First water-powered factory opened in Cromford, Derbyshire
1771
Sunday schools established
1780
Boulton and Watt opened the Soho Foundry to make steam engines to power factories
1796
Combination Act
1799
Health and Morals of Apprenticeships Act
1802
Repeal of Combination Acts
1824
Parliamentary Reform Act
1832
Factory Act
1833
Government grant for education
1833
Tolpuddle Martyrs
1834
Mines Act
1842
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol published
1843
Ragged Schools Union formed
1844
Start of New Model Unions
1851
Christmas trees well-established in middle-class homes and at pauper Christmas parties
1860
Charles Kingsley’s Water Babies published
1862
Parliamentary Reform Act
1867
Education Act (Forster’s Act)
1870
Trades Union Act
1871
Education made compulsory for children aged 5-10
1880
Bryant and May matchgirls’ strike
1888
Education made free for children aged 5-10
1891
Education (Provision of Meals) Act
1906
School medical service set up
1907
Children’s Act
1908
J M Barrie’s Peter Pan is published
1911
Outbreak of First World War
1914
End of the First World War
1918
Triple Alliance of miners, railway and transport workers
1919
General strike
1926
Trade Disputes Act
1927
Impact of Trades Dispute Act
1928