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.
How was London in 18th century?
The 18th century was a period of rapid growth for London, reflecting an increasing national population, the early stirrings of the Industrial Revolution, and London’s role at the centre of the evolving British Empire.
What was life like in London in the 1800s?
London’s population grew rapidly during the 19th century. This lead to major problems with overcrowding and poverty. Disease and early death were common for both rich and poor people. Victorian children did not have as many toys and clothes as children do today and many of them were homemade.
What was living in the 18th century like?
Many lived in one or two room houses that were often crowded with large families, as well as lodgers that shared their living space. Women typically gave birth to eight to ten children; however, due to high mortality rates, only raised five or six children.
What was happening in London in the 1800s?
During this period, London became a global political, financial, and trading capital. While the city grew wealthy as Britain’s holdings expanded, 19th century London was also a city of poverty, where millions lived in overcrowded and unsanitary slums.
How hard was life in the 1800s?
Life for the average person in the 1800’s was hard. Many lived a hand-to-mouth existence, working long hours in often harsh conditions. There was no electricity, running water or central heating.
Why was there so much crime in London in the 18th century?
Crime increased in 18th century London as the population grew and the old social orders changed. There was little infrastructure to prevent crime or fight against it.
What did London smell like in the 1800s?
In the 19th century, London was the capital of the largest empire the world had ever known — and it was infamously filthy. It had choking, sooty fogs; the Thames River was thick with human sewage; and the streets were covered with mud.
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 Victorian London smell like?
The smell of human waste and industrial effluent hung over Victorian London. For centuries the River Thames had been used as a dumping ground for the capital’s waste and as the population grew, so did the problem.
What was expected of a woman in the 1800s?
Women did not have the power to make contracts, own property or vote. A woman was seen merely as a servant to her husband. By the 1830s and 1840s, however, that began to change when many bold, outspoken women championed social reforms of prisons, war, alcohol and slavery.
What did people in the 18th century do for fun?
The 18th century was the great age of theatre. In London and the provinces, large purpose-built auditoriums were constructed to house the huge crowds that flocked nightly to see plays and musical performances. A variety of entertainments were on offer, from plays and ballets to rope-walkers and acrobats.
What was the biggest problem of the 18th century?
The eighteenth-century was marked by terrible poverty. At the Reformation in England the poor had been made a charge on the parish in which they resided and forbidden to wander beyond it. In Ireland there was no such universal provision, and the poor often wandered the country looking for work or begging.
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 was life like for the poor in Victorian London?
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. Victorian schools were very strict – your teacher might even beat you if you didn’t obey the rules.
Who ruled London in the 1800s?
Queen Victoria ruled Britain for over 60 years. During this long reign, the country acquired unprecedented power and wealth. Britain’s reach extended across the globe because of its empire, political stability, and revolutionary developments in transport and communication.
What did people do all day in the 1800s?
What women would mostly do during their pass time is sewed, did needlework and visited one another. Adults, especially men, did not have much time to have fun because they worked all day at the factory. Most of the time, if the adults had a kid they would spend most of their breaks with them and go to the park.
How long did people live on average in the 1800s?
Over the past 160 years, life expectancy (from birth) in the United States has risen from 39.4 years in 1860, to 78.9 years in 2020.
What did kids do in the 1800s?
Children learned to cook, bake, make soap and candles, sew and spin. “Young children did household chores together and then around the age of 9 or 10 they started to work in the field – boys and girls.” For girls, working alongside boys was a big change.
Why were punishments so harsh in 18th century England?
There were many reasons why the English legal system was so harsh at this time. Attitudes of wealthy men who made the law were unsympathetic. They felt that people who committed crimes were sinful, lazy or greedy and deserved little mercy. As the rich made the laws they made laws that protected their interests.
What is the biggest crime in London?
The most common crimes in City of London are violence and sexual offences, with 1,367 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 141. This is 40% higher than 2020’s figure of 975 offences and a difference of 40.32 from 2020’s crime rate of 100.