What did poor Victorians do in their spare time?

People in Victorian times didn't have as much spare time as we do now - they worked for longer (including the children), and housework took longer, too. They still had plenty of ways to amuse themselves though. Most towns like Huddersfield had theatres and music halls, and many of the local churches held social events.

What did rich Victorians do in their spare time?

Music hall songs became very popular and people enjoyed singing along to the well- known tunes. Richer people also went to the theatre to watch ballet, opera or classical concerts. These theatres were much grander than those used for music hall. Families also enjoyed going to pantomimes.

What was life like for poor people in the Victorian times?

The homes of the poor were small, cold and damp and often infested with lice and vermin. Water would be collected from a dirty pump in the street and filthy outdoor toilets would be shared with dozens of neighbours. Stoves were new and expensive, so many homes didn't have any way of making hot meals.

What jobs did poor people do in the Victorian era?

Boys went to sea, as boy-sailors, and girls went 'into service' as housemaids. In towns and cities, you might have been a chimney sweep or a crossing boy, sweeping the roads clean of horse dung from the horse and carriage. Others worked on the streets, selling things such as flowers, matches and ribbons.

What did people do in their free time in the 1800s?

Theatre Halls were numerous and performances were regularly given by theatre troupes, ventriloquists, hypnotists, poets, comedians, choirs and orchestras. Circuses came to town and set up in parks and public places. There were fêtes, carnivals, art exhibitions and lessons in singing, dancing and cooking to attend.

What did the Victorians do for FUN? | Ruth Goodman on 19th century entertainment

What did peasants do in their free time?

For adults, on the other hand, games like chess, checkers, and backgammon, as well as a range of card games were popular forms of entertainment. Adults may also have spent their leisure time dancing. Fair days also would have played a big role in life in a medieval village.

What did Victorians do on Sundays?

The Victorian Era

Sunday dinners became grand affairs in many Victorian households. The family would gather around an elaborately set dining table, and the roast was often accompanied by an array of side dishes, including vegetables, stuffing, and gravy.

What did poor Victorian children do for fun?

Although rich Victorian children would have had plenty of toys in their nurseries, children from poorer families would have had very few. They were often hand-made and children would share toys like marbles, whip and tops, skipping ropes and dolls with their brothers and sisters and friends.

Why was the Victorian era so poor?

The search for employment

Therefore all these factors – population explosion, immigration both foreign and domestic – added up and resulted in a scramble for any job available. Large numbers of both skilled and unskilled people were looking for work, so wages were low, barely above subsistence level.

What work did children do in workhouses?

Give 2 examples of jobs which would be done in the workhouse. stone breaking, grinding corn, chopping wood, laundry, cleaning, scrubbing walls and floors.

What did poor Victorians eat?

Poor families ate more carbohydrates, such as bread, potatoes and porridge oats, as these were cheaper and more filling. Bread with lard or dripping spread across it was a staple meal. Seasonal vegetables were also a large part of their diets. These include onions, turnips, cabbages, apples and parsnips.

What was the dark side of the Victorian era?

Her reign lasted sixty-four years, and during this time, there were many admirable achievements in the fields of literature, science, and politics. But the Victorian Era also had a dark side. Disease, poor sanitation, low wages, and the abuse of children were all parts of everyday life.

What was the average life expectancy in the Victorian era?

Although Victorians who attained adulthood could expect to live into old age, average life expectancy at birth was low: in 1850 it was 40 for men and 42 for women. By 1900 it was 45 for men and 50 for women.

How did Victorians treat children?

The children of the poor were not thought to be a blessing, but often a burden on the family. 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.

What did Victorian men do for fun?

For starters, entertainment was often a shared activity rather than a solitary one. Social entertainments, such as outdoor sports or indoor games, were plentiful. This was the era of parlor games, of home theatricals and charades, and of social gatherings such as book clubs.

What are 10 facts about the Victorian era?

How did poor Victorians survive?

Luxuries were not available to the millions of working poor, who toiled for long hours in mills (like Stott Park Bobbin Mill, Cumbria), mines, factories and docks. The dreadful working and living conditions of the early 19th century persisted in many areas until the end of the Victorian age.

Did most children go to school in Victorian times?

In early Victorian England, most children never went to school at all and grew up unable to read or write. Instead they were sent out to work to earn money for their families.

Were people in the Victorian era happy?

New research by the University of Warwick's Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE) and the Social Market Foundation shows that levels of happiness appear to have been highest during the Victorian era, and during the 20^th Century peaked during 1957, a level to which they have never returned.

What was a poor Victorian child's daily routine?

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.

How did Victorians punish children for poor behavior?

Some children who misbehaved were placed in 'Solitary confinement', locked in a room on their own. Tough reformatory schools were set up for children who had committed a minor crime, like theft, so that they could get a better life. Boys were taught how to use machines, while girls were taught how to cook and clean.

What toys did poor Victorian children play with?

The toys children played with in Victorian times often depended on how wealthy their family was. 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.

What did Victorians do about periods?

Women in workhouses would usually free-bleed, and the floors of manufacturing mills were often lined with straw or sawdust for absorption. By the end of the Victorian era, 'menstrual belts' made an appearance – cloth belts with absorbent fabric attached to catch the blood.

Did Victorians wake up in the night?

If you naturally wake in the night, take a page from Victorian tradition. Use this time for quiet reflection without anxiety. As Roger Ekirch observes, “This pattern of 'first sleep' and 'second sleep' may be more reflective of human biology than modern, consolidated sleep schedules”.

How did poor Victorians celebrate Christmas?

At the beginning of the Victorian era, the children of the rich received handmade toys, which were quite labour-intensive to make and expensive. The children of the poor received stockings filled with fruit and nuts, a tradition we still have today.