victorian schools: background information · addition to other lessons were taught practical skills...
TRANSCRIPT
Victorian Day
Teachers’ Resource Pack
Produced by the Education Team, The Museum of Farnham
Willmer House, 38 West Street, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 7DX
01252 715094
www.farnhammaltings.com/museum
© Museum of Farnham, 2012
Contents
1. Victorian Schools: Background Information
2. Education 1762-1902: A Timeline
3. Victorian Schools in Farnham
4. Extracts from a Farnham School Log Book
5. Victorian Farnham
6. Follow up ideas for the Victorian School Day
7. Victorian Shops and Shopping
8. Domestic Service: Background Information
9. Follow up ideas for mystery object talk
10. Information on The Victorian Housekeeper’s Mystery Objects
11. Victorian Toys
12. National Curriculum Links
Victorian Schools: Background Information
At the beginning of Queen Victoria’s reign many children did not go to school. Instead
they went out to work, most of them unable to read or write.
In 1870 an Act of Parliament, the Education Act, was passed. This stated that all
children between the ages of five and thirteen years could attend school if they paid
between 1d and 3d (one penny in pre-decimal currency was just under 1/2p today) per
week. In 1880 a new law state that all children under ten years must attend school,
but places were not free of charge until 1891. Many of these schools were called
Board Schools as they were run by a local board of people.
Classes were very large, desks were arranged in strict rows and severe punishments
such as caning or ‘finger stocks’ were administered to children who misbehaved. Many
schools operated a monitor system where younger children were taught by older
pupils.
The lessons concentrated mainly ‘The three Rs’, reading, writing and arithmetic. In
addition there were some lessons in which boys and girls were completely separate:
girls were taught needlework which boys practiced technical drawing or woodwork.
Younger children at first wrote in sand trays and then progressed to slates and slate
pencils. With sand the tray could be shaken and reused. With slates the letters could
be rubbed off with a cloth and then used over and over again.
Older children wrote with ink on paper and used a dip pen with a metal nib. They
learned and practised a form of handwriting known as ‘copperplate.’
Some of the poorer children were forced to live in some of the larger schools and in
addition to other lessons were taught practical skills such as framing and shoemaking.
An inspector visited each school annually to make a report on each educational
establishment in the country. Registers were checked and every pupil was tested. Any
child who failed the tests would have to repeat their last school year again. If a
number of children failed teachers would also have their pay cut.
1902 to 1903: Boards were abolished and replaced by new and larger education
authorities based on the county and borough councils. Board schools became known as
County Schools. The new authorities were to be responsible for the development of
secondary education and Church of England National Schools were to be helped by
money from the rates.
Before Victoria’s reign there were two main educational bodies. These were the
British and Foreign School Society (founded in 1807) which included both Churchmen
and Nonconformists, and the National Society (founded in 1811) which was exclusively
Church of England. Both of these were voluntary bodies.
It was fully recognised by leading figures of the day that ‘the march of intellect’
would need a nationally enforced discipline, and that the State would have to
supplement the work already being done by these voluntary bodies if the nation was
to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing times.
In 1833 the Whig government made £20,000 available to be shared between the two
educational societies and in 1839 this was increased to £30,000. At the same time a
Privy Council Committee was set up to administer the grant and appoint inspectors to
examine the work of schools. The grant money was awarded to match local funding, so
that the already well endowed and better organised Church of England schools
received three quarters of the money.
The main obstacle in the development of the national educational system was the
religious zeal of the sponsors of the existing voluntary bodies. The Privy Council
Committee attempted to establish a training college for teachers, but this could not
progress because of conflicting Anglican and Nonconformist demands. Similar
reforms to the system and proposals for educating children continually floundered
under religious confrontation. As with other social reforms no progress would be
made until there was an underlying measure of agreement between the parties about
values and priorities.
This was not achieved until the 1870 Education Act provided primary education for
all. This act doubled the state grant to the existing Church Schools and to the Roman
Catholic schools, so as to enable them to become a permanent part of the new
system, while it introduced publicly controlled schools to fill up the large gaps in the
educational map of the country.
These new schools were called board schools and were paid for out of the local rates
and governed by publicly elected school boards. In most of the old voluntary, or
national, schools, Church teaching was to be continued, but in the new board schools
the Act prohibited the use of catechism or anything distinctly denominational in the
religious teaching.
