Perpetual boy, any ideas?

[Skaife]

Hi I've come across this job being done by a 13 year old in a cloth mill in Leeds 1881. I've no idea what this job might entail, can anyone throw any light on what the job might involve?
His name is Arthur Hutchinson, son of Charles and Ellen and born around 1868 in Leeds.
In 1881 the details are
 Piece 4532
Folio   136
Page number 21

Thanks

[heywood]

I wonder if he had a disability or immaturity?

[mckha489]

Maybe in charge of keeping something going round and round, or along.
Climbing in to undo jams or something like that?

There is an older person (age 20) a cloth “perpetual” minder. (Their quotes)
And a 30 yr old perpetual minder in a felt factory

Both also in Leeds.
Perhaps it is a local term?


All the other occurrences of perpetual seem to be curates

[tonepad]

The "Perpetual" was a pioneering machine invented in 1830 by Lewis to automate the textile process of cropping (shearing) woollen cloth. It was designed to feed cloth continuously, replacing the manual, heavy-duty "cropper" shears and earlier, less efficient shearing frames that required manual loading and tensioning for each small section, or "board," of cloth.



Also see:

https://www.stroudtextiletrust.org.uk/article/the-cross-cutter/


Tony

[heywood]

Thank you for the information. I had searched occupations and couldn’t find anything.
Much better than my offering!

[Skaife]

Thankyou all for your replies. Always good to have other’s ideas- and I hadn’t been able to find anything at all.
Tonepad’s suggestion of the job being associated with the machine seems highly likely.
 Interesting to that other jobs using the word ‘perpetual’  in their title and also in Leeds.
I think between you that you have answered my query - thanks for your time and knowledge.