AF7- Relating texts to their social,
historical and cultural context
The texts we
will look at
were all
written during
the Victorian
period.
L.O. Researching Victorian Times (AF7)
Victorian Times
Think
What do you know
about Victorian
life? Think back to
Darkside for
inspiration. Add 5
things to a
mindmap.
Pair
Share
Show the person
next to you your
mindmap- can you
swap and share
ideas? Add to your
map.
Prepare to feedback to
me!
The great, the good, the bad,
and the ugly...
In your groups, read and discuss the information
you have been given.
On your A3 paper, copy and complete the
following mind map- add a minimum of 2
things for each and a maximum of 5. You will
be presenting your topic to the class. Choose
two speakers to share your research with the
rest of us.
Ugly
Great
(Topic)
Bad
Good
Victorian Inventions
It's a rainy Saturday afternoon just before Christmas of 1902 and you have taken advantage
of some of the wonderful inventions Victorians can now enjoy.
Unfortunately, your husband has had to make a run into the city, but he'll stay warm. His
'macintosh', created by Charles Macintosh, will keep him dry. Being able to use "The Tube"
in Victorian London will also help.
Since Sir Rowland Hill's invention of the Penny Post, more stamps are needed as you have
cards to send. John Calcott Horsely has started the most lovely Christmas tradition... sending
Christmas cards.
Another Christmas tradition your family is now enjoying are Christmas crackers, invented by
Tom Smith. The delight of your children as they scramble for the goodies inside always
brings a smile.
It's time to start wrapping your Christmas gifts. Your daughter has been asking for a
kaleidoscope ever since they were invented by Sir David Brewster. That was easy to cover in
pretty paper. Harder however, is the pedal bicycle - another Victorian invention first
produced by Kirkpatrick MacMillan.
With family coming from Cornwall, via Brunel's Railway Bridge, expenses are being tallied
with the help of the calculating machine invented by Charles Babbage. The shorthand
developed by Isaac Pitman is helping make short work of the shopping necessities.
As you're contemplating the menu, you have time to give a silent thank you to Sir Humphry
Davy. His Victorian invention of the safety lamp for coal miners is enabling your brother to
be with you this holiday.
Unbeknownst to you, your husband has arranged a continental tour for the spring. Thomas
Cook invented this marvelous way to travel and under the tree for you is an excursion to
Paris.
Suddenly there is a crisis. While using the vacuum cleaner invented by Hubert Booth, the
upstairs maid has discovered a problem. The china toilet formed by Thomas Twyford has
developed a crack.
Isn't that just the way... just before company arrives?
Travel by rail, either by products or by people themselves, changed the way life in Victorian England was lived. The railways opened up an
entirely new world for commerce, fun, and relaxation.
Fresh produce could be shipped across the country and upon arrival at its destination, it would still be fresh.
Newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals could be printed in London and then whisked to Edinburgh on the same day. Upon its arrival,
the information provided would still be current.
In the first half of the 1800's, over six thousand miles of Victorian Railway was available for use. By the end of the 1800's, there was hardly a
small town in Great Britain that didn't have access to a railway station.
Great Western Railway
With Isambard Kingdom Brunel as its chief engineer, this railway company made tremendous strides from 1833 onwards. A railway line from
London to Bristol was the target, and this was completed by 1841.
Seven years later, railway lines from Bristol to Exeter, and from Bristol to Gloucester were constructed. The locomotive for this portion of the
Great Western was designed by Daniel Gooch and could run at the great speed of 67 mph.
London to Brighton Railway
For the thirty years between 1841 and 1871, Brighton was the fastest growing town in England. This was due to the railway connecting the
town with London. The first train pulled into the Brighton station in September, 1841. Originally filled with only first-class passengers, this
Victorian railway quickly realized that lowering the ticket price would enable more people to journey to Brighton. With the numbers of visitors
swelling the seashore area, entrepreneurs soon made Brighton their home. Hotels, restaurants, and other tourist attractions soon filled the
town to overflowing. Brighton, as a seaside holiday spot, was born.
Travelling by Rail
In the early years, train travel was not a comfortable way to get from Point A to Point B. Seats were often just wooden boards, and springs and
buffers were an unknown commodity. The best way to describe the ride is to compare it to riding in a stagecoach.
