Do You Think That You Could Survive One Day Living in Victorian England?

Do You Think That You Could Survive One Day Living in Victorian England?

Today I want to ask you something a little bit different. Could you survive just one day in Victorian England?

Imagine waking up in a cold room with no central heating, no electric light, no modern bathroom, and no quick trip to the supermarket. If you were poor, your home may have also been cramped and damp, you may have also had to share with several family members. Washing would usually mean cold water in a bowl. The toilet was usually outside or shared with other families.

And that is if you were lucky enough to have a home. If you were unfortunate enough to have no home at all, life could be even worse. Homelessness was a serious problem in Victorian Britain. Some people slept in lodging houses if they could afford a bed, others ended up in casual wards, or slept rough in alleyways, doorways, and under bridges. Poverty, unemployment, illness, or the loss of a family breadwinner could push people onto the streets very quickly.

The morning routine of the wealthy was much more comfortable. It was often ordered, efficient and run by staff. Their day usually started with tea brought to their room. Their rooms were clean and warmer than poorer homes. Fires would have been lit for them by the staff and some were even helped to dress. Breakfast would be ready and served to them, newspapers were ready for them as well, either on the tea tray or at the breakfast table.

What breakfast you ate would depend completely on your class. Wealthier families could enjoy a choice of meat, eggs, bread and kippers and would have had servants to prepare it. Poor families might be lucky enough to have bread, porridge, dripping, or sometimes nothing at all.

The work day was also dependant on your rank and wealth. For many working-class Victorians, life was hard. Men, women, and children could have to work for long hours in factories, mines, laundries, workshops, streets, or in domestic service. The jobs were usually hard and sometimes even dangerous. They were also not paid a great deal which meant a route out of poverty was almost impossible.

For example, a cotton mill worker’s day would start before sunrise, they were usually called to work with a factory bell. Men, women, and children all worked the same long hours in hot, noisy rooms filled with loud machines and cotton dust. Their jobs were repetitive and hard. They would have run the spinning machines or weaving cloth. Breaks were short, and there was a high risk of injury from the fast-moving machines. Today we have so many more protections. But even though the conditions were horrible, workers needed their pay. It was often the difference between eating and having a roof over their head or not. There were no safety nets, although some charities did help the “deserving poor.” The only other choice would have been the workhouse. And as it is said in a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, many would rather die than go to such places. This highlights just how dreadful the conditions in workhouses are. 

For the wealthy, however, social life could be quite different. Rich Victorians often spent their afternoons visiting friends, having tea whilst enjoying polite conversation, cakes, and fine china. Gentlemen might decide to go to members of private clubs, to read newspapers, play games, or to discuss business and politics, while the ladies attended social gatherings or hosted at home.

Health was another big concern. There were no antibiotics, and diseases could and did spread quickly, especially in crowded towns and cities. A small infection, a bad tooth could turn into something far more serious. Dirty water or a serious illness could become frightening very quickly. Poor eyesight was common due to bad nutrition, long hours of close work, and poor lighting. Glasses were also too expensive, and untreated eye diseases could lead to blindness, which could cost people their livelihoods.

Even the evening would probably feel strange to us. There was obviously no television, no phone, no electric lights in most homes. Just candles, oil lamps, coal fires, sewing, reading, or an early night after a long day.

For the wealthy they could fill their evenings by attending parties, balls, or evenings at the opera and theatre. They would dress up in their finest clothes and spend the evening with friends. These events may have given the rich something to do and enjoy, but they meant more long, tiring hours for thr servants, who may have had to prepare the food, serve guests, clean up, and ensure everything ran smoothly behind the scenes.

Although Victorian life was very hard for the poor, especially with the overcrowding, low wages, and tough work, it also saw the beginning of huge progress. Advancements in industry, science, and reforms gradually started to improve living conditions. They also improved health, education, and opportunities for people. This all contributed to the growing middle class.

