Historical Laundry Part 1: Who Did The Laundry In The 18th Century?

Summary

This video explores the life and challenges of laundresses in the 18th century, focusing on their hard work and societal position. Carol Jarboe, a laundress expert, describes the different types of laundresses, from high-status household workers to the rougher, lower-class washerwomen. The video highlights the physical toll of the job, the struggles of women with absent or drunken husbands, and the harsh realities of life for those in this profession. Additionally, the video touches on issues like fraud in the industry, workhouses, and the changing approach to poor relief in America during this time.

Takeaways

• 😀 Laundresses in the 18th century were often from the lowest social classes and had a poor reputation, being described as loud, rough, and difficult to work with.
• 😀 The job of laundress was a survival strategy for women in poverty, particularly those with no education or resources, as it was one of the few jobs available to them.
• 😀 There were different categories of laundresses, from servants in high houses to professional washerwomen, with varying levels of skill and prestige.
• 😀 Professional laundresses often worked in harsh conditions, with many of them performing laundry down by rivers, using basic tools like rocks or battled clothing.
• 😀 While the job was physically demanding, laundresses could survive by washing laundry for households, hospitals, workhouses, hotels, and camp followers of the army.
• 😀 Laundresses faced significant challenges, including long hours away from their children and the physical toll on their bodies from repetitive labor.
• 😀 There were instances of fraudulent practices in the laundry industry, such as laundresses not being paid for their services, which led to legal disputes.
• 😀 Laundry work was particularly harsh on the body, causing skin damage and physical breakdowns, especially for lower-income women doing the job daily.
• 😀 By the late 1700s, some institutions, like workhouses, began introducing 'betterment' programs to make the poor more productive, with laundry being one of the tasks.
• 😀 In poorhouses, laundresses worked in environments designed to support their work and health, including gardens and social activities for visitors to observe their labor.

Q & A

What was the general reputation of laundresses in the 18th century?

Laundresses, particularly professional washerwomen, were often known for having a poor reputation. They were perceived as loud, rough, difficult to work with, and were often seen as being from the lowest class. Many of them were women whose husbands were absent, idle, or drunk.

What kinds of laundresses existed in the 18th century?

There were several categories of laundresses: servants in high houses who were paid laundresses, fine laundresses who handled delicate items, household servants under another laundress, laundresses brought in for occasional jobs, and independent washerwomen who worked on their own.

Why did women in the lower classes often turn to laundry work?

Laundry work was one of the few accessible jobs for women in the colonies, especially for those with no education or financial support. It provided a means of survival, even for women who had lost everything.

What was the impact of laundry work on the physical health of laundresses?

Laundry work was very physically demanding and harsh on the body. The constant rubbing, beating, and exposure to bleach and other chemicals caused significant wear and tear on the skin, elbows, and shoulders of laundresses, often leading to serious physical breakdowns.

What challenges did laundresses face in terms of payment for their work?

Laundresses often faced issues with unpaid work. Many were not compensated for the laundry they completed, and there were instances where laundresses had to go to court to demand payment. Fraudulent practices, such as withholding soap from laundresses, were also common.

How did laundresses manage their laundry work without much equipment?

Many laundresses did not have access to expensive equipment. Instead, they often used basic tools like barrels or rocks for beating clothes. They also utilized materials like chamber lye, which they could gather on their own, to bleach laundry.

What role did laundresses play in helping various institutions?

Laundresses provided services for hospitals, workhouses, inns, and even the army. They helped with laundry for the sick, the poor, and for single men who couldn't do their laundry themselves. Some laundresses even worked for camp followers.

What was the concept of a 'bettering house' in the 18th century?

A 'bettering house' was a type of workhouse where able-bodied poor people were provided with tasks to improve themselves for society. Women often did laundry there, and the house would also grow gardens and serve as a public space where people could visit, pay for tea, and watch the residents' work.

What other tasks did laundresses perform besides washing clothes?

In addition to washing clothes, some laundresses also worked as 'iron manglers,' handling the ironing and mangling of laundry. This work was often done separately from the washing itself.

How did the lower class women manage to survive while performing such hard labor?

Despite the physical toll of laundry work, many lower-class women turned to this job as a means of survival. It was one of the few opportunities available to them, and it allowed them to provide for themselves and their families, even in dire circumstances.