Eventually, Victorian railways began to offer comfort. Upholstered seats, armrests, and an enclosed carriage were soon the norm, at least for
first class passengers. Oil lamps placed along the carriages offered light.
Second class travellers had to contend with being exposed to the elements, and with sitting on wooden benches. With the enclosure of some
of these carriages, second-class became an easier way to travel, while third class had to make do with being exposed to weather.
By 1844, courtesy of the Railway Act, third class carriages had to be enclosed. Lighting was also provided, albeit only one oil lamp per carriage
as opposed to the many placed in first class.
Victorian Railway Accidents
As in any sort of mass transportation today, accidents did happen on Victorian railways. Sometimes it wasn't the train that was at fault, but
the attending structures which allowed the rails to cross Great Britain.
On Christmas Eve 1841, near Reading, a train loaded with produce and passengers ran into a land slip. Carriages were thrown everywhere,
with goods and passengers thrown out of the train.
At this time, most carriages were without roofs so there was nothing to stop the passengers from either flying out of the train, or falling
between carriages and being crushed. This accident was remembered in the Railway Act of 1844.
Shortly after Christmas, in 1879, The Tay Railway Bridge collapsed into the Firth of Tay, Dundee. 75 people lost their lives due to the failure of
this bridge.
“Etiquette" is the one word that aptly describes life during the reign of Queen Victoria.
The Upper and Upper-Middle Class
From the slightest burp (social ruin if it was heard) to how a gentleman spoke to a young lady, Victorian society was greatly concerned with
every aspect of daily life. From the moment the upper class left their beds, their days were governed by do's and don'ts.
The horror of social ostracism was paramount. To be caught in the wrong fashion at the wrong time of day was as greatly to be feared as
addressing a member of society by the wrong title.
It was important to know whom you could speak with - especially if you hadn't been properly introduced. For a woman, being asked to
dance by a complete stranger could pose an etiquette problem which might have repercussions for days.
Young ladies were constantly chaperoned. To be found alone with a gentleman who was other than family was tantamount to social death.
Her reputation would be ruined and her gentleman companion would find himself the object of gossip, and most usually derision.
The established career for society women was marriage - full stop. They were expected to represent their husbands with grace and provide
absolutely no scandal. Charity work would be accepted, but only if it was very gentile... sewing for the poor, or putting together food
baskets.
Gentlemen had to keep track of when it was proper to either smoke or have a glass of sherry in front of ladies. When to bow and to whom
to tip your hat could cause gossip if the wrong decision was made.
Members of Victorian society kept busy with parties, dances, visits, dressmakers, and tailors. Keeping track of what other people in your
social class were doing was also a full-time occupation.
The People in the Middle
Being a servant in one of the grand Victorian houses was a position which would guarantee shelter and food. However, there was etiquette
to be learned.
The upper class was never to be addressed unless it was absolutely necessary. If that was the case, as few words as possible were to be
uttered.
Using the proper title was of the utmost importance. "Ma'am" or "Sir" was always appropriate. If "Ma'am" was seen, it was necessary that
you 'disappear', turning to face the wall and avoiding eye contact.
Life was easier, though, amidst your fellow servants. Although private fraternization was frowned upon, it wasn't against the rules for those
'below stairs' to enjoy singing, dancing, and other social activities together.
Quite often the 'upper class' of the servant world, the butler and housekeeper, would put aside their lofty roles in the household and join
their fellow servants in gaiety. But come the morning, they would reign supreme once again.
Having a profession was another way of being a member of the middle class of Victorian society. Shopkeepers, doctors, nurses, a
schoolmaster, or parish priest were all notable professions.
Often times, the only difference between being a member of the upper-middle and the middle class was the amount of wealth you had
gathered, and how it was flaunted.
Another indicator was the number of servants you employed. Having more than one servant was a sure sign that you had money.
Sometimes, the 'uppers' and the 'middlers' would mingle. If the proper introductions could be managed, it was possible for a tradesman to
receive backing from a prominent 'upper' member. With a successful business deal, both parties could increase their wealth and for the
'middler', their station in life.
The Lower Class
Victorian society did not recognize that there was a lower class.
'The Poor' were invisible. Those members of England who worked as chimney sweeps, ratcatchers, or spent their days in factories had no
place in the echelon of the upper class, although their services would be needed from time to time.
