Children in the slums.

A London An interpretation
Slum tour in Victorian London
slum. of a scene of
(1884)
poverty in St.
Giles, London.

- The nineteenth century saw the emergence of the ‘slumming’ trend.

- Large families
- For those
Members would
of theoften
with little
upper occupy
money only
in the
and middle one room,would
nineteenth
classes and many
spendwould
century, timeliving
in the
take extra
slums, sometimes for lodgers to
conditions share
charitablewere the cost
poor….
reasons, of rent
and sometimes just to see
- Many children
- The neighbourhoodswere abandoned
in which
what life by
was like their
thefor families
poor lived
those who
in are couldreferred
often
poverty. not to as
- Many, such as journalist afford toandfeed‘slums’
them. George R. Sims, documented
novelist
- Thetheirslums
- The were
time in so
lower full
classes
the of disease
slums,homes and
both were
to poor sanitation
unsanitary,
draw public bare– and
attentionwith
todull.
the poor
children conditions
often
- The bathing
little and drinking
furnishings from
they the
owned slum’s
were sewerage
often
and to satisfy the upper classes curiosities about the -
broken.that
1 in 4 infants
- The slums were did known
not livefor
past
theirthehorrific
slums. age of six months.
smell, and the air was
- Many living in poverty were desperate to find
polluted by the local industries which contaminated work, but it was also
their homes.
“think of her utter loneliness in that bare, desolate room… hungry, thirsty
full of criminals, such as pickpockets
and tired” and shoplifters.
An article from George R Sims
An artist depiction of the
overcrowding in British
A 19th century 'Slummer’,
London slums Pierce Egan
(1847).
slum.
A slum in Glasgow, 1874
 Prisoners on treadmills at HMP Kingston, opened in 1850.

-
WORKHOUSE
Perceptions of criminals in Victorian Britain were linked closely to
perceptions of class and gender.
- The majority of criminals brought before the courts came from the
George Cruikshank illustrates a scene in thelower andfrom
workhouse working class.
Charles Dicken’s ‘Oliver Twist’.
- When a member of the upper class committed a crime, he was often
Boys outside a workhouse in Crumpsall.
- Crime was rife in nineteenth century Britain, particularly excused as an exception.
among
the lower class - The British prison system in the early nineteenth century
youth.
- In 1834, the Poor Law Amendment Act was introduced, which
- The crowded cities were popularconsisted
targets for onyoung
complete isolation for prisoners, which led to many
pick-pocketers.
established ‘workhouses’.
- Gangs of pick-pocketers, such as the one featured prisoners committing suicide.
in Charles
- They were intended to provide work and shelter for people of all
- A
Dicken’s novel ‘Oliver Twist’, prisoner
were regularlywas reported
forced toin doBritish
‘unproductive labour’, which included
ages who were most struck by poverty.
activities such as walking on a treadmill for a long period of time.
cities.
- However, with its terrible conditions, violence and neglect, the
- Between 1830 and 1860, 50% - Improvements
of the defendants within policing
were underin 20Britain during the second half of
workhouses became more like prison systems detaining the most
yearsthe old.1800s did contribute to a suppression of petty crimes and
vulnerable of the lower classes.
- Social investigator Henry Mayhew claimed the behaviour considered
effects of poverty, as disrespectful.
- Those inhabiting a workhouse were forced to do hard labour, such
well as bad parenting among the lower classes,
An illustration depicting wereprisoners
corrupting the
as hammering granite orhow
unravelling were allowed
lengths of tarred rope, in
young. no interaction with each other, 1862
return for only bread and a small sum of money.
An illustration from Charles Dicken’s
‘Oliver Twist’, by George Cruikshank
Workhouse in Poplar, London
built 1817
A London costermonger, taken from Henry ‘The Crossing Sweeper’, by
Mayhew’s ‘London Labour and London Poor’, 1851 William Powell Frith, 1851

- The majority of the lower classes were determined to work

and support their families.
- Jobs for the lower classes included factory workers,
omnibus conductors, railway porters and street sweepers.
- For- much
Manyofofthe
thenineteenth
lower classescentury,
took to British manufactured
the streets as
‘costermongers’,goods dominated
selling an arrayworld trade.
of goods, such as books,
- But the factories
food,where
beer andthese goods
even livewere
birds.produced were
often however,
- Despite their efforts, unsafe forsurveys
workers. suggested that by
- They
the end of the 19 century, at least a employees
were dirty andth overcrowded, and quarter of were the
often forced
working class towere
workstill
for living
twelvein hours
someaform day, ofsixpoverty.
days a
week.
- The machinery Awas dangerous,
‘Punch’ with
magazine depicting many
a cab workers,
driver and his
malnourished horse.
including children, injured or even killed in the factories.
 THE TAVERN
- Prostitutes were not unusual in Victorian British cities.
-It was a way for women to support themselves financially.
- But sexual disease and violent customers made it a
- The lower classes water sources were so unsanitary
dangerous that
profession.
many, including children,
- Although it waswould
legal,choose beer as
prostitutes anoften targeted by the
were
alternative drink, as the alcohol would kill anylaw.germs and
bacteria.
- Despite their popularity, sex workers were often
- Victorian pubs condemned
provided thebylower classes
society, and with a place to
prostitution was considered the
drink, smoke, play cards, sing‘great
and socialize.
social evil’ .
- However, the poor’s tendency to drink regularly meant
more clashes with the law and with their employers.
‘The Great Social Evil’ by John
- This only encouraged upper class views that poverty was Leech, 1857
self-inflicted, which prevented social reform.

‘Pity the Sorrows of a Poor Old

Man?’, by Théodore Géricault
 So much of Victorian history is bleak and miserable, and those living in poverty suffered greatly. But
it was also a time of huge social reform and change. Many philanthropists and social reformers
emerged in the nineteenth century, campaigning for better rights, safer workplaces and improve
living conditions for the lower classes.
Do you recognise any of these famous Victorians who contributed to social reform in Britain?

WORKHOUSE

Joseph Rowntree THE TAVERN

Florence Nightingale Beatrix Potter

Charles Booth
 By the end of the nineteenth century, some social reform had taken place...

Nuisance Removal and

Public Health Acts: Disease Prevention Act
1848: 1846:
The Factory Act Local authorities were
A medically qualified officer of Local Government
1878: responsible for dealing with
health was responsible for Act 1858:
improving sanitation and Local authorities were any nuisances including
Prohibited the unsanitary housing and
hygiene in their area. required to purify
employment of anyone accumulation of filth or
1875: WORKHOUSE sewerage before it
under the age of 10. refuse.
Councils made improvements entered rivers and
of quality of water and the canals.
drainage systems. THE TAVERN

...but poverty was to survive well into the twentieth century.