Manchester, 1840. Robert is 7 years old. He was sold. The workhouse got £2 for him. The mill worked him 16 hours a day. His job: crawling under spinning machines while they run. Last month a girl got her hair caught. It ripped her scalp off. She died. Robert has two mangled fingers. He gets one meal a day. He can’t leave—the mill owns him for 7 years. He died at 11, crushed between machines. The owner paid a £5 fine. This was legal. 🏭 #ParishApprentice #CottonMillOrphan #Manchester1840 #ChildLabor #victorianengland