Leeds Industrial Museum accident book
25 Mar 2024
The historic employee records were found stashed in a box by curators at Leeds Industrial Museum, which was once a massive, globally renowned hub for wool and fabric production. Carefully listed within were scores of incidents which lay bare the harsh working conditions and gruelling lifestyle endured by the city’s textile workers shortly after the turn of the 20th century. Among the tragedies described is the sad death of 44-year-old William Bell, who in February of 1905 was killed when a milling machine he was moving with his fellow workers unexpectedly toppled onto him.
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