Grit And Grace: The Women Of Moor Row In The 1880s

Step back in time to Moor Row, Cumbria, circa 1880. This wasn't the sleepy rural hamlet it once was. The discovery of rich haematite iron ore had transformed it into a booming industrial village, a magnet for miners seeking their fortune. But while the men extracted "red gold" from the earth, the women of Moor Row were battling a different kind of red dust – the pervasive, inescapable grit that defined their daily existence.

Their stories, often overlooked in the annals of industrial history, reveal a remarkable resilience in the face of relentless hardship, economic pressure, and the hidden dangers of a rapidly changing world.

The Home Front: A Battle Against 'Red Dust'

Life in Moor Row's terraced cottages – be it on Dalzell Street, Penzance Street, or the rugged North Row – was a constant battle. The red ore dust, carried home on clothes and shoes, permeated every fabric of life. Imagine Monday wash day: hauling water from a communal pump, scrubbing heavy, ore-stained workwear in a 'posh tub', and hanging it to dry in a perpetually damp climate, only for it to be dusted red again.

These two-up, two-down homes, often overcrowded with large families and multiple lodgers, had shared "netties" (earth closets) in the backyards, creating a constant struggle against poor sanitation and the ever-present threat of disease in a village lacking modern plumbing.

The Unsung Economists: From Lodgers to Laundresses

While the 1881 census often listed married women simply as "Wife", their economic contribution was undeniable and, for many families, essential for survival. Direct employment opportunities, though limited, did exist:

  • Dressmakers & Milliners: Women like Mary Jane Pascoe or Elizabeth Rowe ran small businesses from their parlours, catering to the needs of mine officials' families and other villagers.
  • Domestic Servants: Young girls, sometimes as young as 12, entered service in the homes of wealthier residents or mine managers.
  • Grocers & Shopkeepers: Widows or resourceful wives often ran small "front-room" shops, providing vital provisions to their neighbours.
  • Laundresses & Charwomen: A crucial role given the omnipresent ore dust. These women took in washing, particularly from the many single miners, providing a critical service and income.
  • School Teachers: With the village's population boom came a need for education, and young women found employment as "Pupil Teachers" or "Assistant Mistresses" at the local board school.
  • Surface Work: Some women worked at the "pit brow" or on the surface of mines like the Montreal Mines. Their tasks involved breaking, sorting, and screening iron ore. This was physically demanding work, exposed to the elements.
  • ​The Lodger Economy: With hundreds of single men arriving to work in the mines, taking in lodgers was a primary source of income for women. A wife might cook, clean, and wash for two or three miners in addition to her own husband and children, effectively running a small boarding house within a private home.
  • ​Service and Agriculture: Young unmarried women often entered domestic service in the houses of mine managers or wealthier families in nearby Whitehaven or Egremont. Others continued to work in seasonal agriculture on the remaining farms surrounding the industrial village.

But the most pervasive, yet unrecorded, occupation was that of the lodging-house keeper. The 1881 census paints a clear picture: nearly every second household housed 1 to 4 single miners. For the women of Moor Row, this meant running a small boarding house, cooking, cleaning, and washing for multiple men on a three-shift system, often in addition to raising their own large families. This unseen labour was the bedrock of the village's economy.

The Cornish Thread: Community and Resilience

The influx of Cornish miners profoundly shaped Moor Row's social fabric. Streets like Dalzell Street and Penzance Street were bastions of Cornish culture, bringing with them a strong Methodist tradition. The chapel became a vibrant social hub for women, providing a respectable alternative to the male-dominated public houses. Through tea meetings, bazaars, and Sunday schools, women forged tight-knit networks, providing vital support in a community constantly facing the spectre of mining accidents and premature widowhood.

Hidden Dangers: Vulnerability and the Silence of the Archives

Despite the strong community ties, life for women in 1880s Moor Row carried significant risks. The transient, male-dominated environment, coupled with the social norms of the Victorian era, meant that sexual assault and domestic violence were grim realities, though rarely recorded as such.

  • Euphemisms in the Records: In the Egremont Petty Sessions, "sexual assault" was often obscured by terms like "Aggravated Assault on a Female", "Indecent Assault", or simply "Common Assault". These records show patterns of violence, often linked to payday drinking, within homes with lodgers, or along the unlit lanes between the rows.
  • The "Rule of Thumb" & Marital Rape: Marital rape was not a crime, and domestic "correction" was culturally tolerated. Overcrowding in homes often left women and girls vulnerable to harassment or assault from men within their own household.
  • The Shame of Reporting: A woman's "character" was paramount in such a close-knit community. Reporting a sexual assault often brought shame upon the victim, leading to vast under-reporting and a culture of silence.
  • Affiliation Orders: The most common official record revealing the consequences of sexual encounters was the "Affiliation Order", where women sought financial support for illegitimate children.

Yet, women were not entirely powerless. The tradition of "Rough Music" – where women would gather outside an offender's house, beating pots and pans to shame them – offered a powerful, albeit informal, form of community justice, sometimes driving perpetrators out of the village.

Types of Reported "Outrages"

​In the 1880s, the local newspapers frequently reported on "outrages" or "disgraceful conduct." In the context of Moor Row at the time:

  • ​Assaults by Lodgers: Because so many single miners (boarders) lived in family homes, there were several recorded instances in the district of men being charged with "indecent assault" against the daughters or wives of their landlords.P
  • Payday Violence: Assaults peaked on "Pay Saturdays." The road between Egremont and Moor Row was a site of frequent reports regarding women being harassed or followed by men leaving the public houses

​While Moor Row was a small part of the parish, the following cases from the Egremont Petty Sessions illustrate the dangers women faced:

  • ​Domestic Brutality: Many cases were recorded as "Aggravated Assault." For example, in nearby Cleator and Egremont, men were regularly sentenced to 2–6 months of hard labour for assaults on women that, today, would be classified as severe domestic violence or attempted sexual assault.
  • The "Protection" of Secrecy: In 1884, a notable case in the wider West Cumbria area involved a "criminal assault" on a young girl. The reporting was extremely vague to "protect the ears of the public," which was standard for the time. This means many sexual crimes are hidden behind the label of "Common Assault" in the records.

A Legacy of Strength

The women of 1880s Moor Row lived lives of immense toil and quiet strength. They were the unsung heroes who maintained homes, raised families, bolstered the economy, and preserved community in a raw, rapidly evolving industrial landscape. Their daily battles against the pervasive red dust, their tireless work as mothers and homemakers, and their unspoken resilience in the face of social and physical dangers are a testament to their enduring spirit. 

The Red Wash: Laundry Day in 1880s Moor Row
The Red Wash Illustration
Location: Moor Row CA24, UK

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