Children in Victorian London

The Victorian era saw huge social and political changes which affected all aspects of children’s lives. The experiences of children growing up in London in 1901 at the end of Queen Victoria’s reign would have been very different from those in 1837. London expanded rapidly during this period, leading to changes in housing, education and transport. In 1851, London was already Britain’s largest city with a population of 2.4 million and faced major problems with overcrowding and poverty. Disease and premature death were common experiences for all classes. By 1901 England had changed from a rural country to a vast manufacturing machine which employed over a third of Britain’s population. 80% of the population lived in cities, but conditions were improving.

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