Although this topic may not be local in the strictest sense, I thought it might resonate with readers in Hyde, given the town’s deep-rooted connection to the textile industry. Themes of craftsmanship, material expression, and cultural storytelling have long been woven into Hyde’s identity — and this subject echoes many of those threads.
At first glance, the needle seems like a simple tool—small, sharp, unremarkable. But in Victorian Britain, this humble object had a story forged in fire, soaked in sweat, and often shadowed by suffering. Behind every finely stitched hem or piece of embroidery was a labour force working under dangerous, grueling conditions. Needle-making was big business in the 19th century—but for the workers, it came at a heavy price.
The Industry That Built a Town
By the mid-1800s, the heart of Britain’s needle industry was beating in the town of Redditch, Worcestershire, which produced 90% of the world’s sewing needles at its peak. Entire families were employed in the trade, and the town became a hub of industrial innovation and intense labour.
Needle production involved multiple stages—wire drawing, pointing, stamping, eyeing, and polishing—each with its own specialised workers. But the most dangerous part of the process was grinding the needle points, which involved sharpening the steel on rotating grindstones.
A Deadly Trade
The polishing and grinding stages released fine steel dust, which workers—mostly men—would inhale daily. The result was a deadly lung disease known as “grinder’s rot“ or pulmonary siderosis, which often killed workers before they reached the age of 30. The Victorian needle industry was literally grinding its workers to death.
The medical profession took notice, and a government report in 1864 described the “deplorable state of health” among needle grinders and noted that many worked shirtless, without masks, for 12–16 hours a day in poorly ventilated workshops.
Reference:
Royal Commission on the Employment of Children, Young Persons, and Women in Agriculture (1867);
also see: The Needle Makers of Redditch, Needle Museum Archives, Worcestershire.
Women and Needlework
While the manufacturing side of needle-making was dangerous and largely male-dominated, the use of needles—in factories and at home—was heavily feminised.
Women working in the needle trades (as seamstresses, shirt-makers, and milliners) were often underpaid, overworked, and invisible. Many stitched from dawn till dusk in cramped conditions. Albert Daniel Rutherston’s (1881–1953) painting The Song of the Shirt was inspired by a real-life exposé of a London seamstress, exposing the hidden suffering of women whose hands moved tirelessly behind the scenes of fashion and empire.
Fig 1: Albert Daniel Rutherston (1881–1953)Bradford Museums and Galleries, The Song of the Shirt, 1902
Fig 2: George Frederic Watts (1817–1904) Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village, The Song of the Shirt, 1850
Reference:
George Frederic Watts (1817–1904) Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village
Thomas Hood’s poem “The Song of the Shirt” (1843)
Albert Daniel Rutherston’s Painting, 1902 The Song of the ShirtPublished in Punch magazine in 1843, Thomas Hood’s The Song of the Shirt wasn’t just a poetic lament — it was a direct response to the harrowing reality faced by a real seamstress named Mrs. Biddell. Her story, marked by relentless toil and poverty, inspired Hood’s verses and brought public attention to the unseen suffering behind the needlework industry. Through rhythm and repetition, the poem echoed her exhaustion, stitching her struggle into the fabric of Victorian social consciousness.
A Stitch in Protest
This hidden history connects powerfully to later movements, including the suffragette protest textiles of the early 20th century. Women who once stitched to survive began stitching to speak, turning their needlework into acts of defiance. What began as a symbol of silent labour became a tool for political expression—in banners, sashes, and embroidered resistance.
Further Reading & Resources
Books:
- The Subversive Stitch by Rozsika Parker (1984) – an essential feminist history of embroidery and its radical potential.
- The Song of the Shirt Summary & Analysis, Lit Charts
- The Song of the Shirt, (including further reading & Resources)
The next time you thread a needle, consider its sharp history—how a small tool once carried the weight of an entire industry, and the lives of the people who made and wielded it. In the Victorian age, even a needle could pierce deeper than we think.
All references are used respectfully for educational storytelling. See About Me for full source credits.
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References:
Image:
Fig 1: Albert Daniel Rutherston (1881–1953), Bradford Museums and Galleries, The Song of the Shirt, 1902 Art UK
Fig 2: Song of the Shirt 1850, George Frederic Watts (1817–1904) Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village
Websites
Rachel Bakewell 