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Victorian LifeVictorian life in England. A cobblestone street shrouded in fog. The ghostly glow of gaslights flicker like fireflies in the night. Voices are heard in the distance followed by a scream that cuts through the still air. The echo of hoofs marks the approach of a handsome cab. Two yellow lamps pierce the night as the carriage pulls up. A door opens, proceeded by a whisp of smoke and a deer stalker cap. Sherlock Holmes steps onto the streets of London.
Welcome to Victorian England! Mention the Victorian era and I immediately think of eerie, fog enshrouded streets. And when I find ancestry from that time and place, I immediately get a feel for them as people because of the word pictures that I associate with that period.  It was a fascinating time. The world was on the verge of the Industrial Revolution and the dramatic economic change that ensued. Victorian life was tough, especially if you were a farm labourer. The Lord of the Manor was lord in every sense of the word. He owned the land, houses and livestock. A labourer and his family owned nothing except their clothes and perhaps a few items of furniture. The strips of land these labourers worked were dwindling and eventually disappeared altogether with the 'Enclosure' system, in which the entire manor lands were fenced or enclosed. This meant that many of these farmers had no land to work and therefore no house or means of earning a living. Farmhands and their families flocked to cities like London to find work. A systematic welfare system such as many of us have today did not exist back then. Poor families had to rely on the meagre handouts from the various parishes, or steal. When researching your family history it is not essential to delve into Victorian life, but knowing the social background of your ancestors will add immeasurably to your appreciation and knowledge.I've read most of the works of Charles Dickens and there was no one better at creating atmosphere, and characters that lived and breathed. That's what you need to capture as you do your research. By doing the bare minimum of births, deaths and marriages you have performed all that is required of you to fill in a pedigree chart. But why stop there? How much more interesting and satisfying it would be if you knew something about your ancestors occupation and how they lived their lives. Your ancestors now become 'real people' rather than names and dates on a page. That information, while certainly necessary, tells you nothing about who they were or the sort of social environment they lived in. Were they poor, wealthy or middle class? Did their children go to school? In Victorian life many did not because the children of poor families, some as young as five, were sent off to work. What seems unimaginable to us today was considered normal by the standards of the time. If you were born in Australia, New Zealand or America, it is highly likely that somewhere in your family tree there will be British ancestry. The further back you go in your research the more likely it is that you will need to delve into english records. Make the most of that opportunity by finding out all you can about these ancestors. Information and records aboundon the net if you know where to look, and that's the secret. I've checked out some great sites here to provide you with background information, but they are just a sample of what's out there. The clues are virtually inexhaustible if you have the persistence and enthusiasm. Let yourself be transported back in time and you will develop a greater understanding for these people.
The Care and Feeding of Infants and Children Servants in Victorian Households Victorian Working Women: Sweated Labor The Lack of Social Security in Victorian England Crime and the Victorian Household The Victorian Era Fashion History
Enjoy this glimpse of Victorian life and, you never know, you may cross paths with Sherlock Holmes!
Copyright © 2006 Wayne Thomas |