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Different
lifestyles
Life
for Victorian children in Leeds would have been very different from
today. For a start, until certain laws were brought in, they did
not have to go school!
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| A
young chimney sweep |
What
kind of life do you think the characters in these photos had?
Work
conditions for a young chimney sweep's assistant were dark, cramped,
dusty and dangerous.
A
privileged life
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| Daughter
of a wealthy family |
Many
children worked to earn money. Those from rich families would have
enjoyed a privileged life, although they would still have been expected
to always be on their best behaviour. This young girl would have
been taught at home by a governess.
The
Workhouse
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| An
orphan in tattered clothes |
Those
less fortunate, like orphans, might have ended up in a workhouse
such as the Leeds Workhouse (now the Thackray Museum) where they
were expected to earn their keep. Life in the workhouse was hard
but it was better than being on the streets.
In
service
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| A
young Victorian maid |
Young
girls were sometimes sent to large homes to work as maids. Days
were long and the work hard, but at least maids were fed and housed
by their employers.
So,
would you rather have been a child in Victorian times or in modern
times?
Have
a look at the toys that Victorian
children played with.
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