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Victorian Children

Children's lives in Victorian Elmbridge may seem unlike those today, but through these artefacts we can see similar experiences of home, play and school.

The Victorian era is defined by the 64 year reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Life for a child born at the beginning of this period would have been very different to one born at the end.

Throughout Queen Victoria's reign Britain saw many changes that greatly affected the lives of children: the Government passed laws to make education up to the age of 13 compulsory; as literacy rates rose so did the availability of books and weekly publications; and toward the end of the century, leisure time for the working classes increased.

Elmbridge Museum holds many items from the time of Queen Victoria's reign. Below is a selection that helps illustrate the lives of local Victorian Children.