Why were many children at New Lanark sent from poorhouses and charities in Edinburgh and Glasgow?

At the close of the 18th century, the rapid development of large-scale manufacturing created a high demand for labor in textile factories. Because the new machinery prioritized manual dexterity and alert response over traditional skills, factory owners increasingly turned to inexpensive child labour to maximize productivity.1

Many of these children were sent from poorhouses and charities in Edinburgh and Glasgow to serve as apprentices. Under the system of the time, these children—often orphans—were frequently bound to mill owners for extended periods, sometimes up to the age of 21. While the Health and Morals of Apprentices Act of 1802 was intended to regulate this practice by requiring mill owners to provide apprentices with decent accommodations and education, it lacked effective enforcement mechanisms, leaving many children in harsh and demoralizing living conditions.231