The prevailing attitude was that the poor deserved the way they lived. If good moral choices had been made, the poor wouldn't be living
the way they did.
The best way for society to deal with the poor was to ignore them. They were 'burdens on the public'.
There were people who cared, however. Unfortunately, in trying to help the lower class, conditions usually did not improve. Workhouses
were developed, but the living was horrendous and it was almost better to be back on the street.
Being just too busy trying to survive, etiquette played little part in the poor's daily existence. But that's not to say that pride wasn't
available. There was a 'social stigma' to applying for aid, and some families preferred to keep to themselves and figure out their own
methods of survival.
Although Poor Laws were put into place, it wasn't until after the Victorian age ended that 'the lower class' was able, through education,
technology, and reform, to raise itself, in some cases literally, out of the gutter.
Victorian society could be quite pleasant, but only depending on your financial status.
"The clothes make the man" is a phrase that could have been coined during the Victorian period. Victorian clothes were very much a
symbol of who you were, what you did for a living, and how much money was in your bank account.
For Men and Woman
For the wealthy, silk stockings covered the legs. For the less wealthy, it was wool socks.
Beachwear in Victorian times consisted of a costume which covered the entire body with yards of material. There were exceptions
though - arms could be bare from the elbows down.
Ladies had to have their legs completely covered. This was either done by wearing black stockings or, later in the century, pants. Men
were able to show their shins. Bathing bonnets were worn by both.
Good quality leather shoes could always be made-to-order, but by 1850 manufactured shoes were available for purchase. Shoes were
now made for the 'proper' feet.
Etiquette played its part in Victorian clothing. It was considered 'good etiquette' to dress appropriately to ones age, and position in
society.
To own an umbrella was a social-scale barometer. The wealthy owned their own bumbershoots, while the general public would rent an
umbrella if the weather turned wet.
Victorian dress was not complete without a walking stick, or cane. Some canes contained compartments which were useful for holding
vials of perfume.
Victorian fashion did include eyeglasses, But, they were strictly for looks and not for the correction of vision. Often, if there were lenses
in the frames, those lenses were removed and the empty frames would become part of the ensemble.
Although the cloth for Victorian clothes was manufactured, ready-made outfits were unknown. Seamstresses and tailors were
responsible for custom-made creations. Milliners, glovers, and hatters would help to complete the look.
If the pocket-book didn't allow such individual attention, families would make their own Victorian clothes or find used garments.
The poorer members of society would visit second-hand, even third and fourth-hand, shops for garments which still had some wear in
them.
To wear Victorian dress, it was necessary to have a cinched-in waist.
For younger ladies, having a waist in inches the same as your age was the goal. Seventeen years old? That meant you would strive for a
seventeen inch waist. Older ladies were allowed more leeway.
Games and cycling were the major catalysts for any change in male Victorian clothes. By the late 1800's, knickers were introduced
(you heard right: Knickers) and a more casual style was adopted for daytime wear. Plaids and checks were seen more often, although
most often in the country.
The Well To Do
Dances and other group gatherings would happen on a regular basis. "Well to do" Victorian Children enjoyed travel, with either trips to the
seaside or to The Continent. Pocket change was available for any small personal purchases.
Victorian toys for these children were expensive. Rocking horses with real hair and doll's houses full of beautiful furniture would occupy young
girls for hours. Wax dolls and elegant tea sets would often be set up in a corner of the bedroom. Boys would have elaborate train sets. Toy
soldiers and marbles would be scattered about the floor. Checker boards and chess sets could be easily reached.
The Down and Out
On the other side of the coin, poverty was a way of life for many Victorian children. There often wasn't the time or energy for play. Food was
whatever could be found, scraped together, or stolen. Starvation and cold were facts of life.
Clothing most often came from trash barrels, or was purchased with whatever few coins a person had on hand. Sniffles would be allowed to
grow into colds. Ill health was often cured only by death as the poor could not afford medical care.
Although perhaps not played with often, Victorian toys were available for a bit of joy. Boys would use yo-yo's, tin soldiers, and toy drums.
Marbles were popular. Girls would make their own dolls from bits of rags and buttons. These dolls would be loved just as much as the wax dolls
available to the wealthier little girls. A hopscotch game could be held at a moment's notice.
