How Did Rich People Live In Victorian London?

Rich Victorians lived in large houses that were well heated and clean. Children got a good education either by going away to school or having a governess who taught them at home (this is usually how girls were educated). Wealthy people could also afford to buy beautiful clothes.

How did the rich live in Victorian London?

Most rich people had servants and they would live in the same house, frequently sleeping on the top floor or the attic. The rich had water pumps in their kitchens or sculleries and their waste was taken away down into underground sewers. Gradually, improvements for the poor were made.

What did rich Victorians do for a living?

Rich Victorian men had jobs such as doctors, lawyers, bankers and factory owners. Until near the end of the Victorian era, parents had to pay to send their children to school. This meant that many poor children received no education and could neither read not write.

What was housing like for the rich in Victorian England?

Wealthy Victorian families lived in large detached and semi-detached townhouses with room for servants. Reception rooms were high-ceilinged and designed to impress guests. They had elaborately moulded cornices and marble fireplaces. This show of opulence wasn’t restriced to the interior of the house.

Where did rich Victorians live in London?

… Of high genteel neighbourhoods, Baker Street, Gloucester Street, Portman Square, the swarm of little streets nestling at the verge of Park Lane and those lying between St. James’s Street and the Great Park, may be taken as examples.

Did rich Victorians have toilets?

In fact, entire bathroom suites—tubs, lavatories, water closets, foot baths, and sitz baths (for soaking nether regions)—were elaborately encased in carved and stained woodwork that was closer to the parlor than the privy. High-tank toilets ruled the bathroom during the Victorian era.

What did upper class Victorians do?

The social classes of this era included the Upper class, Middle class, and lower class. Those who were fortunate enough to be in the Upper class did not usually perform manual labor. Instead, they were landowners and hired lower class workers to work for them, or made investments to create a profit.

How did rich Victorians wash their clothes?

DOLLY: a dolly was used every washday, and it would have been put in a big metal or wooden tub and twisted to turn the clothes and get the dirt out. MANGLE: clothes would have been pushed through the space between the two rollers to squeeze all the water out so that they dried quicker.

What was life like for the rich and poor in Victorian London?

The Poor The Wealthy
had few luxuries. ate food they could afford to buy worked long hours lived in damp, filthy conditions. Many children died of disease. usually well fed, clean and well clothed. didn’t need to work lived in big houses with servants went on holidays children had expensive toys children went to school

What was it like to be a rich child in the Victorian times?

Life for Victorian children was very different from our lives today. Children in rich households had toys to play with and did not have to work, but children in poor households often had to work long hours in difficult, dangerous jobs. They didn’t have toys to play with but sometimes made their own.

What was life like for the rich during the 18th century in London?

Cities were dirty, noisy, and overcrowded. London had about 600,000 people around 1700 and almost a million residents in 1800. The rich, only a tiny minority of the population, lived luxuriously in lavish, elegant mansions and country houses, which they furnished with comfortable, upholstered furniture.

What did rich Victorians play with?

The toys children played with in Victorian times often depended on how wealthy their family was. Children from rich families played with rocking horses, train sets, doll’s houses and toy soldiers, whereas children from poor families tended to play with home-made toys such as peg dolls, spinning tops and skipping ropes.

What rooms did Victorian mansions have?

The top floor would typically house the servants quarters and the children’s rooms with a nursery. The second floor would include the master bedroom and the second bathroom. On the first floor you’d find the drawing room or parlour, which acted as a receiving room for guests and visitors.

Where do most millionaires live in London?

Richest neighborhoods in London

  • Richest neighborhoods in London.
  • Made up of expensive Georgian townhouses, elite hotels, and gourmet restaurants, the neighborhood of Mayfair has long been one of the most expensive neighborhoods in London.
  • 2- Knightsbridge.
  • 3- Chelsea.
  • 4- Kensington.
  • 5- Notting Hill.
  • 6- Highbury.

What did the rich Victorians think of the poor?

Victorian attitudes towards the poor were rather muddled. Some believed that the poor were facing their situations because they deserved it, either because of laziness or because they were simply not worthy of fortune. However, some believed it was up to personal circumstances.

Where did aristocrats live in London?

The aristocracy departed their former cramped and outdated houses in Soho, Whitehall, Holborn and the City and relocated Westwards to the new mansions, townhouses and green squares of Mayfair. Of the initial 227 houses built, 117 had titled owners.

How often did wealthy Victorians bathe?

Once or twice a month, she might indulge in a lukewarm soak; lukewarm, because unnecessarily hot and cold temperatures were both believed to cause health problems from rashes to insanity. During the weeks between baths, the Victorian lady would wash off with a sponge soaked in cool water and vinegar.

What did Victorians smell like?

By the middle of the Victorian era, bergamot and lemon oil had surpassed Eau de Cologne to become the most popular fragrance for women. According to Goodman: “Bergamot and lemon oil, sometimes employed separately but more often used in combination, was the signature smell of the middle years of the century.

What did rich people use before toilet paper?

Before Toilet Paper
Leaves, rags, moss and rags were some of the less-painful (and probably more sanitary) options. Wealthy people used wool, lace or other fabrics. The idea of toilet paper actually dates back to medieval China, when a Chinese emperor used 2-foot by 3-foot sheets of paper.

What is the lifestyle of the upper class?

Individuals who make up the upper class have higher levels of disposable income and exert more control over the use of natural resources. This class makes up a small percentage of the overall population but controls a disproportionately large amount of the overall wealth.

Did rich Victorians go to school?

How were rich Victorian children educated? At the start of the Victorian era, very few children actually attended school. Children from rich families would be educated at home by a governess (a female teacher).