As far back as the 16th century, mechanisation was introduced in the form of looms, that were used to weave the material used for stockings and rugs. However, Queen Elizabeth I, was very reluctant to encourage this industry as she felt that “stocking knitters” would become redundant in this field.
By the 19th century, textile workers were facing life changing inventions, as the Industrial Revolution became the catalyst to transform economies based on steam-powered machines. These machines were found in mills and factories. The merchandise they produced was previously handcrafted by experienced cottage workers who then became redundant like the “stocking knitters”. Jeopardising the textile industry, making tens of thousands of skilled workers unemployed. Until the rain of Queen Victoria, England’s population was primarily rural. The explosion of the industrial revolution led to these skilled workers migrating to cities where they worked in massive factories on low wages therefore, swapping their country cottages for urban slums in densely populated cities.