The growing middle class came largely from the expansion of industry and commerce during the Industrial Revolution. As more factories, businesses, and trade networks began developed, new jobs were created for managers, clerks, engineers, and professionals like doctors and teachers. Further improvements in education and the access to training also allowed more people to move into these skilled and better-paid jobs. Economic growth, along with social and political reforms, helped to raise the living standards and they provided greater opportunities for advancement.

So be honest… do you honestly think you could have survived one day in Victorian England, or has modern life made us too soft?

Vernon Baker: The Soldier Who Had to Wait Decades for Recognition

Vernon Baker: The Soldier Who Had to Wait Decades for Recognition

Today I want to tell you about Vernon Baker, an extraordinary African American soldier whose  recognition took far too long.

Vernon Joseph Baker was born on the 17^th of December 1919 in Cheyenne, United States. He had a hard childhood. He tragically lost both his parents in a car accident when he was only four years old. He and his sisters were raised by their grandparents.

In June 1941, he enlisted in the United States Army, despite facing racial discrimination during recruitment. During World War Two, he served with the 370^th Infantry Regiment, 92^nd Infantry Division in the Italian Campaign. In April 1945, near Castle Aghinolfi in Italy, Baker showed amazing courage. Under relentless enemy fire, he personally destroyed machine-gun positions, an observation post, and a dugout, risking his own life to save others. Out of 25 men in his platoon, only six survived uninjured.

After World War Two, Baker continued to serve his country. He became a paratrooper in the 11^th Airborne Division and also served during the Korean War. He  retired from the Army in 1968 with the rank of First Lieutenant.

Racial prejudice meant he was denied America’s highest military honour for decades. Finally, on the 13^th of January 1997, Bill Clinton presented Baker with the Medal of Honor at the White House. He was the only living Black World War Two soldier among seven whose awards were corrected.

Vernon Baker received many honours, including the Medal of Honor, Silver Star, two Bronze Star Medals with V Device, two Purple Hearts, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, and foreign awards from Italy and Poland.

He died on the 13^th of July 2010, aged 90, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

How many other heroes waited too long to be seen?

Tudor Clothing Fashion: What Your Clothes Said About You

Tudor Clothing Fashion: What Your Clothes Said About You

Today I want to take a look at Tudor clothing fashion, because in Tudor England what you wore said a lot about who you were. Clothing showed people how wealthy you were, your rank, occupation, and even your loyalty to the crown. The Tudors considered appearance and status to be important and fashion became a way of showing this.

Image info:

Catherine of Aragon

Artist: Lucas Horenbout

At the start of the Tudor period, when Henry VII became king in 1485 after the Wars of the Roses, clothing was very much in the medieval styles. Wealthy men often wore fitted tunics, gowns or robe-like outer garments that were worn over their clothing along with hose, which were a little like stockings, and cloaks. 

image info:

Anne Boleyn posthumous

Women wore long dresses with fitted bodices and full skirts. Their dresses were usually tightened with laces that pulled the fabric close to the body to create the fashionable stiff shape. I imagine they could still feel restrictive, but they would have generally been more comfortable than the tightly laced Victorian era corsets. The laces were usually threaded through eyelets at the front, back, or sometimes the sides of the bodice, unlike many Victorian era corsets, which were typically tightly laced at the back. Tudor bodices were aimed to create a flatter, more rigid silhouette rather than pulling the waist into an exaggerated hourglass shape the Victorian strove for. 

Image info:

Anne of ClevesImage info:

Anne of Cleves

Artist: Hans Holbein the Younger

Date: 1539

Collection: Louvre Museum

They used rich fabrics like velvet, silk, satin, and damask, which were all highly valued. These fabrics were expensive, so wearing them made sure that people immediately knew your status.

During the reign of Henry VIII, fashion became even more elaborate. Henry loved to show off and display his wealth and opulence. The court, who were continuously wanting to impress, followed suit. The king set the fashion and gave the power and status. Men’s clothing became broader and more padded, with wide shoulders that created a powerful image. One of the most famous and unusual fashion items of the period was the codpiece. It was originally a practical fabric covering worn over the groin where the hose joined, but it gradually became larger, more decorative, and impossible to ignore. Some were padded or embroidered, turning what was a practical garment into a bold display of masculinity and confidence. 