Working for a Wage
Children were expected to help supplement the family budget and were sent to work quite young. These weren't gentile jobs, they were manual
labour paying extremely low wages.
Factories employed the young to crawl beneath huge machinery - into spaces which adults were too large to enter. Long hours of drudgery
would be the order of the day, often starting before dawn and continuing after dark. Conditions were unsafe. Children who crawled beneath
working machines were often killed.
Coal mines wanted children to open and close ventilating doors. Until the middle of the 1800's, children as young as five would often work up to
12 hours a day underground, often barefoot.
If not employed in a business, youngsters would roam the streets looking for work. Being a messenger was a 'clean' job, as was selling flowers.
Others would polish shoes, sweep front steps, or become chimney sweeps.
Some poorer Victorian children found that criminal activities made their lives easier. Pickpockets were everywhere. Snatching food off foodvendor's carts and quickly running away was often the only method of getting something to eat.
The Home
Being without shelter, or parents, wasn't unusual. Parents were often unable to support their offspring. These children would be turned out into
the streets to fend for themselves. Child abuse was a common occurrence, so many children would just run away.
If there was shelter, it was often in a tenement. These buildings would be filled with people of all ages, most often sharing single rooms. Disease
was prevalent in these slum conditions due to the populations of fleas and rats.
Sanitation was unheard of, and running water was a luxury few could experience. Water would come from an outside ditch. It was normal for
these to be filled with raw sewage and dead animals.
By the late 1800's, it was widely felt that something needed to be done to help the poor. Homes were opened to help the youngsters who were
roaming the streets. Laws governing the employment of children went onto the statute books.
However, nothing happened quickly. Although a start had been made, the lifestyle of destitute Victorian children did not see any major
improvement until the early 1900's.
School
As with society and clothing, schooling for Victorian children was very much divided along financial lines. Although receiving an
education was not mandatory until the end of the 1800's, except for the very poor the majority of children had some sort of learning, if
only to read and write their name.
Children from wealthy families would be taught in the home, rather than attending a Victorian School. Nannies would often start the
learning process, but when the child reached six, a governess would be added to the household staff.
At the age of ten, sons were sent away to public boarding schools like Eton or Rugby. Boys would often not see their families until the
end of term. Greek and Latin were part of the curriculum and games of football and cricket were meant to build character.
Daughters would continue their learning at home. Singing, playing the piano, and sewing were the main subjects covered, however
some girls would be tutored in French.
Poorer families would send their children to Victorian schools, if they could afford the fees. If money was a problem, there were charity
schools.
Schools were not pleasant places. Often windows were built high, so the children did not spend their time looking out. Because of the
high windows, fresh air was a problem.
With several different grades being taught in one area, Victorian schools could be crowded, and very noisy. Before 1850, it was common
to see one teacher for 100 pupils. Because students were great in number, discipline was strongly enforced.
Because of the pupil count, it was necessary for the teacher to quickly find 'monitors' to help teach. These monitors would be chosen
from pupils who showed a grasp of the subject matter and could then be relied upon to teach their fellow students.
From 9:00am to noon, and then from 2:00 to 5:00pm, the three R's - reading, writing, and arithmetic, were the subjects focused upon
in school. Slates were used instead of paper, although pen and ink was used in copybooks to learn handwriting.
For the two hour period between noon and 2:00, it was common for students to go home for lunch. Children from rural areas who
could have long distances to walk, stayed and ate at school. Time was then spent on the playground playing with toys such as tops, or
playing games like Blindman's Bluff or hide and seek.
At first, The Bible was the textbook for learning how to read. Quickly realizing that the words were too complicated for beginning
readers however, it wasn't long before Victorian schools began to use moral tales instead.
It was common practice to humiliate students whose work was sub-standard, or not completed. The dunces cap would be placed upon
a pupil's head if the teacher didn't feel they were learning fast enough. The child would then be made to stand within full view of the
classroom for a period of time.
Corporal punishment was also the order of the day. If a child left the playground without permission, was late for school, or showed
rudeness, the cane would be taken off the teacher's desk and the child would be beaten.
Victorian schools did break for holidays. There was a two-week hiatus for Christmas and one week for Easter. Summer was celebrated
with a three to four week break between July and August.
Crime
Jack the Ripper immediately comes to mind when crime is mentioned. However, he was more the exception than the rule.
