London in the 19th century

Sources

http://mural.uv.es/cehevi/victorianlondon.html

http://www.victorianlondon.org/houses/slums.htm

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourwardfamily.com%2Fvictorian_london.htm&h=dAQFET6ZH

http://www.aboutbritain.com/articles/victorian-society.asp

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/1806_Mogg_Pocket_or_Case_Map_of_London,_England_-_Geographicus_-_London-mogg-1806.jpg

http://www.fidnet.com/~dap1955/dickens/dickens_london.html

divided along financial lines
rich: first governess
boys later: boarding school
girls later: learning sewing, singing etc.
middle class:Victorian schools (if affordable, otherwise charity schools
poor: begging from the age of five
Campaigners like Charles Dickens fought against it (Oliver Twist)
→ 1870: education mandatory for children from 5 to 12 years
before 1850: often 1 teacher for 100 pupils
Bible: textbook to learn how to read
later: moral tales because the bible was to difficult
discipline highly enforced
corporal punishment

Police

In 1829 the prime minister Robert Peel created London's first police force the Metropolitan police (later known as Scotland Yard) to handle law and order in areas outside the City proper

Because of the founder of the Metropolitan police the policemen are called “peelers” or “bobbies” till this day

Religion

· deeply religious (Anglican)

· hold of religion began to lessen by the end of the century because of…

o …the expansion of careers

o …the growing scientific doubt

· Both major parties only admitted Anglicans -> members of other religions had no guarantee for religious liberty

Fashion

· 1851: Invention of sewing machine -> mass production

· Still a lot of customization

WOMEN

· Very elegant

· Dresses etc. often trimmed with lace, braid and fringes

· Influenced by French fashion

· Corsets

· Arms and legs covered

· Skirts supported by a frame: crinoline

· Fur muffs and felt hats in winter

· Parasols and bonnets in summer

· Often: gloves and fan

· Human hair in jewellery

· High-top laced shoes (soft leather)

MEN:

· Black dress coat or waistcoats

· White vest

· Black trousers (doeskin)

· Younger men: blue coat, white vest, lavender pants

· Always matching handkerchiefs and gloves

· pocket hat (theatre or travelling) or silk top hat

· walking stick

· high buttoned shoes

Gentlemen's club

· exclusively for men

· gambling dens

· main attraction: snob appeal

Diseases and Health

· Some reasons for diseases:

o Indecent housing

o Overcrowding

o Poverty

o Lack of garbage disposal

o Contaminated water supplies (Great stink)

· Cholera

o First outreak in 1832

o 7000 people died

o 3 more outbreaks in this century

· Joseph Balzagette: first sewage system–> death rate sank

· Infant mortality: 25% of infants died –> care moved to hospitals