By 1880, by-laws were introduced by the local boards and attendance committees to
ensure compulsory attendance of all children between the ages of 5-10. School fees
of about 3d a week had to be paid by parents and the next task was to get this
reduced. By 1895 over 4 million children were attending school free of charge.
Secondary education was largely reserved for the upper and middle classes. With the
growth of Britain’s power and wealth, education became a priority in order to develop
leadership at home and abroad. The ‘Public Schools’ such as Eton and Harrow which
tended to educate the aristocracy and upper classes, took the lead and rapidly
reformed during Victoria’s reign. This was largely due to the efforts of Dr. Thomas
Arnold, Headmaster of Rugby. His emphasis on religious instruction, the monitorial
system and his success in suppressing bullying and indiscipline with the aim of
producing a ‘Christian Gentleman’ was quickly accepted as the way forward.
The ideals set by the Public schools were rapidly copied, and aspiring middle class
parents found their choice of educational establishments much improved as grammar
schools and privately funded establishments set about raising the standard of
education they offered.
In its early stages, educational progress widened the gap between rich and poor.
Social segregation in the large cities was accentuated by the lack of provision for the
working classes. Few working class children could hope to stay at school beyond the
age of 13, although about four or five in a thousand might, by winning a series of
scholarships, progress to grammar school and beyond. During the 1890s school boards
also began to organize evening continuation classes but the creation of a national
secondary education had to wait until the passing of the 1902 Education Act.
Education 1762-1902: A Timeline
1762: Jean Jacques Rousseau published his liberal ideas on education in Emile
1780: Robert Raikes opened the first Sunday School in Gloucester. The movement
spread and provided some rudimentary education for working class children.
1800: Only one child in 30 had a proper education. Some children attended a dame
school but these were often inadequate. A small minority attended public or grammar
schools. There was virtually no educational provision for girls.
An early nineteenth century Dame School
1803: Joseph Lancaster wrote Improvements in Education in which he proposed a
cheap system of education for all children. He suggested a scheme using monitors to
teach small groups within a large class which the teacher would oversee.
1808: The British and Foreign Schools Society was formed. The schools it set up
were called British Schools and taught non-denominational religion.
1811: the Church of England set up National Schools at which the religion of the
established church was taught.
1816: Robert Owen opened his progressive infants’ school in Lanark.
1839: The Government set up the Committee of the Privy Council for Education
which supervised the paying out of new grants to schools and appointed inspectors
for schools accepting public aid. Extra grants were given to schools which paid and
trained pupil teachers.
1860: The revised code was introduced to control the payment of grants to schools.
It tried to raise standards through the system of payment by results. Grants were
made to schools on the basis of regular attendance and success in the examination of
the 3Rs. Such payment could affect the amount available for school equipment and
fuel, and could even affect the teacher’s salary.
1870: W.E. Forster’s Education Act gave school boards the power to make education
compulsory in their area if they wished to do so. The schools they set up were call
Board Schools, and religious teaching in them was to be non-denominational.
1874: The Factory Act raised the age at which a child could be employed in a factory
to 10 years. This implied compulsory schooling up to that age. This was difficult to
enforce, particularly in rural areas.
1876 and 1880: Further education acts made elementary education compulsory
throughout England until the age of 13. However, children over 10 could leave if they
had passed the Standard V examination.
1891: Education fees were abolished.
1897: Abolition of the Revised Code which was said to put too much pressure on pupils
and teachers to encourage mechanical learning.
1899: The school leaving age was raised to 12 years.
Victorian Schools in Farnham
Throughout Victoria’s reign, Farnham was well provided with private educational
facilities. George Sturt records attending Miss May’s school in East Street. There
was also the Misses Alexander’s school in West (later in Castle Street) and the
Misses Penn’s in West Street. Thomas Hunter’s school for boys was at 38 West
Street (now the Museum) and Henry Poppleton’s College Boarding School in East
Street which George Sturt attended. He wrote about this in A Small Boy in the Sixties. The Grammar School, which was probably founded in the Elizabethan period, fell into
abeyance for part of the C19th. Like many other things, it was revitalised with the
arrival of Bishop Sumner who reorganised it as a Diocesan School with the Rector as
headmaster. It took fee-paying and scholarship pupils. The growth of the school was
frequently a problem and extra accommodation was always having to be found in hop
kiln and drill halls. In 1872 and 1895 substantial rebuilding took place of the school at
25 West Street (which now houses the Adult Education Centre). An examination of
the school roll shows the names of many prominent Farnham families.
