Bread Winner: An Intimate History of the Victorian Economy

Description

The overlooked story of how ordinary women and their husbands managed financially in the Victorian era - and why so many struggled despite increasing national prosperity. Nineteenth century Britain saw remarkable economic growth and a rise in real wages. But not everyone shared in the nation's wealth. Unable to earn a sufficient income themselves, working-class women were reliant on the 'breadwinner wage' of their husbands. When income failed, or was denied or squandered by errant men, families could be plunged into desperate poverty from which there was no escape. Emma Griffin unlocks the homes of Victorian England to examine the lives - and finances - of the people who lived there. Drawing on over 600 working-class autobiographies, including more than 200 written by women, Bread Winner changes our understanding of daily life in Victorian Britain. Cover page Halftitle page Title page Copyright page CONTENTS Illustrations Note on the Text and Acknowledgements INTRODUCTION ‘The great enigma of our times’ PART ONE WORK 1 ‘I worked alright, but I never got paid for my labour’ Women and Work1 2 ‘A man’s work was a man’s life’ Men at Work1 3 ‘Real drudgery’ House Work1 PART TWO MONEY 4 ‘The meal-ticket’ Fathers and Breadwinning 5 ‘Father disappeared and left mother to brave the storm’ Family Breakdown1 6 ‘Toil in the factory, toil in the home’ Working Mothers PART THREE LIFE 7 ‘Got a loaf, Dad?’ Food1 8 ‘We weren’t happy, but we were a family’ Emotions1 9 ‘I learned to speak’ Making Citizens1 Conclusion Endnotes Bibliography of Autobiographies Index