How To Research Your Family Tree

I was just browsing on you tube and I came acrooss this video which may be of interest if you are wanting to find out about your own Family History. I have copied the video below.

Prison Life In Victorian Britain

Prison Life in Victorian England was very different to Prison Life today.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century there were several different types of prisons. Small towns had a bridewell which was originally a house of correction where paupers worked.

In the county towns you would find a county gaol. Both Bridewells and Gaols were run on a profit basis by the gaoler who did not receive a salary. He charged inmates for food, bedding, light and fuel.

For the family of the prisoner a difficult time began, if the prisoner was the breadwinner they had no means of support, where relief was not offered the family would enter the workhouse.

Remanded prisoners were allowed to see their family and friends twice a week. In the Victorian Convict prison even the writing and receiving of letters was rationed the same as visits. All letters were censored and read by the governor.

The daily routine in prison was being woken at dawn, having a clean and tidy cell and being washed and dressed for 7a.m. Breakfast was eaten in their cells and the rest of the morning was taken up with work tasks, chapel and exercise. Daily attendance at the chapel and twice on Sundays was compulsory.

There was also the debtors prison which were separate sections at the county prisons. the debtors did not have prison clothing many still wore clothing which was in tatters which was the result of poverty

What Was Life like In Victorian Britain

In Victorian Britain steam was used to power the cotton mills to process the cotton from the Americas, thus producing half the world's cotton goods. Coal mining rapidly expanded as the demand for steam to power the mills and factories increased.

Farming was still a major part of life in Britain in the Victorian age and with the introduction of steam powered farm machinery the farm labourers life was made easier. This in turn meant that fewer labourers were needed for the same amount of work. Those unlucky enough to be displaced could find themselves in the workhouse.

Local people would be servants to maintain the large country estates. Some would even live on the estate in very cramped conditions in tied cottages. In their own homes the women were occupied by cooking meals and mending clothes

There were also medical advances where it was found that the boiling and scrubbing of medical instruments increased the chances of survival for patients.

With the boiling of water and washing of hands, the incidents of cholera dropped considerably.

Then saw the introduction of morphine which helped with pain relief, while women were given chloroform during childbirth to ease their pain.

Health Care In The Victorian Era

Although we complain about the NHS we all have access to medical treatment Things were so different in Victorian days. It depended entirely on whether you had money and if so, how much. Life threatening illnesses affected everyone, but the treatment depended on your social class.

The wealthy would receive private medical treatment, middle classes could either pay for their treatment or go to one of the specialist hospitals. The working classes may receive treatment from charitable hospitals but for the poor the only option was the workhouse infirmary.

The average length of stay in hospital was for six weeks. Three meals a day and plenty of bed rest was better than any medicine. These patients were the lucky ones who qualified for charity hospitals. Others were turned away as they either had enough money to pay for a doctor or were receiving poor relief so they were sent to the workhouse infirmary.

This continued to be a common problem of the working and middle classes well into the 1930's but it did not mean they could afford to pay for treatment; women and children went without until it was too late for a cure.

Most hospitals operated the same policy with a ticket system for a length of stay for six weeks. This ticket could only be renewed by the surgeon or physician who was looking after you. In many cases patients went from hospital to convalescent homes.

There were rules for both patients and visitors and strict visiting hours which were operated by a ticket system at most hospitals which entitled a patient to receive no more than two visitors.

Now we do not have to worry about finding the money to go into hospital as since the introduction of the NHS everyone is entitled to treatment.