The British School in East
Street was linked to the
Independent Nonconformist
Chapel and under the auspices of
The British and Foreign Schools
Society had been established in
1835.
Staff at Hale School c.1880, then known as Bishop Sumner School.
The school did not restrict access to children of its church members, but pupils were
required, ‘to attend such place of worship on the Sabbath as their parent or guardian
may prefer.’ The school was always short of funds and in the hope of extending its
field of financial support did make a tentative, unsuccessful, attempt to link with the
Established Church.
The first East Street School, picture taken c.1894 before the new East Street School was built on the site at the junction of East Street and Hale Road.
Pupils at the East Street School in 1915. The Church of England had established its own school next to St. Andrew’s Church on
land given by the Archdeacon of Surrey in 1860 and opened with a Master and
Mistress, 116 boys, 101 girls, and 110 infants. Fees fluctuated between 2d and 3d a
week, but from 1891 education was provided free of charge. Control of the school was
transferred from the Board of Education to Voluntary Managers in 1896. The school
was advertised as ‘providing a sound and useful education for the children of labourers, mechanics and tradesmen at a charge ranging from 2d. to 6d. per week.’
From 1896 the girls attended daily laundry classes at Farnham Castle with the Mrs.
Porter, the Bishop’s head laundry maid. In 1903 this changed to cookery lessons.
Pupils at St. Andrew’s School in 1918
In Bear Lane, Father Gerin, the Roman Catholic priest, had by 1891 and against all the
odds, established a school. The head was somewhat dismayed to find on her arrival
that the house she was supposed to live in existed only on paper until the money could
be found! The school grew quickly and in 1896 a new school, St. Polycarp’s was opened.
St. Polycarp’s School
A School Board was formed in Farnham in 1893 for
an area including Hale, The Bourne and Badshot Lea.
By 1897 ‘handsome and capacious schools’ had been
erected in East Street, West Street, The Bourne
and Badshot Lea. The National School at Hale was
taken over, as was the Church School next to St.
Andrews, but the latter was subsequently
transferred to Voluntary Managers. East Street
School is now closed, but West Street School
continues to flourish as Potters Gate.
Miss Stroud and her pupils at her West Street School
Schools in Farnham during the 19th Century
1791 Mary Cook, Schoolmistress
Mrs. Miller, Schoolmistress
Mrs. Miller, Schoolmistress
Miss Jenkins’ Boarding School (1791-96)
1820 John Merriott’s Music School, 26 West Street
1823 Mrs. Charsley’s Academy (1823-24)
Thomas Cobbett’s Academy (possibly at 69 West Street)
James Fenton’s Academy (1823-24)
Rev. S.C. Locke’s Academy
Miss Wilmer’s Academy (up to at least 1826)
1826 Mrs. Regent’s Preparatory School
Mary Dudman’s Ladies’ Seminary, West Street (up to at least 1855)
Henry Austen’s Gents Boarding School
1830s The British School, 80 West Street:
1839
Sirus Blandford’s boarding and day school, West Street
British Schools: Henry Brewster and Elizabeth Sharpe, East Street
Greaves and Weston, West Street
John Harrington, The Borough
Thomas Hunter, 38 West Street (up to at least 1845)
Elizabeth May, 45 Downing Street (up to at least 1855)
National School, George Philips Hamilton, Castle Street
Misses Stratford, 72 Castle Street
William Trew, East Street
Miss L. Barrett, Church Lane
1840s The Old Vicarage run as a private school
1841 William True, 8 East Street (taken over by Miss Louisa Stratford)
1845 Mrs. Anne Brasier, East Street
William Smith, Castle Street
Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson, East Street
Miss Sarah Wills, Downing Street
1850s Church Lane: one property run for girl boarders
1855 Mrs. Sarah Milner, Church Lane
Henry Poppleton’s L.C.P. Academy, 99 or 119 West Street
Miss Ann Lawrence Infants’ School, The Borough
c.1860s Miss Elizabeth and Miss Martha May, 93 East Street:
1878
c.1878-
1892
Mrs Margaret Tideman, 75 East Street
Miss Caroline Biddick’s Ladies’ School, 102 West Street
Mrs Mary Mason’s Preparatory School, 111 East Street
1891 Mrs. William Swayne’s Middle Class School, 14 Castle Street
89 West Street: run as a school during later part of the nineteenth century by
the Alexander family
Probably built in early 1830s.
