There was a big difference between rich and poor in Victorian times. Rich people could afford lots of treats like holidays, fancy clothes, and even telephones when they were invented. Poor people – even children – had to work hard in factories, mines or workhouses. They didn’t get paid very much money.
What did rich Victorians were?
Once of school age they wore suits or short trousers and jackets with a cap. Sailor suits were also fashionable. Girls wore dresses with a pinafore over the top but did not wear crinolines or bustles until they were older.
How did the upper class live in the Victorian era?
The Upper Class
These people inherited their titles, their homes and their money from other members of their family. They didn’t have to get a job, so to speak, because they just took over the running of the family’s stately home and grounds.
What was it like to be a rich Victorian child?
Life for Victorian children was very different from our lives today. Children in rich households had toys to play with and did not have to work, but children in poor households often had to work long hours in difficult, dangerous jobs. They didn’t have toys to play with but sometimes made their own.
What did rich Victorians do for fun?
Sporting pastimes, such as cycling, rowing and horseracing were also popular, and large crowds would often attend sailing events like the Henley Regatta and famous horse races such as the Epsom Derby. One of the largest events of the Victorian calendar was the famous Great Exhibition, held in 1851.
What did rich Victorian children do for fun?
Children from rich families played with rocking horses, train sets, doll’s houses and toy soldiers, whereas children from poor families tended to play with home-made toys such as peg dolls, spinning tops and skipping ropes.
Did rich Victorians go to school?
How were rich Victorian children educated? At the start of the Victorian era, very few children actually attended school. Children from rich families would be educated at home by a governess (a female teacher).
What were rich people called in the Victorian era?
This class was divided into three subcategories: Royal, those who came from a royal family, Middle Upper, important officers and lords, and Lower Upper, wealthy men and business owners (Victorian England Social Hierarchy).
What did the rich Victorians think of the poor?
Victorian attitudes towards the poor were rather muddled. Some believed that the poor were facing their situations because they deserved it, either because of laziness or because they were simply not worthy of fortune. However, some believed it was up to personal circumstances.
What are 3 characteristics of the upper class?
They generally have the highest status in society and hold a great deal of wealth. Because of this, they also carry a considerable amount of power—politically, economically, and financially. Members of the upper class carry a considerable amount of power—politically, economically, and financially.
Did rich Victorians have toilets?
In fact, entire bathroom suites—tubs, lavatories, water closets, foot baths, and sitz baths (for soaking nether regions)—were elaborately encased in carved and stained woodwork that was closer to the parlor than the privy. High-tank toilets ruled the bathroom during the Victorian era.
How does growing up rich affect a child?
Affluent children are more prone to substance abuse, chronic depression, and low self-esteem, in frequent measure due to parental and household pressure. Parents who are wealthy and successful often expect the same from their kids, who can, in turn, interpret that the wrong way or place too much pressure on themselves.
Do wealthier kids do better in school?
As a result, children from richer households develop greater cognitive skills; at age 16, reading scores were 21% of a standard deviation higher on average for children with high-income parents compared to children with low-income parents.
Did rich Victorians have servants?
The Victorian period in Britain saw a peak in the numbers of servants employed in households. All upper class houses had several servants, and most middle class households aspired to have at least one or two servants.
Did rich Victorians have electricity?
By Queen Victoria’s death in January 1901, electric lighting was still in its infancy. Gas lighting was common in the cities and larger towns, supplemented by candles and oil lamps, but in smaller towns and villages and in the countryside lighting remained almost exclusively by candles and oil lamps.
Did rich Victorians have indoor toilets?
In the latter half of the 19th Century some wealthier people had shower fittings, mounted on a frame over the bath with a manual pump delivering the water. In reality, bathrooms were not commonplace in the Victorian Era. The conversion of older houses to include bathrooms did not take place until the late 1800s.
Did Victorian children get paid?
Many children got just 5 shillings (25p) a week, or less. While thousands of children worked down the mine, thousands of others worked in the cotton mills. The mill owners often took in orphans to their workhouses; they lived at the mill and were worked as hard as possible. Cotton mills were dangerous places to work.
How did Victorians punish children?
Boys were usually caned on their backsides and girls were either beaten on their bare legs or across their hands. A pupil could receive a caning for a whole range of different reasons, including: rudeness, leaving a room without permission, laziness, not telling the truth and playing truant (missing school).
Did rich Victorian children have servants?
It would take lots of servants to keep the house in good order, so there was plenty of work in domestic service for those who wanted it. Also having servants was a way of showing other people how rich and important you were and so if you had lots of money you might choose to have servants, even if you didn’t need them!
What houses did rich Victorians live in?
Wealthy Victorian families lived in large detached and semi-detached townhouses with room for servants. Reception rooms were high-ceilinged and designed to impress guests. They had elaborately moulded cornices and marble fireplaces.
What time did Victorian children wake up?
Did you know… Morning lessons began at 9:00am until 12:00. Children often went home for their lunchtime meal and then returned for afternoon classes from 2pm-5pm. If pupils were unable to answer a question, they were made to sit in the corner and wear a dunces’ hat.