Having a job is important so you can earn money. The Victorian attitude toward the poor tended to be mixed. The nineteenth century saw a huge growth in the population of Great Britain. Why did many children from poor families have to work? How can we find out what life was like during the Victorian times? You either had the money or you didn’t, which in reality probably drove the middle class to extinction for a time throughout the Victorian era. While a rich family might live in a large Beautiful house with several bedrooms, a large living room, a parlor and a dining room separate from the kitchen, poor children might have as little as one room for the family to live in. The country was growing so rapidly that the number of jobs just could not justify it. [1] Unlike their lower class counterparts, upper class Victorian women more often than not had staff to help with the running of their home and the raising of their children, leaving them with plenty of time to enjoy the finer things in life. Living conditions for Victorian farm workers were often cramped and basic. The Victorian age was the first in which childhood was recognised as a distinct and precious phase in life. You need money to buy things such as as food and clothes. Liza Picard examines the social and economic lives of the Victorian working classes and the poor. On the one hand, more well-to-do Victorians were always encouraged to show charity to the needy. The quality of life depended on whether you were rich or poor. They had their own small vegetable garden and kept a pig to feed the family. In the 1850s one in nine girls over the age of 10 worked as domestic se rvants for wealthy homes. The working class was divided into three layers, the lowest being 'working men' or labourers, then the ‘intelligent artisan’, and above him the ‘educated working man’. This quickly made them into the lower class citizens as there were very few jobs that they were capable of finding at this time. Life of poor Victorian children Boys born in a wealthy family were often sent to boarding for education or were tutored at home by eminent tutors while girls were trained in household activities like sewing, knitting etc. How was Victorian poor and middle class Life? Living conditions in the Victorian era Their lives The rich and the poor The careless rich The most famous slums were in east which was often referred to as "darkest London" They suffered from epidemics including Cholera, Typhus, Influenza, fever and Malaria Houses had no How Did Poor People Live During the Victorian Era? The Industrial revolution had taken what many would consider to be medium class and left them without jobs. You can use this PowerPoint to demonstrate to KS2 students the differences between the Victorian classes and how this impacted people’s lives. Wealthy Victorians enjoyed a good and easy life. BBC Teach. Steam trains made travel a lot easier, and rich people started to go on holidays to the seaside in places like Blackpool and Brighton. Below is a table showing you some of the differences between rich and poor people: Being poor means having little money or few possessions. The Victorians liked to have their social classes clearly defined. By 1900 there was near-universal literacy, a colossal achievement considering how appalling the situation of poor children had been in the 1830s. Other times, children may be separated from parents and forced to work in harsh working conditions. Below is a table showing you some of the differences between rich and poor people: The Poor. Most employment was to be found in the newly industrialized cities, so many people abandoned their rural roots and converged on the urbanized areas to seek work. The purpose of the prison system was to make time behind bars so utterly unpleasant that those who found themselves languishing behind the grim, grey walls of a penitentiary would, on their release, think twice before daring to re-offend. But if you were poor you could have a rough and hard life, often ending up in the workhouse or early death. If you don't have much money you can't buy many things. A poor family preparing food. The Victorians, especially poor ones, were at high risk of catching some nasty diseases. Victorian Durham: the homes of the poor. The poor or lower class of the Victorian era had a very rough life. Janet Sacks’ Victorian Country Life is a good reference for those who want to know more; other sources for this article are linked throughout the post. Most of the common killers – measles, scarlet fever, smallpox and typhus – … Rich Victorians lived a comfortable life The poor or lower class of the Victorian era had a very rough life. The very poorest families had to make do with even less - some houses were home to two, three or even four families. Find out about life for rich and poor children. Poorer people often lived in crowded and difficult conditions. On the other hand their family life was tighter knit and more loving. Others may wish to introduce pupils to these documents to create a wider enquiry question of their own, for example on the role of women, the lives of rich and poor or childhood in Victorian times. The more people in a family who work, the better chance of having more money. Very poor people with no home or job lived in 'workhouses'. Find out what Victorian home life was really like. Use the activity to assess their level of knowledge and understanding from any recent study of Victorian Britain. People in the Victorian era started to use electricity for the first time, and to listen