Image info:

Henry VIII

Date: 1540–1547

Artist: Hans Holbein the Younger

Collection: Walker Art Gallery

Bright colours were especially important in Tudor fashion, but colour was also connected to your rank. The rich could afford to buy vivid dyes like deep crimson, rich purple, scarlet, and bright blue. Some colours were even restricted by the law under the Tudor sumptuary laws, especially during Henry VIII’s reign. The laws controlled who could wear which luxurious fabrics, fur, gold embroidery, pearls, and even certain colours. The royal family and highest nobles could wear the richest and most expensive colours like purple, crimson, scarlet, and of course gold, which would instantly show people that you had wealth and power. Wealthy merchants and the gentry could wear rich blues, greens, and deep black. This meant ordinary people could not dress like nobles, even if they somehow could afford it. Poorer people usually wore practical muted colours such as brown, russet, grey, faded green, or undyed wool which were far less expensive.

These laws were not just for show. We know this because Tudor rulers kept reissuing them in official proclamations. Surviving records also show that some people were fined or warned for wearing luxury items they were not allowed to wear, especially wealthy merchants trying to dress like nobles.

 

Image info:

Pattens

The Arnolfini Portrait

Date: 1434

Collection: National Gallery

Women’s fashion gradually changed significantly throughout the era. Gowns started to become heavier and a lot more structured, with stiffened bodices and wider skirts. The skirts were supported by layers underneath them. Wealthy women often wore decorative sleeves, jewellery, and embroidered fabrics. Later in the Tudor period, especially under Elizabeth I, the ruff became one of the most recognisable fashion trends. A ruff was a pleated collar worn around the neck, sometimes small and neat, sometimes enormous and dramatic. These were starched into elaborate shapes. Wearing a large ruff must have been very uncomfortable, especially when eating or turning your head, but fashion and status were far more important than comfort.

Image info:

Lady playing a lute in a yellow kirtle

Collection: National Gallery of Art

Head coverings were extremely common for both men and women. Respectable Tudor women didn’t really go outside with uncovered hair. Covered hair was seen as modest and respectable. Surviving portraits and written records often show women wearing hoods, caps, or veils. They wore French hoods, gable hoods, coifs, caps, or linen coverings. Head fashions changed over the Tudor period. Catherine of Aragon was known for the traditional English gable hood, which covered most of the hair. Anne Boleyn helped to make the softer French hood fashionable, showing more of the hairline. Anne of Cleves wore more conservative German fashions, with structured headwear and high-necked gowns, and some historians have wondered whether her less familiar style may have added to Henry VIII’s disappointment, as it was so different from what women were wearing at English court. Headwear continued to change throughout the Tudor period. Mary I often wore more modest and traditional styles, with hoods, caps, and veils covering much of her hair, most likely influenced by her mother Catherine of Aragon. Unlike many of the earlier Tudor women, Elizabeth I often left a lot of her hair visible. She decorated it with pearls, jewels, and ornate headpieces.

image info: 

Elizabeth I

Artist: Nicholas Hilliard

Collection: Walker Art Gallery

Men wore flat caps, felt hats, or bonnets. A person’s headwear could instantly reveal their social position and fashion awareness. Henry VIII seemed to favour wide flat bonnets that were decorated with feathers, jewels, or gold badges.

image info:

Mary I

Artist: Antonis Mor

Collection: Museo del Prado

Tudor women usually wore flat leather shoes with rounded or square toes. Wealthier women could afford more decorative styles, and some wore raised overshoes called pattens to protect their shoes and skirts from the muddy streets.

