Category: Victoria

Queen Anne ruled more than a century before Queen Victoria, from 1701 to 1714. In fact, Queen Anne Victorian homes were built during the latter part of Queen Victoria’s reign, from 1870 to 1910. The style was developed by architect Richard Norman Shaw in the 1860s in England. What is the difference between Victorian and […]

Round Porticos A rounded, sometimes called semi-circular or curved portico, is the epitome of a beautiful, traditional entry point and is spectacularly regal. Just think of the famous South Portico on the White House built in 1830. What is the round section of a house called? A rotunda (from Latin rotundus) is any building with […]

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, washing clothes and cooking supper. What type of houses did rich Victorians live in? Wealthy […]

With no laws to protect children, this meant they had few rights and were badly treated. Seen as simply the property of their parents, many children were abandoned, abused and even bought and sold. Thought to be born evil, children needed to be corrected, punished and made to become good citizens. What was life like […]

Poor children went to free charity schools or ‘Dame’ schools (so called because they were run by women) for young children. They also went to Sunday Schools which were run by churches. Did poor Victorian children go to school? Charity schools and Sunday schools were the first to begin the task of educating the poor. […]

Orphans who could not find a place in an orphanage sometimes had to live on the streets or in workhouses. Workhouses provided food and shelter in return for hard, unpleasant work. Conditions were very harsh and people would only go to workhouses as a last resort. Where did the orphans live? An orphanage is a […]

With no laws to protect children, this meant they had few rights and were badly treated. Seen as simply the property of their parents, many children were abandoned, abused and even bought and sold. Thought to be born evil, children needed to be corrected, punished and made to become good citizens. What was life like […]

The rich children would dine on significant amounts of food and waste food too whereas the poor would have limited meals of low quality. A large quantity of the population were living on dripping, bread, tea and vegetables. What did rich and poor Victorians eat? Rich and poor Victorians ate quite different food. Rich children […]

Fashion during the Victorian Era was eccentric, ornamented, and elaborate. Queen Victoria’s influence began in the 1830’s and continued through the early 1900’s. The women of the Bringhurst family were certainly impacted by this and tailored their dress to the most elaborate fashions of the time. How did the Victorian era influence fashion? The fashion […]

Victorian furniture is characterized by ornate carvings, dark woods, and heavy luxurious fabrics. Victorian furniture is traditionally made from mahogany, rosewood, or walnut, sometimes painted or gilded. How can you tell if furniture is Victorian? Victorian furniture was usually made from Walnut for smaller pieces such as small tables and Mahogany for large pieces such […]