Petty crimes, such as pick-pocketing and food-snatching, were a regular occurrence, but assault was not the norm. Violent crime (read that as
crimes shedding a lot of blood) were very unusual.
Doing a person in by poison was popular. Dr. Hawley Crippen is perhaps the most famous user of poison, although Dr. Thomas Cream had his
share of press.
When the Metropolitan Police was organized in 1829, 'bobbies' were a common sight on the city streets. The old palace which was used by the
Scots, Scotland Yard, became their headquarters.
Public Buildings
With the increase of people in the city, Victorian London began to build public facilities. The ease of transportation was helped with the
construction of "The Tube" in 1863. Tower Bridge became a reality in 1894.
Public squares were offered for pleasure, and for privacy to homeowners. The present Trafalgar Square was completed in 1845, after moving the
royal stables elsewhere. Grosvenor Square, originally built to only be enjoyed by homeowners in the area, was improved and is now a public
park.
The Royal Albert Hall began to offer music in 1871. Buckingham Palace became the monarch's main London residence while Victoria was on the
throne.
To keep everyone on schedule, Big Ben, the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament was built in 1859.
Shopping
In the early part of Victoria's reign, shopping (for the better off at least) was more a matter of getting into your carriage, arriving at the store
front, and having the proprietor come to you. Along with him would come samples of what he had to sell, and transactions were done on the
curb-side.
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. From there, the housekeeper or cook would make the purchase.
By the mid 1800's, the idea of "Department Stores" took hold. Spending a day inside a shop, instead of outside on the curb, enabled a person to
see more articles for sale. Wares were beginning to be displayed in shop windows, enticing the would-be purchaser to come through the front
door.
The General Atmosphere of Victorian London
With the combination of sewage, coal fires, and unwashed bodies, the odor of London was horrendous. Both the rich and the poor
had to contend with the evil air around the city.
Even the Royal Family was not immune to the smells and at one time was forced to cancel a water excursion due to raw sewage
being dumped into the Thames.
Joseph Bazalgette is to be thanked for building miles of piping to direct sewage away from Victorian London. However, London
streets were still filled with manure from horses.
Every surface was coated with soot from the use of coal. New buildings being constructed of Portland stone didn't stay pristine for
long. The air people breathed was often foggy with the smoke from coal fires.
Adding to the confusion, until the mid 1800's, cattle were driven through the streets of Victorian London, to and from the slaughterhouses that could be found in Smithfield.
Homework Project
Over the next 6 weeks, read a book that was
written in the 1800s! Fill in the reading log
that I have provided with page numbers you
have read to, and a one line summary of what
has happened ‘so far’. You will also need to
update the front page as you read .
Example
Week 1:...............................................................
Story so far:..........................................................
.........................................................................
.........................................................................
.........................................................................
Book Suggestions:
Around the World in 80 Days
Pre-Twentieth Century Literature
Gulliver’s Travels
Robinson Crusoe
Alice in Wonderland
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Frankenstein
Dracula
The Jungle Book
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
The Old Curiosity Shop
The Princess and the Goblin
The War of the Worlds
Journey to the centre of the Earth
Title:......................................................
Author:...................................................
Year Published:..........................................
Genre:....................................................
Protagonist:..............................................
Antagonist:...............................................
Your favourite character and why:......................
................................................................
................................................................
................................................................
................................................................
What themes (referring to Victorian culture) are
explored?:...................................................
................................................................
................................................................
................................................................
Week 1:..........................................................
Week 5:..........................................................
Story so far:.......................................................
Story so far:.......................................................
.......................................................................
.......................................................................
.......................................................................
.......................................................................
.......................................................................
.......................................................................
Week 2:..........................................................
Week 6:..........................................................
Story so far:.......................................................
Story so far:.......................................................
.......................................................................
.......................................................................
.......................................................................
.......................................................................
.......................................................................
.......................................................................
Week 3:..........................................................
Story so far:.......................................................
.......................................................................
.......................................................................
.......................................................................
Mini Review! How much are you enjoying the book?
Would you recommend it? Who do you think would
most enjoy this book?
Week 4:..........................................................
Story so far:.......................................................
.......................................................................
.......................................................................
.......................................................................
Star rating:
Victorian Context