Of course, most Tudors were not wealthy courtiers. Peasants and labourers wore much simpler clothing usually made from wool, linen, or rough homespun cloth. Men most often wore plain tunics, breeches, hose, and practical leather shoes. Women wore simple kirtles, a fitted dress with a bodice and long skirt. This could be worn on its own by poorer women or under an outer gown by wealthier women. They also wore aprons, wool skirts, and linen caps or kerchiefs. Their colours were far more muted. For poorer families, clothing needed to be durable and practical above everything else. They were more likely to worry about keeping warm and comfortable than the latest court fashions.

Do you think Tudor fashion looked elegant and impressive, or does it look far too uncomfortable?

Lise de Baissac: The Brave SOE Agent Who Fought in World War Two

Lise de Baissac: The Brave SOE Agent Who Fought in World War Two

Today I want to tell you about an extraordinary woman. Her name was Lise de Baissac, and she became one of the first female agents of Britain’s secret wartime organisation, the Special Operations Executive, known as the SOE.

Lise de Baissac was born on the 11^th of May 1905 in Curepipe, in what was then British Mauritius. She came from a wealthy family and later moved to Paris with them in 1919. Like many upper-class women of the time, she was not expected to work. But Lise was a strong-minded and independent woman, and she was determined to make her own choices.

When Germany invaded France during the war, she refused to accept occupation. Lise managed to escape from France with her younger brother Claude. They had a long and dangerous journey to Britain. They travelled through Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar before they finally got to Britain in 1941. It must have been a very scary time because they didn’t know whether they would survive or even if they would ever see home again.

 

Lise spoke English and French fluently and so she was a perfect for the SOE. She joined in 1942 and went through intense training, where she stood out for being calm under pressure.

In September 1942, alongside Andrée Borrel, she became one of the first female SOE agents to parachute into occupied France. Imagine the fear she must have had jumping into enemy territory. Knowing the risks of capture.

She was charged with organising resistance groups. She arranging weapons drops, carried messages, and helped to build secret networks. She worked largely alone in Poitiers where she used the cover story of being a poor widow from Paris. She even lived near Gestapo headquarters and sometimes even spoke with German officers who had no idea who she really was.

Lise usually rode a bike, pretending to be an amateur archaeologist while secretly scouting out landing zones and drop sites for Allied supplies. During one mission she helped to receive and hide weapons for the French Resistance. In 1943, as more arrests were happening and the risks grew, she returned briefly to England.

She went back to France in 1944, just before D-Day. This time her job was even more dangerous. She cycled long distances carrying messages, gathering intelligence, and helping resistance fighters to sabotage German movements. On the evening of the 5^th of June 1944, Lise heard the BBC coded phrase  “Blessent mon cœur d’une langueur monotone,” a secret message to the French Resistance that told them the Allied invasion of France was imminent. She cycled over 300 kilometres in just three days to warn her network.

Her intelligence and bravery helped slow German reinforcements after D-Day, giving the Allies support during a crucial moment in the war. After the liberation, she helped to search for missing SOE agents.

After the war, Lise worked for the BBC and married her childhood sweetheart. She died in Marseille on the 29^th of March 2004 at the age of 98.

 

Do you think you could have done what Lise did?

 

I want to say the I have only touched on a small part of Lise de Baissac’s remarkable story here.

No supermarkets. No Amazon. No fridges. So how did Victorians shop?

No supermarkets. No Amazon. No fridges. So how did Victorians shop?

 

Shopping in Victorian England was very different from today. Where you were able to shop depended on your class and your income.

Rich women were able to visit fashionable areas like Burlington Arcade or Regent Street in London. They were able to buy luxury goods like silk dresses, gloves, perfumes, jewellery, fine hats, and even imported foods. Department stores like Harrods and Whiteley’s had started to become more popular.  They offered a much larger variety of goods. Harrods became known for being able to selling almost anything. If you had enough money, they could reportedly get it for you, even exotic animals. Department stores completely changed shopping. Large window displays showed goods for sale and encouraged window-shopping.

