Queen Victoria and the Aristocracy
In aristocracy, what matters more than money?
- Birth
Indeed, in the aristocracy it was better to be a poor, distant cousin of an idle earl than to be a hard-working doctor who made a lot of money
When did the term “middle class” first appear?
It was first coined in the United Kingdom during the 19th century.
What was the synonym used for the “Industrial Revolution”?
It was “the Industrial Age”.
When was the Old Poor Law and the New Poor Law passed ?
Those two Laws were passed in 1601 and in 1834
What is Jane Austen’s social background? Name at least one of her works.
Jane Austen (1775-1818) belonged to the lower ranks of the gentry (her father was a clergyman). She wrote six novels that continue to captivate readers 200 years after her death such as Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey.
If an aristocratic couple had no sons, could their daughter(s) inherit their money?
– Yes
They could inherit but from the moment they were married it was their husband who took control of the money
What are the three under categories of the middle class?
The three under categories of the Middle Class are:
The Upper Middle Class (close to the Aristocracy and made of powerful doctors and lawyers)
The Middle Middle Class or the Industrial Middle Class (made of attorneys, doctors, tradesmen...)
The Lower Middle Class or the Intellectual Middle Class (made of school teachers, shop owners and small bosses)
When did the Industrial Revolution take place in Britain and which energy source was used the most?
In Britain, the first signs appeared during the 18th century, around 1750. It was a progressive processus. In 1850, the United Kingdom was the most industrialised nation in the world. It was based on a new source of energy which is coal and also the production of steel. There is a second phase which is in 1880. The Industrial Revolution ended in 1900.
What was the aim of the Old Poor Law and the New Poor Law ?
The Old Poor Law was created in order to provide work for the unemployed ones but also, this law provided a social welfare known under the name of “outdoor relief” that gave assistance to the impotent by several means such as money, food, clothing or goods. However, those who received that social aid had to enter an almshouse, an orphanage, a workhouse or a poorhouse.
The New Poor Law amended the first law because it was considered as too expensive, so it put an end to home assistance for the impotent. This new law instituted the placement of those people into workhouse, according to the principle of “less eligible”
What were the tasks of the maids in domestic service? Give at least two or three tasks.
The maids had to clean the house and do the laundry. They lit fires and lamps. They served meals and cleared away the table. They washed up and helped their mistress dress and undress. Finally, they tidied up and kept the house clean.
How many children did Queen Victoria bear?
– 9
Princess Victoria (1840-1901), Prince Albert Edward (1841-1910), Princess Alice (1843-1878), Prince Alfred (1844-1900), Princess Helena (1846-1923), Princess Louise (1848-1939), Prince Arthur (1850-1942), Prince Leopold (1853-1884), Princess Beatrice (1857-1944)
What social class did Virginia Woolf belong to?
Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) belonged to the Upper Middle Class. However, she was outraged by the privileges of her own social class and had a lifelong sympathy for the poor and working classes.
Give a percentage of the working class during the Industrial Revolution?
The working class represented 80% of the population at this moment.
Can you give me 2 pros and 2 cons of the Victorian workhouses ?
When you entered a workhouse, you had everything at disposal : food, clothes, rooms, dining halls… But you were separated from your relatives, you shared your room with a lot of other strangers, you cannot wash yourself everyday. It was hard work to work in a workhouse (some were employed on tasks such as breaking granite rocks with a heavy hammer, crushing bones to produce fertiliser, or oakum-picking, some others, mostly women, were employed for domestic jobs such as the cleaning, the laundry…). Moreover, there was an overwhelming spread of sickness, and people considered it as a shame to be an inhabitant of a workhouse.
What can be found at the back of the kitchen of a Victorian House?
At the back of the kitchen of a Victorian House, the scullery can be found to prepare food, wash the dishes and do the laundry.
How old was Victoria when she became Queen?
On 24 May 1837, she turned 18 and less than a month later, on 20 June 1837, King William IV died and she became Queen
In what year the Reform Act was passed? For whom?
The Reform Act was passed in 1832. It was made to admit the urban Middle Class to British political life. After the Reform was passed, a lot more individuals were allowed to vote.
What is the link between agriculture and the industrial revolution?
The industrial revolution brought some improvements in agriculture, particularly there was a processus of mecanisation which reduced the need in the workforce. Traditional agriculture became more modern. Consequently, people could work in favor of the industrial revolution by working in factories. In addition to that, there was a rural exodus which provoked the urbanisation of big cities because of the need for a workforce there.
Where did people who worked for long hours have to live ?
Those people had to live close to their job site. But, there were fewer and fewer houses available, and they were expensive. They were paid subsistence-level wages, which is the very strict minimum to live with (it allows to pay a house and food only)
In the middle of the 19th century how much percent of Britain’s population lived in London?
About 50%
People moved into the big towns and cities to find work in factories, but London was not prepared to receive all these people so families crowded into small houses or even small rooms.
In what year did Queen Victoria celebrate her Diamond Jubilee?
– 1897
With 60 years of reign Victoria becomes the longest reigning monarch in English, Scottish, or British history. In 2012, Queen Elizabeth equalled this record and took the place of the longest reigning monarch with almost 70 years of reign.
Who were the “white collars”?
During the 19th century, "white collars" were people paid to oversee, administrate and annotate financial or legal transactions ordered by heads of business.
What can you say about the place of most children in the 19th century?
During the 19th century, most children worked as much as adults, so much that they were called the working children. Among these working children, there were two types of children: Free Labor children and Parish apprentices. For the Free Labor Children, their parents worked so hard and earned so little money that they couldn’t go to school and did not have any education. The education was not free at this moment, thus, these children were seen as a means to get a little more money for the family. Concerning the Parish apprentices, they were orphans who came from orphanages. They had violent parents or a member of the family in debtor’s prison. All of them were poor and worked in very bad conditions (in factories, mines, in the streets...) for little money.
Give me the name of a famous person who helped the prostitutes’ cause ?
Charles Dickens. Charity was overwhelming in the Victorian times, although it was a subject of controversy to help the poorest. However, saving the prostitutes was a fair cause for the novelist Charles Dickens, who tried to set up a home for them. It gave them the opportunity of a new life, with a safe work and a safe home.
What improved the rural life and the working conditions in farming ? Give at least 2 ideas.
Two main farming tools helped improve the working conditions in farms : the first one was Howard’s Patent Lever Horse Rake and the other one was a Portable Steam Engine.
Moreover, this has been increased thanks to improved strains of seeds that helped to increase the harvest ; the enclosure of land also led to bigger fields and crop rotation was used to increase the yields. And finally, the use of steam power.