Protest, Paternalism and Living Standards in the Yorkshire Coalfield 1786–1801

Abstract

This article offers a new perspective on why workers protested in the Industrial Revolution. It charts how protest action, specifically trade union coordinated strikes, took place to maintain or improve Yorkshire colliers’ living standards amid fluctuating food costs between 1786 and 1801. The article also illuminates how some paternalistic coalowners avoided disturbances — such as riots — by paying high wages and, more importantly, providing food to their employees free of charge at the worst times of dearth in 1795 and 1800.