For the middle classes, shopping was usually done in the growing high streets, filled with specialist shops. They could visit the butcher, baker, grocer, fishmonger, draper, milliner, and chemist all separately. Many goods were still weighed and measured by hand. Instead of grabbing items off the shelves, like we do today, customers usually asked the shopkeeper for what they wanted.

 

Not everyone went out shopping in Victorian England. Many sellers came to people’s doors. Milkmen, bakers, coal merchants, and pedlars regularly delivered or sold essentials like milk, bread, coal, and household goods. For some families this was a lot more convenient.

Poorer households or single people could sometimes buy small amounts of things like cheese or bread or even purchase items on credit, known as buying “on tick.” Although it could save a family from going hungry, it could also lead to debt, and being in debt in Victorian Britain was not something to be taken lightly.

Some poorer families even bought stale bread because it was cheaper than fresh bread and could still be used for meals like toast, puddings, or soups. There was also the well-known Victorian phrase “stale household bread.” For working-class families, shopping was much more about survival and budgeting. Many people lived day to day and bought small amounts of food because they had little or no storage and often no refrigeration. For the homeless, a penny could mean the difference between eating or having somewhere to sleep, with some paying just 1d for a place in a cheap lodging house.

Street markets were especially important. Costermongers (street sellers) sold fruit, vegetables, fish, pies, and other household goods. Markets were really noisy and crowded places. Costermongers were also known for using colourful slang, including back slang and rhyming slang, a coded language that helped them to communicate quickly and sometimes even secretly.

 

The Victorian Age started to see the rise of the consumer culture. The Industrial Revolution had made mass production much easier. As a result, many goods were cheaper and more available, making them more accessible to the lower classes, revolutionising shopping.

 

 

Do you think you would miss modern supermarkets and online delivery?

 

Vera Strodl Dowling: The Fearless Woman Who Flew for Britain in WW2

 

Vera Strodl Dowling: The Fearless Woman Who Flew for Britain in WW2

Vera Elsie Strodl Dowling was born on the 16^th of July 1918 in Braughing, Hertfordshire. Her parents were Danish, and after they struggled with financial difficulties, they were forced to leave England. They returned to Denmark in 1930. Vera became fascinated by flying after experiencing it for the first time at the age of eleven.

She was determined to become a pilot. So she returned to England in 1934 and lived in Hastings near the Sussex Aero Club. She worked as a waitress and a cleaner to pay for her flying lessons. Her hard work paid off when she earned her pilot’s licence in January 1937.

Vera then worked in aircraft manufacturing, where she gained technical knowledge as an inspector and then as a test pilot. The war was edging ever closer and she decided  to stay in Britain.

In 1941, Vera joined the Air Transport Auxiliary, she became the only Scandinavian woman to fly for the organisation during the Second World War. She ferried military aircraft between factories and airfields, including damaged planes that could be extremely dangerous to fly. It carried serious risks, and many ATA pilots lost their lives. During the war, she completed around 200 flights and flew roughly 1,500 hours.

After the war, Vera continued her career in aviation as a flying instructor in Britain, Sweden, and then in Canada. She remained active in flying for decades, eventually logging over 30,000 flying hours. In 2000, she was honoured by Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame for her lifelong contribution to aviation. She died in Edmonton, Canada, in 2015 at the age of 96.

 

Do You Think You Could Survive Tudor Beauty Standards? They Were Brutal.

Do You Think You Could Survive Tudor Beauty Standards? They Were Brutal

Today I want to take a look at Tudor beauty standards and how people in Tudor England viewed physical appearance.

Beauty has always, and no doubt will always be influenced by society. In Tudor England things were no different. What people considered attractive during this period was often influenced by wealth, status, religion, fashion, and even politics. Looking beautiful was not just about vanity. For many people, their appearance could actually affect their marriage prospects, social standing, and even how others judged their character.

