What was life like for poor Victorians?
Poor Victorians had a rough and hard life, often ending up in the workhouse or early death. Below is a table showing you some of the differences between rich and poor people: had few luxuries.
What is the difference between rich and poor Victorian homes?
The Vast Differences Between Rich and Poor Victorian Homes. The Victorian Houses that are so popular today with all their splendor and decorative trimmings only tell a small part of how Victorian children lived. These were the houses that the wealthy children lived in. The poor Victorian children lived in dwellings much different.
Why did the poor live in houses in the 1800s?
The poor did not live in houses since property was next to impossible to acquire and the rich were the only ones who could afford to buy it. Most poor families lived in small apartments. Some no bigger than one room. Sometimes two or more families would share an apartment.
How did they keep the house warm in the Victorian era?
Coal fires in every room would keep the house warm. Servants would do the work of the house. They would buy and cook meals, wash clothes and bedding, polish floors, scrub tiles, light fires and clean fireplaces. Many servants would sleep in servant quarters in the attic.
What was it like being poor in Victorian times?
The poor often lived in unsanitary conditions, in cramped and unclean houses, regardless of whether they lived in a modern city or a rural town. Victorian attitudes towards the poor were rather muddled.
What were Victorian living conditions like?
Life was harsh, working hours were long and the conditions effectively unregulated, poverty was widespread, and as living conditions were so cramped and insanitary not surprisingly life expectancy was low.
How were the poor treated in the 1800s?
For the first half of the 19th century the rural and urban poor had much in common: unsanitary and overcrowded housing, low wages, poor diet, insecure employment and the dreaded effects of sickness and old age.
What did poor Victorian children live?
Poor children often lived in small, cramped homes with lots of siblings sharing a room, but some children grew up in the Workhouse, a place where poor people went when they had nowhere else to go for food or shelter. Conditions in the Workhouse were very poor.
What does it mean to be poor?
didn't need to work. lived in big houses with servants. went on holidays. children had expensive toys. children went to school. What does being poor mean? Being poor means having little money or few possessions.
Why do poor children have to work?
Most children from poor families had to work because their families needed the money. Having a job is important so you can earn money. The more people in a family who work, the better chance of having more money. More money means more food and better living conditions. Find out about life for rich and poor children.
How many people lived in a single end in Scotland in 1861?
Flats were crowded and small. In 1861, 64% of Scotland's population lived in either a single-end (one room) or room and kitchen (two rooms). Up to 15 people might live in a single end. They would sleep in a bed recess instead of a bedroom.
What would a servant do in a house?
Coal fires in every room would keep the house warm. Servants would do the work of the house. They would buy and cook meals, wash clothes and bedding, polish floors, scrub tiles, light fires and clean fireplaces. Many servants would sleep in servant quarters in the attic.
What was the name of the toilet in the streets that people used to get water?
There was no running water. People shared a standpipe in the street to get water. They used an outdoor toilet called a privy. Sewage would run in the streets and rubbish was thrown into the street with no-one to collect it.
What were the two classes of people in the Victorian era?
Within the Victorian era, there really were only two classes of people. You were either upper class or lower class. Unfortunately, the Industrial Revolution which had been going on for several years had totally diminished what previously was a very strong middle class. The upper class primarily consisted of royalty and large business owners.
What was the worst situation for the lower class?
The vast majority of lower-class was living in severe poverty. The worst situation would be if the father got ill. They would often lose their home and live in places something like public housing. This form of housing would sometimes require children to be separated from their parents.
What did the upper class have?
The upper class had everything they needed. They could get work done at cheap rates, they had nice homes, and education was beginning to become more important. Therefore, children of upper-class citizens were often educated at an early age. The lower class had very little.
Why did mom and pop stores go out of business?
Those who had special trades either went out of business because other large businesses were selling for cheaper and had more to sell or the company grew into a large corporation.
What did poor Victorian children live in?
The poor Victorian children lived in dwellings much different. 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.
What is the difference between rich and poor Victorian homes?
The Vast Differences Between Rich and Poor Victorian Homes. The Victorian Houses that are so popular today with all their splendor and decorative trimmings only tell a small part of how Victorian children lived. These were the houses that the wealthy children lived in. The poor Victorian children lived in dwellings much different.
Why were the slums called Whitechapel?
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.
Why were outhouses built cheaply?
They were built very cheaply with little consideration for safety and attractiveness. There was no plumbing or bathrooms much less flushing toilets. Public outhouses were used by everyone that lived within the block. Sewage ran down the street since there was no underground sewage pipes.
What was the difference between upper class and lower class?
The difference between upper class and lower class was vastly greater than it is today. Wealthy families lived in large Victorian houses three and sometimes four stories high with several rooms. They had more than one bathroom and even had flushing toilets. They usually had servants that performed all the duties including cleaning the house, ...
Why was a nanny hired?
A nanny was hired to fulfill the children’s needs and was in many cases responsible for raising the children. The servants life was not anything to dream about but the servants quarters were still better than the poor families homes. Watch the slide show below to get a more vivid idea of a rich Victorian child’s home.
What was the most surprising thing about society in the late 1800s?
But a surprising aspect of society in the late 1800’s is that the wealthy upper class had their own curiosities about how the poor lower class lived.
