As a woman, imagine that you could not go out without a chaperone, preferably a married woman. You never could visit an unmarried man at his home or speak to him unless you had been introduced. No riding with a male in a vehicle unless it was a relative. There was no unseemly talk in front of you and absolutely no physical contact with a man before marriage. Where were you ? In the English Victorian Era, which was from 1837 through 1907.

Queen Victoria reigned with Prince Albert as her consort.

If you were born into the upper class, you lived in a mansion or castle and had beautiful clothes and servants. Your pastimes were painting, needlework, knitting, letter writing, visiting, and charitable work. Social activities included teas, hunting, dancing, croquet, bazaars, and picnics.

Women were expected to marry as soon as possible, and marriage was their “career.”  Intelligence or political interests were not encouraged. As a married woman, you managed the household and took care of the sick. Families were large and close-knit.

If you were part of the lower class, you worked long hours, often in unsafe conditions, and lived in one room, sometimes with other families. Children looked after themselves and other siblings and went to work at a very young age.

As a doctor, lawyer, clerk, or shopkeeper, you might be in better circumstances.

Since the oldest son inherited, younger sons went into the military, church, business, or as an administrator in the colonies.

The Industrial Revolution in the mid 1850s brought many changes to England. Machines replaced manpower. There were more jobs for the lower classes. They had more access to goods and a little more social time.

A visual exhibit of Victorian clothes, jewelry, fan, hair comb, and pictures added to the program.

Our programs for 2014 have been selected.

• January: Cooking For One
• February: Not Every House Is A Home (Outhouses)
• March: Weather Folklore
• April: Spring Workshop
• May: Sweden
• June: Mill Girls
• September: Food Gifts
• October: Program Planning
• November: Memoirs
• December: Christmas Party

For more info or if you would like to join our group, call 735-5493.