I am currently planning/writing an urban fantasy novel set in 19th century Victorian London, and I have been wrecking my head over what may or may not be a small detail for weeks
( Read more... )
Weaving was done north of london (manchester and leeds if I remember) where they had water to power the looms and solid ground for the very heavy machinery
Haven't got time to look it up atm, but I think that was Huguenots doing silk weaving, which makes it 1650 - 1700 at a guess. And yes, I think that would have been small-time stuff. All guesswork though, I should emphasise.
What I found on female workers in Victorian Britain suggested that most of them worked either in service as maids, governesses etc., or in the textile industry, which at that point was centered in Lancastershire and Yorkshire.
Just to clarify, the county is called Lancashire. Lancaster is its county town.
Women's occupations in LondonbrisamanteSeptember 13 2011, 08:23:51 UTC
If you want to find out what women were doing in London in the period of your choice, why not look up the census online? Pick a suitable region of London & the decade of your choice, and browse through. The 1841 & earlier censuses are light on detail, but every one after that gives occupation. Access is free (it only costs if you want a printed copy).
Re: Women's occupations in LondonlegolineSeptember 13 2011, 08:28:34 UTC
It hadn't occured to me because I read on a website--I think it was the BBC's--that the censuses tended to not be completely reliable in that regard (for that period in time). Particularly with women there seemed to be debates on what counted as "work" and many women would not admit they were "working girls". I shall look it up, though, and will definitely keep that in mind for other novels/time periods. Thank you!
Re: Women's occupations in Londonsyntinen_lauluSeptember 13 2011, 13:01:56 UTC
That really wouldn't apply to factory workers, who were far too low down the social and economic scale fo feel the discomfort of the genteel poor about "being seen to work for their living" and who couldn't possibly dress up their occupation as anything other than full-time work, anyway.
And factory work was at least legal and "honest". One kind of worker who was not likely to give her occupation accurately was the prostitute, who was very likely to describe herself as "seamstress", " lacemaker" "flower seller" and the like - the more so as many prostitutes did practise some such occupation part-time as well. But factory work, given the appallingly long hours worked, didn't lend itself to any kind of moonlighting; so the chances are that the vast majority of census entries describing women as factory workers are accurate, and that the vast majority of factory workers did so describe themselves.
You will need to settle on a date for your story and stick to it. Factory legislation, trade union legislation and the like changed enormously during the six decades of Victoria's reign. "Victorian London" is not a single undifferentiated setting.
Oh, I know. I was going to "pick" a specific year, but I guess I may have not been too clear on that. My girl's possble occupation is one of the factors in the process of deciding what deade/year I will settle for. (Like, the matches manufacture someone mentioned above didn't open until the 1860s, so the story can't be set prior to that etc.)
In general terms working class women could do most jobs but at a significantly lower pay rate because they weren't as strong as men. In the early 19th century for example they worked underground in coal mining. That was banned because miners used to work naked or nearly so because of the heat. Women doing that outraged middle class morality.
Any factory job which isn't mostly heavy lifting or requires skills taught only to men would therefore be done by women because they were cheaper.
Comments 41
(The comment has been removed)
ash
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
Reply
Reply
Reply
Just to clarify, the county is called Lancashire. Lancaster is its county town.
Reply
Reply
The 1841 & earlier censuses are light on detail, but every one after that gives occupation. Access is free (it only costs if you want a printed copy).
Reply
Reply
And factory work was at least legal and "honest". One kind of worker who was not likely to give her occupation accurately was the prostitute, who was very likely to describe herself as "seamstress", " lacemaker" "flower seller" and the like - the more so as many prostitutes did practise some such occupation part-time as well. But factory work, given the appallingly long hours worked, didn't lend itself to any kind of moonlighting; so the chances are that the vast majority of census entries describing women as factory workers are accurate, and that the vast majority of factory workers did so describe themselves.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Any factory job which isn't mostly heavy lifting or requires skills taught only to men would therefore be done by women because they were cheaper.
Reply
Leave a comment