Parliamentary papers
Surveys of various kinds were carried out
at a national, regional and local level in connection with Royal
Commissions which were set up on an increasing scale during the
19th century to investigate specific problems. These surveys
form part of an enormous collection of Parliamentary Papers which
have accumulated over the years, and which provide detailed information
on a multitude of topics of interest to the local historian.
Availability
A small selection of the more locally relevant
Commissions are available in the Local Studies Collection, perhaps
the most significant one being the 1842 Children's Employment
Commission, which gives details of the working conditions of
children in local mines at this time.
Form
In most Commissions, the record of each investigation
is excessively detailed, and indeed often verbatim. In many cases
it is as though a courtroom drama is being enacted, and the graphic
detail makes both fascinating and moving reading.
Limitations
As with other 19th-century sources, the researcher
should be on the look out for discrepancies and possible misprints,
as Commissions were often printed in haste. The wealth of local
data is often inaccessible, moreover, due to the sheer mass of
information contained within the surveys, which were often regional
or national in character.
Conclusion
Despite their limitations, Parliamentary Papers
remain one of the most important guides to a whole range of controversial
areas of 19th-century history.
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