What was an Ag Lab, or Agricultural Labourer?
Census records often use the abbreviation “ag lab” for agricultural labourer. But what was an agricultural labourer?
Agricultural labourers generally worked on farms, performing tasks such as plowing and harvesting. They were usually provided with food and accomodation by their employers. Sometimes whole families were hired. Living conditions were often cramped.
Labourers ranged between the ages of six to well over 80, working at tasks according to their strengths. By the 1830s, more than half of the population of Great Britain were working in agriculture.
A Full Day’s Work
Boys worked at a variety of tasks, including the following:
- Collecting firewood
- Sowing potatoes and beans
- Gathering hops
- Finding mushrooms
- Threshing wheat
- Filling sacks with grain
- Chasing birds away from crops
- Supervising livestock to prevent straying
- Milking cows
- Cleaning stables
- Collecting water from wells
- Feeding animals
- Bringing animals to the markets
Men usually worked at harder tasks such as ploughing fields, weeding using hoes, reaping crops, mowing grass with hand-held tools and digging trenches.
At harvest-time, everyone worked together to gather the produce and form bundles of hay. It was customary at harvest-time for the farmer to give each worker a jug of beer.
Wages and Meals
The wages for an agricultural labourer varied, but some farmers paid their workers six shillings a week. They were also provided with meals of course.
A standard breakfast was a porridge of flour, water and butter. A standard lunch usually consisted of bread and sometimes a piece of cheese. For dinner (supper) they would typically eat bread or potatoes, occasionally with some bacon.
Labourers could grow their own vegetable gardens, and families sometimes raised a pig to eat later. After each corn harvest, labourers would normally go out and collect the gleanings, or leftovers, from which they could make their own flour and bread. They also brewed their own wine, ale and cider from fruits.
Who Else Worked on a Farm?
Craftsmen too were employed on farms. These included blacksmiths, carpenters, wheelwrights, tanners, saddlers and coopers (who made barrels). Coachmen might also be hired. A farm bailiff could be appointed to oversee all of the work on a farm.
The agricultural industry didn’t change a great deal from the first century even down to the early 19th century. But during the 19th century, many farmers began to employ machines instead of humans. The threshing machine was one example.
Nonetheless, some labourers are still required on farms even to this day. In addition to working the machines, common duties include gardening, caring for animals, picking fruits, collecting eggs and packing goods as groceries.
Bibliography:
http://www.aboutbritain.com. (n.d.). Life on a Victorian Farm on AboutBritain.com. [online] Available at: https://www.aboutbritain.com/articles/life-on-a-victorian-farm.asp
victorianweb.org. (n.d.). Agricultural Labourers. [online] Available at: https://victorianweb.org/history/work/labourers.html#:~:text=First%2C%20then%2C%20there%20are%20some
Fun Kids – the UK’s children’s radio station. (n.d.). Why jobs did children use to do on farms during the Victorian era and what sort of jobs did they do? [online] Available at: https://www.funkidslive.com/learn/really/why-jobs-did-children-use-to-do-on-farms-during-the-victorian-era-and-what-sort-of-jobs-did-they-do/
