Rich people could afford lots of treats like holidays, fancy clothes, and even telephones when they were invented. Poor people – even children – had to work hard in factories, mines or workhouses. They didn’t get paid very much money. By the end of the Victorian era, all children could go to school for free.
What was life like in Victorian society?
For men sex was central, and for women reproduction was central. Men were independent, while women were dependent. Men belonged in the public sphere, while women belonged in the private sphere. Men were meant to participate in politics and in paid work, while women were meant to run households and raise families.
How did Victorians spend their time?
Victorian life could be busy but Victorians liked to make good use of their leisure time by playing games and sports and going on day trips and holidays. The ways in which people could entertain themselves varied depending on whether they were rich or poor, male or female.
What types of activities did the Victorians enjoy?
Sporting pastimes, such as cycling, rowing and horseracing were also popular, and large crowds would often attend sailing events like the Henley Regatta and famous horse races such as the Epsom Derby. One of the largest events of the Victorian calendar was the famous Great Exhibition, held in 1851.
What was daily life like in Victorian workhouses?
The harsh system of the workhouse became synonymous with the Victorian era, an institution which became known for its terrible conditions, forced child labour, long hours, malnutrition, beatings and neglect.
What did poor Victorians do for fun?
Outdoor and Indoor Games
Many families played soccer, badminton, battledore and shuttlecock. Poor children kicked around a blown-up pig’s bladder. Families indoor played board games like Snakes and Ladders, Ludo and Draughts, and also card games. A popular card game was Happy Families.
How clean were Victorians?
Showers were not yet en vogue and everyone bathed to keep clean. Poorer families would have boiled water on the stove then added it along with cool water to a wooden or metal tub, usually in the kitchen area, when it was time for a deep scrub down.
What did Victorian girls do for fun?
Music and singing formed a large part of the Victorian woman’s entertainment. Young ladies were expected to perform at social gatherings and music evenings, whilst having a piano in your home was seen as a status symbol.
What did Victorians do at night?
Before electricity, what did Victorian families do in the evenings? For some the answer was simple – they went to sleep. Others did a variety of activities by candlelight, oil lamp, or gas light.
What did Victorian children do for fun?
Board games such as Snakes and Ladders, Ludo and Draughts were popular indoor games. Outdoors, Victorian children played with toys like hoops, marbles and skipping ropes, with friends in the street, or in the school playground. They played chasing games such as Tag, Blind Man’s Bluff, and played catch with balls.
What meals did Victorians eat?
People who lived near to the sea often ate a lot of fish too. Dishes like kedgeree were very popular. Victorian families with more money to spend on food often ate a large breakfast, a lighter lunch and then afternoon tea followed by an evening meal with multiple courses.
What was considered rude in the Victorian era?
Never attempt to talk with the mouth full. Never leave the table with food in the mouth. Never soil the table cloth, if it is possible to avoid it. Never use anything but fork or spoon in feeding yourself.
What was the Victorians Favourite food?
Popular foods included beef, mutton, port, bacon, cheese, eggs, bread, potatoes, rice, porridge oats, milk, vegetables, flour, sugar, treacle, jam and tea. Breakfast might consist of stoneground bread smeared with dripping or lard, with a large bunch of watercress.
What was eaten in a workhouse?
In November of 1845 the diet of the Workhouse inmates consisted primarily of bread, meat, potatoes, sweet milk, sour milk, oatmeal and tea. All of these were supplied to the Workhouse by various contractors, most of whom were local.
What was the most common job in the Victorian times?
Most worked at producing/distributing manufactured goods and raw materials which need arose as a result of the growth of industrialization during the period as well as one’s desire for a higher standard of living.
How did people sleep in the workhouses?
Inmates were usually provided with sheets, blankets (two over and one underneath the sleeper, a coverlet and a pillow. Bed-sharing, particularly amongst children, was common although it became prohibited for adult paupers. Early iron beds from Gressenhall workhouse.
Did poor Victorians have toilets?
In reality, bathrooms were not commonplace in the Victorian Era. The conversion of older houses to include bathrooms did not take place until the late 1800s. It was not until the 1900s that all but the smallest houses were built with an upstairs bathroom and toilet.
What weird things did Victorians do?
Ten Weird Things the Victorians Did
- Hosted mummy unwrapping parties. Yep, you read that right.
- Sent strange Christmas cards.
- Believed in Dodgy Science.
- Took pictures of the recently deceased (as if they were alive!)
- Wore increasingly tighter corsets.
- Incredible ‘Fasting Girls’
- Body Snatching.
- Used arsenic – a lot!
How were children treated in the 1800s?
Children of the time, were either forced to abandon their education to maintain a full time job, or balance school along with work. When kids were not in school their day to day lives were extremely harsh. Their day to day lives were determined by there social status, how much money they had.
How often did Victorian ladies bathe?
In Victorian times the 1800s, those who could afford a bath tub bathed a few times a month, but the poor were likely to bathe only once a year. Doctors advised against bathing believing it had a negative effect on health and on the appearance of the skin.
How did Victorian ladies go to the toilet?
For ease of use, Victorian women could simply hold the chamber pot in their hands, rest a foot on the top of the chair, and hold the chamber pot underneath the skirts. For those who wish for visual aids (not at all indecent!), Prior Attire demonstrates using the restroom in Victorian clothing.