to music by playing records on the gramophone. The problem with the Victorian era is that there were very few families that had relatively nice homes, enough to eat on, and a decently successful career. These were all live issues at the time Dickens was writing the novel, especially with the introduction of the1834 New Poor Law – an Act which, for many liberal Victorians, appeared to criminalise the poor. Often many families would crowd into a single room for simply some place to lay their head. This quickly made them into the lower class citizens as there were very few jobs that they were capable of finding at this time. If the work was seasonal or demand slumped, when they were laid off they had no savings to live on until the next job opportunity could be found. Top 8 Victorian Era Poems That Must Be Read, Victorian era last name generator: Random last and first names. One of the major problems was the immigration of the country. By Staff Writer Last Updated Mar 26, 2020 12:49:48 PM ET Poverty stricken families living during the Victorian Era likely lived in crowded, unkempt, slum houses, or were homeless, endured poor sanitary conditions and often were forced to subject their children to work in harsh conditions. In this post we will look at what rural life was like on a country estate in Victorian England. Learning Objectives: To investigate the differences between the lives of Rich and Poor Victorians. Therefore, the rich middle class was a very wealthy class. Victorian houses of wealthy owners had features such as bay windows, stained glass in the windows and doorways, patterned brickwork and slate roofs. This was often due to poor diet and malnutrition although the biggest killer remained dirty drinking water. Even children worked hard on the farm from as young as six years old. Why not trying looking at another theme to find out more about Victorian life? Many worked with their parents at home or in workshops, making matchboxes or sewing. This was a sharp contrast to the overcrowded and unhealthy conditions of the working and poor classes of this time. They were merely very wealthy business owners that maybe did not associate with royalty parties or occasions. Boys would be employed to scare the birds from the crops, guard the livestock from straying, pick hops, sow potatoes … Charles Dickens’ second book, Oliver Twist (1838) contained the classic Victorian themes of grinding poverty, menacing characters, injustice and punishment. Learn all about the differences between the rich and poor during the reign of Queen Victoria with … These houses had ample space for the family, which averaged between four to six children, and the servants. There was a big difference between rich and poor in Victorian times. Keep in mind that families were large in Victorian times, especially poor families. By the end of the century there were three … For these, the Victorian era was one of abject poverty. Wealthy Victorian Children The poor children had to work public jobs for their families to survive. The reason for this increase is not altogether clear. For the poor Victorian Children life was much different. There was the rich lady, who led the nostalgically stylized view of Victorian life – all bustles, petticoats and jewels, and conversely there was the somewhat less rosy existence of the poor woman; a life of chimney sweeping, workhouses, and prostitution. PART I: THE RICH. More money means more food and better living conditions. Industrialisation brought about rapid changes in everyday life that affected all classes and as a consequence Victorian society was full of extremes and startling contrasts. Rich Victorians lived a very privileged life, while poorer Victorians had to work hard jobs for little money. ate … KS2 History - The Victorians. Skilled and unskilled workers alike were paid subsistence-level wages. However, many people considered the rich to be middle class if they did not have anything to do with royalty. For millions of Victorians, Victorian life had nothing to do with servants, etiquette or fashion. Your quality of life during the Victorian times depended on whether you were rich or poor. Poor Victorians had a rough and hard life, often ending up in the workhouse or early death. Gleanings of corn were collected after the harvest and used to make flour and bread and they would make their own cider, ale and wine from fruit such as elderberries. Middle and upper class Victorian Age families lived in large, comfortable houses. BBC School Radio. usually well fed, clean and well clothed. This drove the prices down on the wages and most poor class families struggled to even put food on the table. Poor Victorians would put children to work at an early a… ©Copyright Mandy Barrow 2013 Check out the typical Victorian salaries. Some families had as many as eight to twelve children or more. Find out about the life of a young Victorian girl living in a wealthy household with a governess. primaryhomeworkhelp.com, Woodlands Junior School, Hunt Road Tonbridge Kent TN10 4BB UK, Wealthy Victorians enjoyed a good and easy life. Victorian England Rural Life. The houses would share toilets and water, which they could get from a pump or a well. The difference between private life and commerce was a fluid one distinguished by an informal demarcation of function. Most children from poor families had to work because their families needed the money. The worst part for poor class families is that many needed their children to help work. 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