Abstract
In this paper, I study the condition of handloom weavers in about 1840 in Lancashire Preston, England. In several studies on the conditions of handloom weavers in England during the Industrial Revolution, handloom weaving is considered a steadily declining industry. In addition, handloom weavers were believed to be mainly male, and female labour was subordinate to male work. As a result of my investigation into their livelihood in the early 19 th century, which was recorded in the 1841 census enumerator's books, two important points were discovered. First, in about 1840, handloom weavers participated in producing high-quality goods, indicating that handloom weaving had not declined. Second, half of the labour in the power-loom and handloom sections was female. In addition, some female handloom weavers earned higher incomes than males. From these findings, it can be concluded that female labour occupied a position equal to male labour in the cotton industry. These results suggest that traditional industries were as central as modern industries were during the Industrial Revolution, and from this point of view, our understanding of the transformation of the English cotton industry during the Industrial Revolution should be re-considered.