27 West Street: Farnham Female School of Industry
32 Castle Street: Miss Josephine Reynard’s School (formerly at 38)
74 Castle Street: Miss Swayne transferred here from No.14. This was the
precursor of the Farnham Girls’ Grammar School.
Extracts from a Farnham School Log Book 1872 Monday, February 12th: James and William Taylor were detained for damaging the fence in the playground. Wednesday, April 3rd: William Waile was punished this morning for kicking his teacher. Thursday, July 18th: James Taylor had to stay back the same time for using improper language to the pupil teacher. Monday, July 22nd: James Taylor withdrawn, reason assigned to go to plough. There is to be holiday tomorrow for the children to remember Mr Hardy’s marriage. Monday, October 14th: Increased attendance this week, several children returned to school who have been away for more than three months [probably due to the hopping] Tuesday, May 20th: William Chitty was hung by his arm to one of the stack pipes after school, in attempting to get a birds nest, and we had great trouble to extricate him. Monday, May 26th: Whooping Cough is prevalent in the village, a thin school this week, a great many children at work. Tuesday, June 10th: Alfred Jackson was punished for getting over into the girl’s playground. Friday, October 17th: The attendance of children over seven is very unsatisfactory, many boys are at farm work, and others are engaged in picking up acorns. Friday, March 27th: Elizabeth Mary Ann and Eliza Ham were requested to stay away from school as they were suffering from an infectious disease-itch… Monday, July 20th: Minnie Chitty inattentive and ill tempered at lessons this morning, not trying to answer properly. Friday, October 23rd: Fanny Trimmer, a girl twelve in November has just come to school without any knowledge of her letters.
Friday, October 30th: This morning William Knight and Frank Stent were very troublesome boys to their teacher. First they did damage to the school property by breaking a desk. Second by an act of carelessness, William Knight upset the ink. Thirdly the teacher came to inform me that William Knight and Frank Stent were fighting when I interfered and caned them across the shoulder. William Knight also kicked Annie kemp on the arm when trying to separate them.
1877 Friday, August 17th: The school was closed after the afternoon meeting for six weeks. The long holiday at the beginning of the year when the school was closed under medical authority makes it extremely difficult to keep the school open 400 times, as after harvest there is hop picking which is likely to last longer than usual this year.
Victorian Farnham
There were many changes in Farnham during Queen Victoria’s reign. When she
ascended the throne in 1837 the population of Farnham was around 3500. By 1881
this had risen to 5080, and to about 6461 when she died in 1901.
East Street in the 1830s
In the first half of the nineteenth century people tended to travel around on horses,
on foot or in horse-drawn coaches. In the early Victorian period one of the coaches
from London passed the Farnham wharf on the Basingstoke Canal, then the toll-gate
over the heath land from Bagshot down the hill into Farnham. The fare was about
15/- which was a lot for most people, so most walked. The railway came to the town in
1849, which made it easier to get around. People started working further afield in
places like Woking, Surbiton and London.
In 1895 John Henry Knight (who was
born at Weybourne house) is said to
have invented the first two-seater
petrol- driven car. Ironically, he was
also fined for speeding!
When Victoria came to the throne the
Parish Church of St. Andrew, Farnham
Castle and the Bush Hotel were busy
places, just as they are now. Almost
all of the buildings in West Street (as far as the junction with Crondall Lane), Castle
Street, The Borough and Downing street were in existence, although many of them
have been altered. South Street and Union Road did not exist until the railway was
constructed in the 1849.
Many of the public houses which
are in the town today existed
during part of the nineteenth
century, although some have had
their names changed. The ‘William
Cobbett’, for example, was called
the ‘Jolly Farmer’. Although they
look old, ‘The Seven Stars’, ‘Plough’
and ‘Marlborough Head’ were all
rebuilt in the 1920s. ‘The Hop
Blossom’, ‘Nelson Arms’, ‘Coach and
Horses’ and ‘Queens Head’ and
others were all selling alcohol at the time. The ‘Jolly Farmer’ Inn
Farnham’s main industry in the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign was work
connected with growing hops and brewing beer. Farnham hops were pale green and
considered very good. Brewers had to pay very high prices for them.
