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 was life in London like in the 19th century?
London’s population grew rapidly during the 19th century. This lead to major problems with overcrowding and poverty. Disease and early death were common for both rich and poor people. Victorian children did not have as many toys and clothes as children do today and many of them were homemade.
Why was Victorian London so smelly?
In the first half of the 19th century London was growing rapidly. More people meant more sewage. The vast majority of homes were built without flush toilets. ‘Night soil men’ collected some of the solid waste for use as fertilzer but much found its way onto the capital’s streets or into its watercourses.
What do you think London looked like in the 19th century?
London in the 1800s was a compact city where most people worked within walking distance of home. The narrow winding streets were often crowded with people, horses and carts,with only wealthy people able to travel by private carriage.
Was the Victorian era unsanitary?
During the Victorian Era in 19th century, health and sanitary conditions were not so great. Viruses and bacteria were quickly spread throughout London, such as Tuberculosis, Smallpox, Measles, Scarlet fever, Cholera, etc.
What was it like to be poor in London in the 1800s?
The Victorian period was a miserable time to be poor. Assistance was only awarded to people who could earn a living, however meagre that living might be. Those who would not or could not work were treated as an ‘underclass’ whose impoverished state was akin to a criminal offence.
What kind of crime existed in 19th century London?
As in previous periods of time, around 75% of all recorded crime in nineteenth century London at this time was petty theft. Violent crimes made up about 10% of recorded crime; murder was relatively rare. Despite this people in London were much more worried about gruesome crimes than about minor theft.
How did people deal with body odor in the 1800s?
People’s daily washing consisted of a splash of cold water from a basin usually in the kitchen or bedchamber. [5] They washed the bits that showed namely the face, the feet, and the hands. This daily washing helped George or Betty start off their day smelling fresh but it didn’t last long in the brutal Virginia summer.
What is the smelliest place on earth?
The smelliest places on Earth
- Seal Island, South Africa | Seals. Unless you’ve been to Seal Island, it’s unlikely you have ever considered what a seal smells like.
- St Lucia | Chocolate.
- Mexico City, Mexico | Sewage.
- Isparta, Turkey | Roses.
- Ijen Volcano, Java | Sulphur.
What did medieval London smell like?
An episode of the 2011 BBC TV documentary Filthy Cities describes the streets of London in the 1300s. They were ankle-deep in a putrid mix of wet mud, rotten fish, garbage, entrails, and animal dung.
What did Victorians smell like?
By the middle of the Victorian era, bergamot and lemon oil had surpassed Eau de Cologne to become the most popular fragrance for women. According to Goodman: “Bergamot and lemon oil, sometimes employed separately but more often used in combination, was the signature smell of the middle years of the century.
How did Victorians treat the poor?
Poor people could work in mines, in mills and factories, or in workhouses. Whole families would sometimes have to work so they’d all have enough money to buy food. Children in poor families would have jobs that were best done by people who weren’t very tall.
How clean were Victorians?
Showers were not yet en vogue and everyone bathed to keep clean. Poorer families would have boiled water on the stove then added it along with cool water to a wooden or metal tub, usually in the kitchen area, when it was time for a deep scrub down.
What did the Victorians use for toilet paper?
Before that, they used whatever was handy — sticks, leaves, corn cobs, bits of cloth, their hands. Toilet paper more or less as we know it today is a product of Victorian times; it was first issued in boxes (the way facial tissue is today) and somewhat later on the familiar rolls.
How often did Victorians wash their clothes?
Did you know that Victorians didn’t wash their clothes regularly? This is because it was really hard work and so people didn’t want to do it all the time. Sometimes, they would go an entire month without washing them!
What did Victorians use for deodorant?
There was no deodorant, let alone disposable razors, so some women placed half-moon-shaped “dress shields” between their clothes and their hairy, sweaty armpits. But really, the most surefire way for a lady to deal with body odor was to wear perfume — a lot of it.
Are there slums in London?
Welcome to the slums of Victorian London
Where bodies crowd into poorly built tenements, or snatch a few hours of sleep in a doss house.
Why was Victorian poverty so horrific?
During the Victorian era, the rates of people living in poverty increased drastically. This is due to many factors, including low wages, the growth of cities (and general population growth), and lack of stable employment.
What jobs did children do in the workhouse?
Children provided a variety of skills and would do jobs that were as varied as needing to be small and work as a scavenger in a cotton mill to having to push heavy coal trucks along tunnels in coal mines. There were so many different jobs!
What is the most committed crime in London?
Key figures
- Theft offences in London 2021/22. 363,814. Number of theft offences in London 2015-2022.
- Sexual offences in London 2021/22. 25,232. Number of sexual offences recorded in London 2015-2022.
- Drug offences in London 2021/22. 45,730.
- Knife offences in London 2021/22. 11,122.
- Show more facts.
What is the highest crime in London?
With an overall total of 51,383 crimes reported in 2021 or 203.6 crimes per 1000 people, Westminster is the clear frontrunner on our list of the most dangerous boroughs in London.