Victorian Children

Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901.

Queen Victoria

Families

Victorian families often had 5 or 6 children.

There was a very different way of life for rich families and poor families.

Rich families lived in large Victorian houses or hotels with cooks and servants

Poor families lived in poor conditions – often with 7 living in one single room.

Only rich children had the chance t go to school.

The poor families had no money or food and often sent their children out to work or sold them to employers.

It was the Victorian motto that “ CHILDREN SHOULD BE SEEN AND NOT HEARD ”

All parents, employers and school teachers were very harsh on Victorian children.

Seven living in one room. 

Jobs

There were a variety of jobs done by Victorian children – from as young as 5 years old.

Many children worked 12 hours per day for very low wages.

Conditions were dirty and dangerous and many children died or were seriously injured through disease or accidents linked to their jobs.

There were no laws to protect them at he start of Queen Victoria’s reign.

Coal Mine Workers

Coal mines were dark and filthy – the only light the children had was a single candle.

Children pushed heavy, dirty trucks of coal to the surface.

Opened and shut doors in the mine to allow air to circulate through the tunnels

Factory and Mill Workers

Because children were small – they were made to crawl into small spaces to clean and fix machines – often whilst the machines were still running. Children were often killed or injured.

Piecer: Repairing Broken Cotton Threads in Cotton Mills

Factory Working

Farm Workers

Children in the country – had jobs working out in the fields. It was a cold wet job.

Stone Picker

Picking up stones in the field before the crops were sown.

Bird Scarer

Scaring away birds from the crops.

Chimney Sweeps

Children were small enough to climb up narrow chimneys to clean them.

It was dirty and dangerous.

Children were covered in soot and constantly cut their knees and elbows.

Street Children

Many children did not have families and lived and worked out on the streets of the towns.

Sweepers

Sweeping roads and pavements for passing ladies and gentlemen

Errand Runners

Running general errands for rich houses

Shoe Polishers

Polishing the shoes of passers by

Sellers

Selling matches, firewood, buttons, flowers, bootlaces.

Victorian Streets

Help for Children Workers

Some people wanted to help children and protect them.
Dr Bernado was a Christian man who wanted to provide homes for the homeless and abandoned children.

He believed that all children should be entitled to an education.

He sent out Commissioners to collect evidence of child workers to present to Parliament.

Lord Shaftsbury helped to put a stop to child labour.

Dr Bernado and Lord Shaftsbury helped to change the law.

Laws began to be passed to make it illegal to employ very young children.

Laws

• 1841 – No child under 10 was allowed to work under ground
• 1868 – No child under 8 was to be employed in a gang of farm workers
• 1874 – No child under 10 was allowed to work in a factory
• 1875 – It became illegal to send boys up chimneys