THE

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THE VICTORIANS 1837-1901
by Matt H
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Queen Victoria
Born in 1819, Victoria was an only child of
Edward, the Duke of Kent. In 1837, she ascended
to the throne and became Queen of Great Britain
and Ireland. She was only 18 at this time, and
the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, served as her
educator in political decision-making. However,
Victoria soon displayed her iron will, which
allowed her to effectively rule by her own power.
It was in June of 1840 that the Queen married
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. They happily
raised nine children, who were to become
important figures in the major monarchical states
of the 20th Century. Still, the Queen's loss of
the Prince Consort in December of 1861 drove her
into prolonged mourning and depression. Her
policy-making seemed to change substantially from
the time prior to Albert's death. However, this
prolonged mourning kept her occupied for the rest
of her life and played an important role in the
evolution of what would become the Victorian
mentality. Eventually Victoria became one of
Great Britain's most popular and prominent
monarchs. She was named Empress of India in 1876,
which was an event that showed the interest of
the Queen and Great Britain in world
colonization, throughout the 19th Century.
Victoria's long reign witnessed an evolution in
English politics and the expansion of the British
Empire, as well as political and social reform on
the continent.  Queen Victoria died of natural
causes in January of 1901.
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SCHOOL
Many children in early Victorian times never went
to school at all and more than half of them grew
up unable to read or write. Children from rich
families were luckier than poor children. Nannies
looked after them, and they had toys and books. A
governess would get paid to teach the children of
rich families at home. Then, when the boys were
old enough, they were sent away to a public
school such as Eton or Rugby. The daughters were
kept at home and taught singing, piano playing
and sewing. Slowly, things changed for poorer
children, by the end of the Victorian age all
children under 12 had to go to school. Now
everybody could learn how to read and write, and
how to count properly. The teachers in schools
had a cane used to punish children by hitting
them on the hand. They didnt write on paper but
on slates.
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Children
Children had it hard in the time of Queen
Victoria's reign over England. The children in
poor families had to work from getting up in the
morning to going to sleep in the night. They
worked in caves, coal mines and as chimney
sweepers and many more hard jobs, at what would
now be two pence a day!! And that goes to their
parents to pay for the family. But most children
didnt live long because there was no medicines
or equipment to help with diseases. Children had
to go to the workhouse, it wasnt nice there at
all it was cold, wet and smelt badly. Victorian
children didnt have good clothes.
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Workhouse
WORKHOUSE. The word alone was calculated to send
a shudder down the spine of any honest 19th
century worker. It signified the end of the line,
the final indignity. It said Abandon hope, all
ye who enter here. The mental picture of the
gaunt, forbidding workhouse is one of the abiding
impressions of Victorian England. Charles Dickens
painted the best-known picture of it in his
Oliver Twist, but even the great novelist's vivid
descriptions of the repressive, soul-destroying
workhouse regime don't tell the whole story.
Just what was the workhouse? Put simply, it was
a public institution which housed and fed people
who were unable to support themselves. If these
people were otherwise fit, they were put to work.
But these simple facts hide a tale of horror and
despair. Until the 16th century, there was no
state provision for the welfare of the poor. What
relief there was, was provided by the church, but
the Dissolution of the Monasteries ended much of
this charitable work.
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Victorian Timeline
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Rich and Poor
During the Victorian age, there were some very
rich and many very poor people in Britain.The
very rich, or upper class people did not have to
work. They lived in big houses and had many
servants maids, gardeners, butlers and cooks to
look after them and their homes.Middle class
people, the families of doctors, lawyers or
well-off tradesmen would also have servants, but
not so many. Middle class women did not work,
they were expected to stay at home and run the
house.Most people in Britain were very poor and
lived in small and overcrowded houses. Everyone
had to work, often even children. Families with
no money either starved or went to the workhouse.
It was very hard for poor people to improve their
lives, they had little education, wages were low
and few would help them.The resources show how
both rich and poor people lived in the Epping
Forest District. Take a look to see if life in
our area has changed over the last hundred
years.
Rich Family
Poor Family
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Religion
The nineteenth century revolved around a revival
of religious activity unmatched since Puritan
times. The bible was taken as the literal truth
and was the foundation of moral behaviour which
became known as "Victorianism". During this
period, textbooks and games were based on
religion and morality. It was believed that if
religion be accepted by all, that morality would
become the "end all" to crime and poverty. While
advancements in science and technology became the
order of the day, religion began a down-hill
slide. Its theory/belief remained strong until
the middle of the century, when in 1859, Charles
Darwin published his Evolution of the Species
theory. Many, including the clergy, began to
question the beliefs of the church.
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When a woman entered a room, it was considered
rude for a man to offer his seat to her because
the cushion might still be warm. People thought
food digested better in the dark, so a dining
room located in the basement was considered the
best spot in which to eat. A glance into a
bedroom was considered improper if viewed by a
visitor, so bedrooms were located on the second
floor. People were shy about having water
closets, so they disguised fixtures as dressers
and cabinets. Tubs were enclosed in wooden boxes
that resembled large chests. People went to great
lengths to hide toilets from view. In some
homes, they were behind a curtain or screen, or
even in a room of their own. Children rarely saw
their parents. A special trip was made to the
nursery each evening, and the visit lasted about
an hour. Women made pictures, wreaths, and
bouquets from their own hair or the hair of a
family member to be framed and displayed in the
parlour. Some rocking chairs were designed to
disguise a chamber pot. People had to be careful
not to rock too quickly! A lot of men used
macassar oil to slick back their hair.
Crocheted doilies, called antimacassars, were put
over the backs of chairs to keep this grease from
staining the furniture. For a lady to show her
ankles was considered very risqué!
Facts
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Victorian Ballroom
Pictures
Queen Victoria
A wealthy persons house
Writing slate
Queen Victorias husband (Prince Albert)
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?Quiz?
When was Queen Victoria born?
1815
1819
1817
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When did Queen Victoria become queen?
1837
1824
1901
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What religion did the Victorians believe in?
Christian
Protestant
Judaism
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What year were boys under 10 banned from being
chimney sweeps?
1865
1860
1864
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presentation
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You got it wrong!!
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You got it right!!!
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