Manchester living conditions for the working class in the 19th Century - Info sheet

For the working class in 19th century Manchester, living conditions were dire and inhumane. The labour force, which was instrumental in fuelling the Industrial Revolution, faced a grim reality of existence. Their homes were often rat-infested and damp, making them breeding grounds for disease and discomfort. These conditions spurred protests and demands for parliamentary reforms, such as the right to vote and fair wages. The workers' plight was highlighted by their dismal living environments, which were a far cry from the prosperity that the industrial boom seemed to promise.

Mill workers during the mid-19th century were packed like sardines into overcrowded slum terraces and subdivided cellars, with Friedrich Engels famously likening their abodes to "cattle sheds for human beings." Families, sometimes spanning three generations along with a lodger, were squeezed into dark, tiny cellars measuring merely 10ft by 10ft. Sanitation was virtually non-existent, with pigs kept in yards to consume rotting refuse and human waste, which was also collected at night to be sold for industrial uses, such as in leather production. The hardships faced by the working class during this period were immense, presenting a stark contrast to the modern challenges of today.