Railway Time. Who sets the clock decides when you're late.
Until 1840, Britain did not have one time. A railway company decided which one was correct, and nobody minded. In the mills, it was a different story.
THE GIST ON RAILWAY TIME: "Railway Time"
What time was it before the railways?
Until 1840, Britain did not have one time. Every town kept its own, set by the sun. Bristol ran 11 minutes behind London, and Bridgwater 14.
A railway company decided which one was correct, because whoever sets the clock decides when you're late.
Why did it work?
It worked because the alternative was people dying. Two trains on one line, each driver going by a different town's clock, is a crash. So in November 1840, the Great Western Railway ordered all of its trains to run on London time, and the rest of the country copied within 15 years. It wasn't made law until 1880.
That's 40 years of a private company dictating what time was, and nobody minded.
What was different in the mills?
In the mills, the clock belonged to the owner. Clocks were put forward in the morning and back at night, so people worked extra hours. In one mill, nobody but the master and his son had a watch. A worker who got hold of one had it confiscated, because he was telling the other workers what the actual time was.
Same act in both places: someone decides what time it is and everyone else lives by it.
So what's the real difference?
The railway's clock was public, printed in the timetable, set by telegraph from Greenwich, checkable by anybody who wanted to. In the mill, the only person who could check it was the person who benefited from it being wrong. They confiscated his watch because it let him check.
A rule everyone lives by that only one person can read isn't a rule. It's a dial only he can turn. And the score, the rating, the algorithm, the thing that decides your shift is the same move again. Somebody has to set the clock. The real question is whether you're allowed to see it.
Should one body control the clock?
Your take. One tap, then see how everyone else voted.
Quick answers
Why did Britain adopt a single time?
Because two trains on one line, each going by a different town's clock, is a crash. The Great Western Railway moved to London time in November 1840.
When did railway time become law?
1880, after about 40 years of a private company dictating the time.
What is the point about mills?
Mill owners controlled the clock, and workers who had watches had them confiscated. The railway clock was public and checkable. The mill clock was not.
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