Read the following source and answer the questions that follow:
'I had always wanted to go to London … I finally decided to go … in November, 1881. With two friends I started out to walk the journey … we had little money when we started … Some days we walked as much as twenty miles … Our money was gone at the end of the third day … For two nights we slept out – once under a haystack, and once in an old farm shed … On arrival in London we tried to find … my friend … The next day, Sunday, late in the afternoon, we got to the Old Kent Gas Works, and applied for work.'
— Will Thorne, a job-seeker in Victorian Britain
(i) What does this account reveal about the difficulties faced by workers seeking employment in Victorian Britain? (1 mark)
(ii) Why were gas works particularly in need of workers during the cold months? (1 mark)
(iii) How did personal contacts and social networks influence a worker's chances of finding employment in factories or industrial establishments? (1 mark)
(iv) In many industries, why did industrialists prefer hiring workers on a seasonal basis rather than using machines to replace them? (1 mark)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:43 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(i) The account reveals that workers faced extreme hardship — walking up to twenty miles a day, sleeping under haystacks and in farm sheds, and running out of money — simply to reach cities in search of employment.
(ii) Gas works needed more workers during cold months because demand for gas (used for heating and lighting) rose sharply in winter, requiring extra hands to meet peak production during the busy season.
(iii) Personal contacts were crucial. Will Thorne's friend, already working at the Old Kent Gas Works, spoke to the foreman on his behalf, securing him a job immediately. Without such networks, workers waited weeks, sometimes sleeping under bridges.
(iv) Industrialists preferred seasonal hand labour because demand fluctuated and there was no shortage of cheap human labour. Machines required large capital investment, and employing workers only during peak seasons was cheaper and more practical.
Source: Chapter 4, sections 2 and 2.1 (Hand Labour and Steam Power; Life of the Workers)
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Explanation
- Each sub-question is 1 mark, so one focused sentence or two short sentences per part is sufficient.
- For (i), draw directly from the passage details (walking, sleeping outdoors, no money).
- For (ii) and (iv), use the textbook passage about seasonal industries and preference for hand labour.
- For (iii), use the source passage and the textbook point about "networks of friendship and kin relations."
- Examiners look for textbook-based reasoning, not general knowledge. Keep each answer sharp and specific.