STANLEY MILL REGULATIONS 1852

1.  Godliness, cleanliness, and punctuality are the necessities of a good business.

2.  This firm has reduced the hours of work, and the clerical staff will now only have to be present between the hours of 7am and 6pm each day.

3.  Daily prayers will be held each morning in the main office. The clerical staff will be present.

4. Clothing must be of a sober nature.  The clerical staff will not disport themselves in raiment of bright colours, nor will they wear hose unless in good repair.

5.  Overshoes and topcoats will not be worn in the office, but neck scarves and headwear may be worn in inclement weather.

6.  A stove is provided for the benefit of the clerical staff.  Coal and wood must be kept in the locker.  It is recommended that each member of the clerical staff bring 4lbs of coal each day during the cold weather.

7. No member of the clerical staff may leave the room without permission.  The calls of nature are permitted, and clerical staff may use the garden below the second gate.  This area must be kept in good order.

8. No talking is allowed during business hours.

9.  The craving of tobacco, wines or spirits is a human weakness, and as such is forbidden to all members of the clerical staff.

10. Now that the hours of business have been drastically reduced, the partaking of food is allowed between 11.30 a.m. and 12 noon, but work will not on any account, cease.

11. Members of the clerical staff will provide their own pens.  A new sharpener is available on application.

12. A senior clerk will be nominated to be responsible for the cleanliness of the main office and the private office, and all boys and janitors will report to a superior for 40 minutes before prayers, and will remain after closing hours for similar work.  Brushes, brooms, scrubbers and soap are provided by the owners.

13. The new increased weekly wages are as hereunder detailed:  Junior boys (up to 11 years) 1s 4d;  boys (up to 14 years) 2s 1d;  juniors 4s 8d;  junior clerks 8s 7d;  clerks 10s 9d;  senior clerks (after 15 years with the owners) 21s.  The owners recognise the generosity of the new labour laws but will expect a great rise in output of work to compensate for these near Utopian conditions.

These are extracts from a book discovered in the Mill in 1979 and as told to the local paper by the assistant works manager at the time the late Jim Shaw.

(Thanks to Doctor Andrew Thomson for giving me access to this.