[4] Farming was still very much a part of life in Victorian Britain. Why not choose another theme to find out more about Victorian life? Other people were migrating to England and creating less job opportunities for all the people living in the lower class. Cecil Court and St. Martin's Court were two streets constructed during the Victorian Era that highlight this change. The streets of London were filled with horse-drawn carriages and tightly spaced flats. It was called the victorian era because at that time Britain was under the reign of Queen Victoria. This class remained aloof to the political progress of the country and was hostile to the other two classes. [6] One of the main reasons that working class women had such trouble getting by in Victorian England was the extreme disparity between theirs and the upper class, both in economic and social terms. [12] Infomation on different aspects of the working class in the victorian era including: housing, fashion, education, working conditions, job opportunities, recreational activities, marriage, diet and living conditions. With the increase of people in the city, Victorian London began to build public facilities. [20] The Victorian Era in Britain was dominated by the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). In the Victorian era, this work was mainly performed by teenage girls who worked in terrible conditions, often for between 12 and 16 hours a day with few breaks. Cousin marriages remained popular among the upper class, however. [11] [9] Another thing that was mainly affected by a person's social class was his or her job, when the lower class or the "working class" did the majority of the physical labor being paid hourly or daily. Working class women wearing decent clothing. At A Glance: Horrible Histories - Victorian Work Song, online video, 6 June 2011, accessed 25 August 2013, < BBC n.d. [3], Victorian London food shopping was handled in the same fashion, although the baker or butcher would brings his food to the servants entrance of the home. [19] [19] Some of the most frequent customers at brothels were young men in the military. While the women of the upper class busied themselves with following the proper protocol in selecting a suitor, the working-class mother found herself scrounging to make ends meet. Working Class Housing (typical inside setting) Fashion WOMEN: - They did not bother to wear tight corsets, as it would only be impractical and slow them down. Many working class children did not attend as it was out of their family's budget and parents would rather them start earning money for the family. The farmers, who were in the lower class during Victorian England, thought that it was good to have the education of his daughter polished up a little bit. A Public Drinking House Marriage From this source we can understand that the working class knew they couldn't associate with the upper classes so marriage was usually confined to their own class. The Victorian Era and The French Lieutenant's Woman The French Lieutenant's Woman is a 1981 film of historical fiction, contrasting present day relationships, morality and industry with that of the Victorian era in the 1850s. [17] Most of the aristocrats did not need to work in the other classes, but they had received their money from previous generations, who had saved money up for their children to have, so they would never be short of money ("Victorian Era Social Classes"). It was the general opinion of many of the wealthy Victorian families that the slums were brought on because of laziness, sin and lack of principle and self-discipline among the people who lived there. [17] Housing According to Source 1, the working class house was usually sandwiched between other houses. [7] This happens when lower class try to compete for equal rights in the society. Women during this time enjoyed activities out of their own household, which other class women could not enjoy. They were a very large class, and often very angry at anybody in the middle or upper class. [5], Despite the vast differences between the women in this era, their similarities encouraged a change that shaped the history of Britain. The Victorian period was very prosperous for the middle class. Image courtesy of www.eriding.net (Click on image to … ("Victorian Era Social Classes"). Lower Upper Class - This class include country wealthy gentleman and large scale business men who had made their way with the immense wealth they possessed. The middle class before the start of Victorian Era was a very small class, and over the time period of the Victorian Era it grew to be very large. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardian period, and its later half overlaps with the first part of the Belle Époque era of Continental Europe. Men of wealthy Victorian society could look through sporting guides, which were very similar to shopping catalogues. [7] [4] [23], During the Victorian Era, those in the middle class pushed back against the idea that the right to vote and to hold government office were reserved for the owners of major acreage. [4] [4] About 3% of all white women during the Victorian era and 25% of all black women were part of the working force and worked for wages. Despite the clean-sounding name, this job actually involved collecting dog feces from the streets of London to sell to tanners, who used it in the leather-making process. The upper class was like a royal class which was a lot different from the middle and lower class, which was roughly based of the income you had. [27], Prior to the industrial revolution, Britain had a very rigid social structure consisting of three distinct classes: The Church and aristocracy, the middle class, and the working poorer class. Here we will explore lives in the women in the time between 1837-1901, known as the Victorian Era. Terms & Conditions  | [19] Rational recreation was the middle class' idea of the recreation of the working class. [7] [7] [23] [26], A comprehensive Victorian Children history guide with facts and information on how the Victorian times impacted children in work, play, education and home life. [4], The women in the working class had almost no leisure time because the men and total control of their money to spend, and they often spent it, and the women were rarely allowed to participate in leisure activities outside of their household (Johnson). [17] [26] [2] The Lower Class In The Victorian Era 720 Words | 3 Pages. This working class was further categorised as the skilled workers and the unskilled workers. Various classes and their lives, The Working Class Of The Victorian Era by Jomadnhy Smith on Prezi, Victorian England Social society chart-Hierarchystructure.com, Victorian Houses and Where the Rich and Poor Victorian Children Lived, Victorian Society and the Time Machine - UI Victorian Wiki - UIowa Wiki, Class System in Victorian England - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com, Working Conditions for Poor Victorian Children | ToughNickel. [5] These people were the total low of all of society. About 3% of all white women during the Victorian era and 25% of all black women were part of the working force and worked for wages. In reference to Source 2, the working class house was confined into small spaces. [12] The Victorian Era: Social Classes 1837- 1901 2. Codeine and iodine made their appearance in Victorian life. The Victorian era saw the advancements of the industrial revolution, such as new agricultural methods (which improved the quantity and quality of food) and the development of the railway system. [4] [4] The lower class could have worn vests, small coats, or a dark hat. (More...) - At an early age the children would be out looking for work or roaming the streets looking for odd jobs. To be quite honest, by today’s standard, this would not be middle class, it would simply be upper class. [9] [9] Their income normally came from the investments made by them or from the inherited lands. Now we view tails as formal attire but during the late Victorian era, morning coats were informal dress. [1] [4] Toshers made their living down in the dark sewers, sifting through raw sewage to find any valuables that had fallen down the drain. [2], Jop Opportunities - 30-40 per cent of women from working class families contributed significantly to household incomes in the mid-Victorian years. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. The reform of the Victorian era, a time in England of refinement and high decorum surrounding the years of Queen Victoria’s reign, did not produce revolution but the opposite: stagnation. They normally wore fifth hand clothing; they (sometimes servants) ate the left over food of the higher class people. Some jobs for the middle class citizens during Victorian England were teachers and doctors. Along with other cities in Victorian times, they enjoyed being part of the "workshop of the world". 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