The last day of hop picking.
Farnham was also a busy farming community. Sheep and cows were brought into town
from outlying farms and then sold to other farmers or butchers to kill them at the
back of their shops before selling the meat. Occasionally, frightened animals would
rush into the nearest building, often ruining stationery, books or breaking china. In
the later part of the nineteenth century, a man called Absolom Harris founded a
pottery at Wrecclesham. Their trademark pots have a bright green glaze known as
‘Farnham Greenware.’
Wrecclesham Pottery founded in 1873.
About 50 houses in early Victorian Farnham were supplied with water from the new
Water Board, but most people had to collect their water from public wells. There was
a public one at the corner of Castle Street and The Borough running down from the
Castle. Sanitation was pretty bad, many houses ran their sewage into the river and
wells got contaminated with diphtheria, typhoid and cholera, which killed lots of
people. A local board was set up in 1866 to help the situation. Public Health Officers
were still reporting unhygienic living conditions well into the twentieth century.
Most Farnham houses would have been lit with colza-oil, candles and rush lights and
turf. Street lighting was provided from 1834 by the Gas Company. Anybody could
operate as a dentist. Farnham had five surgeons, one hospital. The worst place to end
up was the workhouse. Workhouse children were intended for apprenticeships to
various trades. Life in the workhouse would have been very hard work and disease was
rife. The workhouse in Hale Road was built in 1790. The Workhouse Report of 1867
concluded that Farnham Workhouse was ‘a reproach to England- a scandal and a curse
to a country which calls itself civilised and Christian.’ It was demolished in 1971 to
make way for Farnham Hospital.
Farnham had three annual fairs held in Castle Street. There was also a fair at what
now is called ‘Fairfield’ near to the station. Animals, sideshows, roundabouts, swings
and stalls selling food and clothing were at these fairs. George Sturt’s memoirs A Small Boy in the 60s recalls his life in Farnham in the 1860s, written through the
eyes of a child. He writes about the fairs and ‘squibs’ (bonfire night) at school.
Market day was Thursday.
The fair in Castle Street in the 1880s
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in Castle Street. This was a big celebration in 1897 with parades and lots of entertainment.
The Parish Church had been in Farnham for hundreds of years before Victoria came
to the throne, but some of the other churches were built during the nineteenth
century: The Wesleyan Church (now Methodist) and the Congregational Church (now
United Reformed Church) on South Street; St. Polycarp’s Catholic Church in Bear
Lane (now demolished), St. James’ Church on East Street (now flats) and the Baptist
Church in Bear Lane (now a private house). Towards the end of Victoria’s reign, the
Emmanuel Church was built on South Street.
Farnham c. 1850 from a drawing by H. Prosser from the south side of the river across the meadows. The old church tower can just be seen.
Many shops and businesses flourished in Farnham during the Victorian period. There
were insurance men, bakers, grocers, brick makers, cartwright’s, clockmakers, rope
makers and many other trades. The largest grocery shop was William Kingham and
Son in West Street. Elphick’s, Pullinger’s and Ranger’s which were trading at this time
still exist under the same names.
The Co-operative Store
A view of the Borough taken from the West Street direction
During Victoria’s reign, several of the Bishops of Winchester still lived at Farnham
Castle as they had done for thousands of years. Some Farnham roads are named
after Bishops: Sumner Road, Thorold Road and Ryle Road for example.
In 1859 Mr. Arthur Lucy started the first newspaper in Surrey at No.1, The Borough
(now Clinton Cards). It was called the Surrey and Hants News, and was a very large
and popular newspaper. In 1892, Mr. Ernest Langham began publishing the Farnham Herald in South Street.
Victorian Farnham had connections with several famous people. Amongst them was
Florence Nightingale the ‘Lady with the Lamp’ who tended the sick and dying soldiers
at Scutari Hospital during the Crimean War. She probably stayed at Brightwell House
(near Sainsburys in South Street) on the night before she left for the Crimea. She
also often visited her cousins at Waverley Abbey House. She presented Farnham
Hospital with a silver communion set. Charles Darwin also visited the Hydrotherapy
Clinic at Moor Park on several occasions.
Castle Street showing the Corn Exchange and Knight’s Bank buildings which no longer exist. The Victorian Corn Exchange was built in the 1860s. This was knocked down to make way for the current building in 1932 which is more in-keeping with the Georgian architecture of Farnham.
