5 Things Victorian Women Didn’t Do (Much)

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April 2, 2013

5 Things Victorian Women Didn’t Do (Much)

By Beth Dunn

 

We often assume that the life of the average lass in Victorian England was narrow and restrictive, full of stern governesses, stifling garments and fainting spells. Sure, the 19th century’s rules of etiquette, social class and morality all served to limit the range of acceptable behavior, but don’t let the lace doilies and lavender sachets fool you. Not all of the modern clichés we apply to English womanhood in the 1800s hold weight. Below, explore five things Queen Victoria’s female contemporaries didn’t do as often as you might think.

 

1. They didn’t die young.
People lived to an average age of just 40 in 19th-century England, but that number is deceiving. Certainly, infants and children died of disease, malnutrition and mishaps at much higher rates than they do today. But if a girl managed to survive to adulthood, her chance of living to a ripe old age of 50, 60, 70 or even older was quite good. These odds only increased as the century progressed and improvements in sanitation, nutrition and medical care lengthened Victorian lifespans.

2. They didn’t marry young.
At the end of the 18th century, the average age of first marriage was 28 years old for men and 26 years old for women. snip http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/5-things-victorian-women-didnt-do-much