Most of the children from my Agricultural Labourers familys in the 1891 and 1901 census are not shown as Scholars after about the age of 8 which leads me to beleive that they were working.
I know my father used to say that the boys in his family only went to school when there was'nt much work, so if it was harvest time they did'nt go!
Hubbies Aunt was born in Poplar London 1912 and left school at 14, she say's she never forgave her mother for not allowing her to stay on, her first job was as a Joe Lyons waitress.
She was the youngest girl in a family of 8, their father died in 1919 and all the boys were working fulltime by age 14.
Hubbies father used to work before and after school, he remembered his first job was pushing barrow loads of umbrella's, I think they were taken from the factory to out workers, girls and women at home, who stitched the cloth to the frames.
My own mother born 1916 was also working at 14. She was in an orphange all her life but was sent to work for an elderly lady where she cooked and cleaned in exchange for her board and lodging. She 'did a runner' at age 16 with another girl of the same age, they were supposed to be in care until their 18th birthday but left Hertfordshire for London where they also worked for Joe Lyons who found lodgings for their girls.
They could all read and write to a high standard and my Mums maths are still better than mine
Suey