Follow up ideas for the Victorian School Day Write a diary about a day in the life of a Victorian school child
Ask the children to make a list of the similarities and differences between
school today and in Victorian times. Which would they have preferred and why?
Write a play/scene about an inspector coming to your school in Victorian times.
Recreate a scene from a Victorian everyday life photograph e.g. Children playing
old fashioned games or explain to other children how to play games or write
instructions,
Recreate a Victorian picture or photograph and write some thought bubbles of
the people in the picture or photograph.
Victorian Shops and Shopping In the first half of the nineteenth century, the advent of the railways meant a
much wider distribution of goods, greater quantities and things becoming. cheaper.
More goods began to come from abroad in the 1860s. By the end of the century
shops had larger windows and fancier signage to entice customers into shops
where you could find almost everything you wanted under one roof
From ‘The Shopkeeper’s Guide’, 1853
A selection of items stocked by each shop:
The Ironmonger Smoke jacks, kitchen fenders, box irons, crimping
machines, goffering machines, pestles and mortars,
trivets, ice safes, bell pulls, coppers for washing, taper
boxes.
The Cutler Boot jacks, champagne nippers, Gentleman’s pocket
companion, ham knives, large scissors, oyster knives,
rotary knife cleaner, pinching irons, razor strops, sugar
nippers.
The Optician Opera glasses, magic lanterns, spectacles for railway
travellers, spectacles for charities and poor persons,
barometers.
The Turner Beetle traps, butter prints, chocolate mills, butler’s trays,
housemaid’s boxes, linen presses, portable water closets,
mouse traps, washing crimps, dollies, stools, trays and
tubs, towel horse, salting tubs.
The General
Fancy Shop
Crochet carriages, powder puffs, improved whisker
curlers, larding pins, steel beads, inkstands, reticule
mounts, papier mache goods, metallic pens, sealing wax,
wafer & bottle seals, umbrellas, rings, card cases, glove
studs, vinaigrettes, smelling salt bottles.
The Stationer Ornamental cards in packets, black-bordered envelopes
(for condolence correspondence), sealing wax and wafers,
pens and quills, valentines, curling papers (for curling hair),
music papers, chalks.
The Chandler
and Oilman
Candles, best mottled soap, best vinegar, curd in bars,
Albert lights, Brown Windsor, India Soy, Poland starch,
Ketchup.
The Perfumer
and Fancy Soap
Maker
Otto or Rose: jasmine, bergamot, lemon, orange. For the
hair: macassar oil, Russia oil, marrow oil, fancy soaps: cocoa
nut, sultana, lavender, Otto of Rose, must, violet, Camphor.
Court perfumes, tooth powders, cosmetics, milk of rose, lip
salve, honey paste, almond cream, rouge, rose cream, cold
cream. Fancy brushes and combs.
The Chemist and
Druggist
Aloes, arsenic, carmine, gentian, sponges, concentrated
infusions, tincture of lavender, camphos, castor oil.
The Hosier,
Shirt Maker and
Outfitter
Long cloth shirts, calico drawers, shirt collars, brown and
white cotton hose, stiffeners for cravats, dark merino or
silk jackets, monkey jackets, pilot cloth trousers,
southwesters, Glengarry caps, boot hooks, bolsters,
printed flannel dressing gowns, folding chairs, dress shoes,
towels, overland trunks, sea chests, shawls.
The Grocer Teas- Indian and China, sugars- West India, demerara,
cocoa and chocolate, fruits, raisins, spices, preserves, oils,
sauces, best blue starch, soda, bees wax, black lead, putty
powder, lamp black, linseed, canary seed, brimstone,
bloater paste, potted ham, semolina, cheese.
The
Confectioner
Candied citron, lemon and orange, pink, brown, white rose
and lemon candies, barley sugar, acid, pear, mint, barberry
and ginger drops, aniseed, cinnamon, Bath, clove and
pearled comfits, lozenges, jujubes, liquorice, Pontefract
cakes, crystallized fruits, dried fruits, jellies. French
confectionary: apricot knots, liqueur almonds,
Macedonians, chocolate pralines, Twelfth cake, isinglass,
(like gelatine), bonbonniers, comfits
Other dealers: The Agricultural Implement Maker, the Basket Maker, The
Bookseller, The Boot and Shoemaker, the Bed and Mattress Dealer, The Butcher,
the Bottle Dealer, the Cabinet Maker (also a toymaker), the Archery shopkeeper
(fishing tackle and guns), the Carpenter, the Hatter, the Milliner, the
Tobacconist, the Watchmaker, the Harness Maker, Tailors, the Looking-Glass
Maker, Pawnbrokers, the Haberdasher, the Glover.
