Families were large in Victorian times and the homes of poor working families were small and often overcrowded. Children worked in the fields and factories to bring in extra money. At home there were lots of chores to do. Boys ran errands, chopped wood for the fire and helped in the garden. Girls were expected to help their mothers, especially on washing day, and look after the younger children. Sometimes they were kept home from school to help.
There was little money for clothes and shoes. Some children went barefoot and the younger ones wore ill-fitting "hand-me-downs". Even in wealthy families boys wore dresses until they were "breeched" (put into trousers) at the age of about 5.
For children in working families there was little time for playing and toys were home made. Games such as marbles, hopscotch, skipping and whip and top were played in the street.
Life was quite different if you grew up in a wealthy home. There were no chores to do and children spent most of their time in the nursery, where they were brought up by a nanny. There were toys to play with, such as dolls and a dolls' house, a rocking horse, a wooden Noah's ark and toy soldiers. Parents were strict and children were expected to be seen and not heard.
Children were often forced to work as soon as they were old enough. This was not something new to the Victorian period as children had always been been expected to work as soon as they were old enough for hundreds of years.
The lucky children got apprenticed in a trade, the less lucky ones worked on farms or helped with the spinning. When new types of work appeared with the development of industries and factories, it seemed perfectly natural to use children for work that adults couldn't do; Crawling underneath machinery or sitting in coal mines to open and close the ventilation doors.
Chimney Sweeps
Another job they could do better than adults was chimney sweeping. A chimney boy worked for a chimney sweep. His job was to scramble up inside the chimney, to scrape and brush soot away. He came down covered in soot, and with bleeding elbows and knees. Some boys got stuck and died of suffocation.
In 1832 the use of boys for sweeping chimneys was forbidden by law, however, boys continued to be forced through the narrow winding passages of chimneys in large houses.
Factories
Children would work long hours and sometimes had to carry out some dangerous jobs working in factories.
In textile mills children were made to clean machines while the machines were kept running, and there were many accidents.
In match factories children were employed to dip matches into a dangerous chemical called phosphorous. The phosphorous could cause their teeth to rot and some died from the effect of breathing it into their lungs.
The Factory Act of 1878 banned employment of children under ten years of age, but poor families needed the extra money so many children still skipped school.
On the Streets
Many children worked on the streets. They worked very long hours for very little money. Some polished shoes, others sold flowers, or swept the crossing places where rich people crossed the busy roads.
Coal Mines
Other jobs included working down coal mines. Coal was the main source of power in Victorian times. It was used for cooking and heating, and for driving machinery, trains and steam ships.
Until the 1840s, children as young as five worked down mines for up to 12 hours a day.
Who went to school during the 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 to earn money for their families. Only the upper and middle class children went to school.
Rich Children
Children from rich families were taught at home by a governess until they were 10 years old. Once a boy turned ten, he went away to Public schools like Eton or Harrow. There were very few schools available for girls, however, until near the end of the Victorian times. Wealthy girls were mostly educated at home.
Where did poor children go to school?
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. There they learnt bible stories and were taught to read a little.
Why go to school?
The Victorians soon realised that it was important for people to be able to read and write and education became more important. The Church of England became active in the field and erected 'National Schools' which taught children reading, writing, arithmetic and religion.
Important Dates
In 1833, the government awarded grants of money to schools. Not everyone who ran the schools were able to read themselves so the standard of education was not very good.
In 1844, Parliament passed a law requiring children working in factories be given six-half-days schooling every week. 'Ragged Schools' were set up to provide free basic education for orphans and very poor children.
In 1870, Parliament passed the Forster's Education Act, requiring all parts of Britain to provide schools to children aged 5 to 12. However, not all these school were free so many could not afford the 'school's pence' each week. As it was not mandatory to attend school many children still didn't go to school. They worked and earned money for the family instead.
When did attending school become mandatory?
It wasn't until 1880 that schooling became mandatory. All children had to attend a school until they were 10 years old. In 1889, the school leaving age was raised to twelve, and in 1891, the school's pence fee was abolished and schools became free.
What were the schools like?
There could be as many as 70 or 80 pupils in one class, especially in cities. The teachers were very strict. Children were often taught by reading and copying things down, or chanting things till they were perfect.
In many Victorian schools pupil-teachers helped with the teaching. The pupil-teachers were boys and girls of 13 and over. After five years of apprenticeship they could themselves become teachers.
What did the schools teach?
Typical lessons at school included the three Rs - Reading, WRiting and Dictation, and ARithmetic. In addition to the three Rs which were taught most of the day, once a week the children learned geography, history and singing. The girls learned how to sew.
Schools did not teach music or PE in the way that schools do now. Children sometimes did 'drill' in the classroom. Drill was a series of exercises that were done by the side of a desk.
Did Victorian children use a calculator?
For maths lessons, children used frames with coloured wooden beads, much like an abacus. Children learned how to multiply and divide using this apparatus.
What was a Victorian School Day like?
The day usually began with prayers and religious instruction. Morning lessons ran from 9a.m. to 12p.m. Children went home for a meal, then returned for afternoon classes from 2p.m. to 5p.m.
Why did Victorian children write on slates?
Paper was expensive. Children usually therefore wrote on slates with slate pencils. After a lesson was completed, and the teacher checked their work, the students cleared their slates for the next lesson.
Did Victorian children use a pen?
Older children also learned to write on paper. An 'ink monitor' distributed ink to the children, who used pens made out of thin wooden sticks with steel needles. The pen had to be dipped every few words or it would run dry.
Many factory workers were children. They worked long hours and were often treated badly by the supervisors or overseers. Sometimes the children started work as young as four or five years old. A young child could not earn much, but even a few pence would be enough to buy food.
