William Wilson

William Wilson was a doctor in Manchester. Before being employed by Mr. Douglas, Wilson had signed petitions in favour of legislation to protect children working in factories. Dr. Wilson was interviewed by Lord Kenyon's House of Lords Committee on 29th May, 1818.

Primary Sources

(1) William Wilson was interviewed by Lord Kenyon's House of Lords Committee on 29th May, 1818.

Question: Did you, about the 18th of May last, visit any cotton-factories in Manchester?

Answer: Yes.

Question: How many did you visit?

Answer: Sixteen.

Question: What induced you to visit them at that time?

Answer: I was requested by Mr. Douglas. He is a merchant in Manchester, and chairman of the committee of cotton-spinners.

Question: How did the general health of those children you saw appear?

Answer: Very good.

Question: Out of the 428 children you examined, how many cases of distortion or lameness was there.

Answer: Eight.

Question: Boys or girls?

Answer: Both

Question: Were they slight or otherwise?

Answer: Very slight.

Question: Do you know from what they had arisen?

Answer: I cannot tell; some of them were ricketty cases, and others from disease.

Question: Did you as a medical man, see anything from which you could infer that the distortion had arisen from their employment in the cotton-factories?

Answer: I did not.