How did the Victorians live and work?

There was such variety of living and working conditions in Victorian England (1837-1901) that it would be impossible to describe all of them here. There are, however, some key trends which will you give you an overview of life in this period:

• The Industrial Revolution had created an industrial economy, meaning that the vast majority of Victorians lived and worked in towns and cities.


• The population grew rapidly in this period: from 16 million in 1801 to 41 million by 1901. This created overcrowding in the cities and competition over jobs, both skilled and unskilled. This also gave rise to slum housing where large houses were turned into several flats. Some people were so poor that entire families lived in one room.


• Children often worked to supplement the family's income, e.g. in textile mills, as chimney sweeps or errand boys. There were, however, legislative attempts to protect their welfare and promote education. The Mines Act of 1842, for example, banned children under 10 from working in coal mines.


• This period is considered a 'golden age' for the Victorian middle class. They lived in relative comfort, employed servants cheaply and enjoyed holidays across England as seaside resorts blossomed, especially Margate and Brighton.