Image info:

The "Darnley Portrait" of Elizabeth I 

Date: 1575

In the early Tudor period, during the reign of King Henry VII beauty standards were still  influenced by the late medieval world. A fuller figure was seen as desirable, especially for women. Soft curves suggested they were in good health, fertile, and, importantly, they had access to plenty of food. Ordinary people struggled to eat well, so a fuller body showed wealth and security. Pale skin was also very highly prized. If your skin remained fair and untouched by the sun, it suggested you did not have to work outdoors in the fields.

For Tudor women, a smooth pale complexion quickly became one of the most desired features. Many women tried to protect their skin from the sun by wearing hats, hoods, or veils outdoors. Some even used homemade mixtures made from things like egg whites, rosewater or herbs to soften the skin. Beauty ideals often favoured the wealthy because they were easier for the wealthy to achieve.

Image info:

Elizabeth of York

Artist: After Meynnart Wewyck

Date: 1470-1498

Tudor court records suggest some ordinary people were criticised for dressing above their social rank. Tudor sumptuary laws under Henry VIII, restricted who could wear luxurious fabrics and decorations. Even poorer households sometimes owned ribbons, caps, combs, or mirrors. They most likely used simple homemade remedies. But for most poorer people, survival mattered far more than fashion.

During the reign of Henry VIII, fashion and beauty became almost synonymous with the royal court. Courtly appearance was hugely important. Clothing and fabrics became richer and more luxurious, and grooming was much more important. For women, an ideal face often included high cheekbones, a small mouth, rosy lips, and a high forehead. That high forehead became so fashionable that some women plucked or shaved back their hairlines to make their foreheads appear larger. It was seen as elegant and refined. Portraits of women like Elizabeth of York and later Elizabeth I show this fashionable high forehead, but portraits were often idealised. It may seem strange, but beauty trends evolve and often involved sacrifice.  Eyebrows were often thinned or plucked too, not so different from today.

Image info:

Elizabeth 1

Artist: Nicholas Hilliard

Date: 1573-1575

Walker Art Gallery

Hair colour was also important. Blonde or reddish-gold hair was hugely admired, partly because lighter hair was associated with being young and beautiful. Some women tried to lighten their hair using the sun or mixtures that contained really harsh ingredients like saffron or lye to help bleach it, sitting in the sun to strengthen the effect. Some historical recipes also used ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar. The process could dry out and damage the hair.

 

Men also had beauty expectations, although they were different. A handsome Tudor man was expected to look and be strong, broad-shouldered, and confident. Physical strength suggested power and authority. Well-groomed facial hair became fashionable during parts of the Tudor era, especially beards in the later years of Henry VIII’s reign. Rich clothing, broad shoulders created by padded garments, and a commanding posture all helped create an image of masculinity and status.

Beauty standards shifted once again during the reign of Elizabeth I. Queen Elizabeth had an enormous influence on fashion and beauty. After surviving Smallpox in 1562, she was left with facial scars. She started to wear heavy white face makeup. It is debated as to whether it was to cover them up or because pale faces were already popular. This created the famous pale face look that is now associated with the Elizabethan court. Many women copied her and a white face became fashionable. They often used a cosmetic called Venetian ceruse also known as “Spirits of Saturn", which was made with white lead and vinegar. It created the sought after smooth pale appearance, but it was so incredibly dangerous and slowly poisoned them.

Rosy cheeks were also considered attractive in Tudor England because they gave the impression of being young and healthy and they were bold against the pale complexion. Some women got this look by pinching or rubbing their cheeks but recipes and trade records show that wealthier women used pigments made from plant dyes. It is believed that some may have even used crushed insects such as cochineal to add extra colour.

Behind the elegance and fine dresses, the lengths women especially went to in order to meet these high beauty expectations make me think there must have been some insecurity, or at the very least a great deal of pressure. We cannot know exactly how Tudor women felt, but the popularity of cosmetics, harsh beauty treatments, and even dangerous products suggests that appearance mattered a lot. Many people were likely comparing themselves to ideals they could never reach, just as people often do today.

 

Do you think the pressure to look “perfect” was easier or harder in Tudor times than today?

 

Tomorrow I will be finding out more about Tudor fashion by looking into what they wore.