Agricultural History Review, Volume 55 Part 1 (2007), pp. 75–94

While female factory workers and agricultural servants were primarily young and single, female agricultural labourers were more likely to be middle-aged, married mothers. This paper examines the female labourers at two south-western farms and finds that middle-aged married women account for the majority of days worked. Widows and mothers of illegitimate children account for only a small fraction of the workforce. While evidence from the Bragg farm suggests that some mothers worked when their children were still infants, evidence from the Estcourt farm suggests that women reduced their labourforce participation when their children were young. Child care was available for mothers who worked outside the home, but it was expensive. 

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