Domestic Service: Background Information
Most Victorian households employed servants. A large house would have employed
many people, ranging from scullery maids and boot boys, aged 10 or 11, who washed up,
peeled potatoes and polished boots, right up to a butler and housekeeper, who
supervised the junior staff.
A housemaid would have started work when she was about 12 or 13 years old. She
would have earned about 7s 6d (37p) a week in 1880, plus her food, with possibly one
afternoon and evening off each week.
Her working day would have begun at 5.30 or 6.00am. She would have started by
drawing the blinds, sweeping the floors, black leading the grates and laying the fires.
She would then have swept the stairs and served breakfast. After breakfast she
would have to empty the slops, carry water for washing and make the beds. She’d
then have dusted the furniture in many rooms, often on her knees. When she wasn’t
cleaning she would have been expected to sew and mend tablecloths and sheets. In
the evening she would light candles, turn down the beds and laid out the nightclothes,
before going to bed herself.
Servants could give notice to leave their employers’ service, but they were entirely
dependent on them for a good reference. Without one, they were unlikely to find
another job.
Follow up ideas for mystery object session
Key ideas
Domestic life and appliances have changed greatly over the last two hundred
years.
Developments in technology have helped shape domestic life. Labour-saving
devices have not only changed the home but also changed lifestyles and
people’s attitudes.
Activities
1. Cut out the boxes on sheets 1 and 2. Ask the children to match up the modern
day appliances with their predecessors.
2. Cut up the invention sheet 3 and see if the children can put them in the
correct order.
3. Compare the different materials used for modern appliances. Are they an
improvement on older versions?
4. What energies are used to power household appliances? How did the invention
of electricity change domestic life? (e.g. you could compare times taken to
complete tasks like cooking etc.)
5. How do our modern appliances work? Who invented them and when?
6. Write a diary entry about the day in the life of a maid or a washday for a
poorer family.
7. Write down the functions of a modern washing machine. Compare them to the
Victorian equivalent.
8. Imagine you an artefact and write your life story; how you were used and how
you ended up at the museum etc.
Sheet 3
Cut up these strips put them in order from the oldest to the newest.
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Domestic Electric refrigerator invented
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Steam Iron invented
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First gas cookers go on sale
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First tinned food produced
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First electric washing machine invented
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Microwave oven invented
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Houses and streets first lit by electricity
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Information on The Victorian Housekeeper’s
Mystery Objects Victorian homes got dirtier than modern homes because of the fumes from oil and gas
lamps and the smuts from burning candles and solid fuel fires. There was also a lot of
dust from constant carrying of coal scuttles up and down stairs, and mud and dirt
brought in on people’s shoes. Added to this, the housemaid had to dust the heavily
ornamented furnishings, and polish the brasses and silver that tarnished quickly. She
had to daily black-lead the iron grates in the fireplace to protect them from rust,
and deal with heavy curtains and upholstery which trapped all the dust and dirt.
Upholstery was swept and shaken daily and rugs and carpets swept with a stiff brush
or beaten outside with a carpet beater.
Carpet Beater
Used to beat the dirt out of carpets. They are often made of woven cane because it
is light and flexible. However, metal was sometimes used to strengthen the handle
and hold the instrument together. This design was so effective that it was left
unchanged for over a hundred years.
Dolly or Posser
Used to mix clothes, soap and water in a tub; the Dolly is rotated in different
directions to force out the dirt. It is the same motion created by a modern washing
machine. It was made of wood from the local wood turner for example, sycamore.
Yoke
Used to carry water and by dairymaids to carry milk. Made from wood, it was carved
to comfortably fit on the shoulders. The adjustable chains hooked onto the pail
handles and the wearer had to hold them firmly to prevent the contents from spilling
out.
4 Flying Insect Trap
Used to trap common pests for example, flies and wasps. Sweet bait (such as honey)
was put inside and the insect was attracted through the narrow hole. It was difficult
for the insect to find its way out again.
