What was life like for a child in the Victorian era?
What was life like for a child in the Victorian era?
| Children from working class families | Children from rich families |
|---|---|
| had few luxuries. ate poor food 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 went on holidays had expensive toys had pets such as ponies. |
What did Victorians believe about children?
Children would have been well aware that they were expected to obey God, their parents, teachers, betters, elders, as well as being a loyal subject of Queen Victoria! Wealthy Victorians believed that good breeding and respectability separated those from ‘polite society’ from the awful, lawless poor.
What were the streets like in Victorian times?
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 Victorian children sell on the streets?
They sold middle class Victorians everything from toys, shrimp and even the old clothes of smallpox victims.
What was a poor Victorian child daily routine?
Poor children often had to work instead of going to school. Many worked with their parents at home or in workshops, making matchboxes or sewing. Children could also earn a bit of money as chimney-sweeps, messengers or crossing sweepers like the boy in this picture.
How much did Victorian chimney sweeps get paid?
Powerless children were made apprentice chimney sweeps From 1773, master chimney sweeps regularly kept anywhere from 2 to 20 children, depending on how many they could use for their business. For each child, the master sweep was paid 3-4 pounds by the government when the apprenticeship agreement was signed.
What did Victorians call poo?
Dog poop was known as “pure” because it was used to purify the leather and make it more flexible [PDF]. Leather was in great demand in Victorian times, as it was used not only as tack for horses but for shoes, boots, bags, and in bookbinding.
Why did Victorian London suffer from smoke?
Great Smog of London, lethal smog that covered the city of London for five days (December 5–9) in 1952, caused by a combination of industrial pollution and high-pressure weather conditions. This combination of smoke and fog brought the city to a near standstill and resulted in thousands of deaths.