3 | – | 3 |
| Blouse makers | 3 | — | 3 |
| Boot makers and repairers | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Corset makers | 9 | — | 9 |
| Dressmakers and ladies' tailors | 325 | 1 | 326 |
| Dyers | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| Embroidery workers | 4 | — | 4 |
| Florists | 12 | — | 12 |
| Furriers | 17 | 1 | 18 |
| Hairdressers | 19 | — | 19 |
| Invisible menders | 4 | — | 4 |
| Jewellers | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Knitted goods | 2 | — | 2 |
| Lace workers | 3 | — | 3 |
| Lampshade makers | 4 | — | 4 |
| Laundries | 46 | 46 | 92 |
| Milliners | 51 | — | 51 |
| Outfitters | 9 | — | 9 |
| Photographers | 9 | — | 9 |
| Picture frame makers | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 4 | — | 4 |
| Sundry businesses | 18 | 8 | 26 |
| Toy makers | 2 | — | 2 |
| Umbrella makers | 2 | — | 2 |
| Upholsterers | 10 | — | 10 |
| Weavers | 2 | 2 | |
| Total | 575 | 61 | 636 |
Home Work.—Of the 215 outworkers registered, some are employed on premises which
are factories or workshops within the meaning of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901, others
work in domestic workshops, whilst the remainder are the genuine " Home Workers " engaged in
their homes on the work given out to them by various firms and contractors in Kensington and
other districts.
The number of outworkers belonging to each of these three classes is shown in the following
table:—
Outworkers in Workshops or Factories 69
Outworkers in Domestic Workshops 30
Outworkers in their own Homes 116
Total number of Outworkers 215
The factories and workshops referred to in the above list are included in the tables which show
the trades carried on in the factories and workshops on the Council's Register.
The nature of the work given out to the 116 home workers on the register is as follows :—
| Tailoring | 49 |
| Dressmaking | 32 |
| Bootmaking | 12 |
| Drapery | 5 |
| Outfitting | 4 |
| Woollens | 4 |
| Linen working | 3 |
| Blouse making | 2 |
| Lampshade making | 1 |
| Box making | 1 |
| Collar making | 1 |
| Underwear | 1 |
| Ironing | 1 |
| 116 |