Candle Trimmer
Used to trim candlewicks to stop them smoking. Early candles were made from
household fats melted around a piece of bleached yarn. Unless this type of candle
was regularly trimmed it dropped burning fragments or put itself out. Modern candles
burn more efficiently because of refined materials and the wick woven with a bias to
one side, which makes it curl over and disappear in the flame. The box (attached to
one of the blades) is designed to catch the excess wick. Complete, it comes with a
small metal tray.
Box Iron
Universally used where kitchen ranges did not exist for example, Africa and British
India. A cast iron slug could be heated on a fire until it was red hot and inserted into
the hollow iron. They were numbered: the smaller the number, the lighter and smaller
the iron.
Trivet
Used to rest a hot iron on. A wooden handle obviously means it could be moved
without burning. Trivets were made in many shapes and designs.
Sugar Nippers
Used to cut sugar that was obtained in loaves. Loaves were conical (‘dunce’s cap)’ in
shape, hard and could be up to fifteen inches tall. A chopper may have been used to
reduce the size of the loaves before cutting. It could be cut into cubes for tea or
ground very fine with a sugar crusher or mortar and pestle to make cakes. The blunt
spike on one handle would protect the user’s knuckles when they levered the handle
against the top of the table. Grippers could be used to hold the sugar loaves while
cutting.
Goffering/Crimping Machine
Used to press pleats into a frill. The corrugated, brass rollers were hollow so that
the heated rods could be inserted and it was operated in the same way as an upright
mangle (by turning the handle the rollers rotated and the material passed through).
However, it was not an essential part of laundry equipment and only professional
laundries or the wealthy would have owned one.
Apple Peeler
The fruit was skewered onto the three spikes and the handle quickly turned so that
the arm engaged with the driving screw of the spring-loaded peeling attachment. At
the end of the traverse, the arm was released from the guide bar at the arch and
could be sent back to the starting position by a flick of the left thumb. In order to
be a great labour saving device it would need to be screwed onto a surface because
instead of collecting the peelings, the spare hand would be needed to hold the device
steady. It would seem that it was a Victorian gadget and this one was never used.
Bottle Jack
Used to accelerate the cooking of meat. The clockwork bottle jack rotated the meat,
which could be hooked on a dangle-spit and placed in front of the open fire of a coal-
burning range. A rounded tin shield could also be used to reflect the heat and ‘hasten’
the roast; this is called a hastener. The door in the shield allowed the meat to be
basted while cooking.
Shoe Last
Used to repair shoes. Made of iron, it is shaped for the heels of shoes. Many
Victorians would need to make their shoes last as long as possible so they would need
continual repair. To save money, Victorians would put nails in the bottoms of their
shoes to stop them wearing out.
We now have a small selection of items available to buy in the Garden Gallery
N.B. You will probably not have seen all these objects in your session as there
are too many to cover easily in the time. If you would like to borrow a loan box
from our collection, please ask for information or check the details on the
website www.farnhammaltings.com/museum
Victorian Toys
At the start of Victoria’s reign in 1837 most toys were made by hand. Toymakers
usually worked in their own homes. Toys were expensive and many people could not
afford to buy them. Poor children would have had toys made from cardboard boxes,
acorns and conkers. Clay wood, tin, leather and lead was commonly used materials.
Dolls could be made from wax and real hair. In the nineteenth century Germany was
the centre of the toy industry; producing wooden dolls, horses and carriages,
soldiers, buildings and animals.
Before the laws on labour became stricter, factories often employed children to
make toys. They could work anything up to 70 hours a week. In the 1850s with
industrial expansion, more toys were made in factories. Often using stream-driven
machines, they were made quicker and cheaper. The railways also meant toys could be
distributed further and more quickly.
Middle-class Victorian children with religious parents were not allowed to play on
Sunday, except with the Noah’s Ark as it was biblical. Optical toys such as magic
lanterns, jigsaw puzzles and educational toys such as bricks with letters were popular
for the middle classes.
Links to the National Curriculum
How will your visit support your work in school?
Subject Level
History KS1-2 a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends
pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066, education ,
childhood, play, homes. Understand historical concepts such
as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity,
difference and significance, and use them to make
connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame
historically-valid questions
English KS1-2 Listening group discussion and interaction and reading and
reciting and speaking and performing to peers