"At what age did you first go to work in a factory? -- Eight years old. What were your hours of labour? -- From five in the morning till nine or ten at night. What intervals had you for rest or refreshment? -- We had no time to eat in the mill; we had to bolt it as we could. Supposing you had been a few minutes too late, what would have been the consequence? -- We were strapped. Have you been strapped? -- Yes. Severely? -- It was very severe and sore."

Testimony of Elizabeth Bentley, a former flax mill worker from Leeds, to the Sadler Committee on child labour in factories, House of Commons, June 1832.