We had great fun here at Hungerford Arcade, when actors from the ‘ Ragged Victorians -Victorian Great Unwashed’ came in to buy. They are the most amazing people and seem to know everything about the poor wretches they portray. Barbara Goodridge went into great detail about what they do and it was fascinating.
Rita
Back in the day when a shilling was a weeks wages, when even the ‘Pure’ (Dogs Dung) was a valuable source of income, lower class Victorians were living by whatever means they could. With no homes, no income and no benefit system for support, an honest days work, could mean labouring the most degrading jobs in the world, for little or scant reward. Is there no wonder then, that thieving, cheating, prostitution and even child selling, were sometimes the only options these unfortunate souls had.
Find out more about the Great Unwashed by clicking onto this link to their website www.raggedvictorians.co.uk/
Back in the day when a shilling was a weeks wages, when even the ‘Pure’ (Dogs Dung) was a valuable source of income, lower class Victorians were living by whatever means they could. With no homes, no income and no benefit system for support, an honest days work, could mean labouring the most degrading jobs in the world, for little or scant reward. Is there no wonder then, that thieving, cheating, prostitution and even child selling, were sometimes the only options these unfortunate souls had.Find out more about the Great Unwashed by clicking onto this link to their website www.raggedvictorians.co.uk/
The other website to look up is, Stuart Dukes, Seven Dials rapscallions at www.sevendialsrapscallions.co.uk/ for Victorian Law and Disorder. Seven Dials Rapscallions, is both a Historical interpretation and Street Theatre – The Victorian underworld on the streets of today.
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