How To Be A Victorian

[Michael Banks]

Just read this one by Ruth Goodman. It's one of those books that I wasn't sure that I'd enjoy but I certainly did. Full of brilliant insights into the lives of Victorians of all social standings. From chamber pots to diets to smearing babies in lard there are facts aplenty. Ruth Goodman writes with the knowledge and enthusiasm of someone who has experienced life as a Victorian and it shows.
Well worth a read.

And for anyone in the UK I picked up my copy in The Works for £3!

[Chris G.]

Just read this one by Ruth Goodman. It's one of those books that I wasn't sure that I'd enjoy but I certainly did. Full of brilliant insights into the lives of Victorians of all social standings. From chamber pots to diets to smearing babies in lard there are facts aplenty. Ruth Goodman writes with the knowledge and enthusiasm of someone who has experienced life as a Victorian and it shows.
Well worth a read.

And for anyone in the UK I picked up my copy in The Works for £3!

The first thing to do in order to be a Victorian is to be born in 1837.

[Michael Banks]

The first thing to do in order to be a Victorian is to be born in 1837.

Unfortunately my TARDIS is off the road at the moment Chris so I had to make do with the book.

[Chris G.]

Ha ha. Well said, Michael.

[Phillip Walton]

All four of my Grandparents were born in the late Victorian era so could be described as Victorians. One of my grandmothers was proud of the fact that she lived through the reigns of six monarchs.

[Michael Banks]

All four of my Grandparents were born in the late Victorian era so could be described as Victorians. One of my grandmothers was proud of the fact that she lived through the reigns of six monarchs.

2 of my grandparents were born in 1900. Victoria on the throne; Salisbury in Downing Street and possibly (only possibly) Jack still alive in some assylum somewhere?! Who knows but I'd have loved to have asked them about the Ripper? What the rumours were? Oral histories etc.

[Caroline Brown]

All four of my Grandparents were born in the late Victorian era so could be described as Victorians.

Ditto, Phillip. All four of my Grandparents were born between 1877 and 1884.

Sadly only one was still alive when I was born - my Dad's Dad, Walter, who lived until I was eight. I remember him well as he lived near us and we visited regularly. He would give us orange squash in lovely blue crackle glazed glasses and as he was partial to Marsala wine he would give me a sip as a special treat. He had a black cat called Moses.

One day I was sitting on his lap and noticed a hole in the knee of his trousers and some white material underneath. I asked him what it was and he laughed, saying they were his "long combinations". Mum looked embarrassed so I guessed he meant some kind of underwear and that shut me up!

Love,

Caz
X

[Robert Linford]

One of my grandmothers was proud of the fact that she lived through the reigns of six monarchs.


I would imagine that's pretty much as far as anyone's ever got. I suppose someone born in 1603 may have lived to 100 and lived under Elizabeth I, Charles I & II, James II, William II & Mary II (joint sovereigns) and died under Queen Anne but it's a bit of a stretch.

[Chris G.]

One of my grandmothers was proud of the fact that she lived through the reigns of six monarchs.


I would imagine that's pretty much as far as anyone's ever got. I suppose someone born in 1603 may have lived to 100 and lived under Elizabeth I, Charles I & II, James II, William II & Mary II (joint sovereigns) and died under Queen Anne but it's a bit of a stretch.

Better though to be a Roman when there were several emperors in a single year in the later Roman empire.

[Paul]

Just read this one by Ruth Goodman. It's one of those books that I wasn't sure that I'd enjoy but I certainly did. Full of brilliant insights into the lives of Victorians of all social standings. From chamber pots to diets to smearing babies in lard there are facts aplenty. Ruth Goodman writes with the knowledge and enthusiasm of someone who has experienced life as a Victorian and it shows.
Well worth a read.

And for anyone in the UK I picked up my copy in The Works for £3!

I enjoyed the book too, Michael. Goodman certainly knows her subject and has is enthusiastic about it, as you say. It's an excellent book and I think you got a real bargain for £3.

[Paul Butler]

I enjoyed the book too, Michael. Goodman certainly knows her subject and has is enthusiastic about it, as you say. It's an excellent book and I think you got a real bargain for £3.

I'm glad she writes a good book. She can be a bit in yer face on the telly.

[Gary Barnett]

I'm sure I've bored you all with this before...

My maternal grandparents were both Victorians. Grandad born 1882, not sure exactly where but later Christened at Christchurch, Spitalfields. The family lived in Flower and Dean Street, Thrawl Street and Wentworth Street before moving to George Yard Buildings where they were between March '88 and Dec 1890. My great grandad died in Bakers Row infirmary in 1890. By 1891 his widow and her two sons had moved to Angel Alley.

Grandad gave evidence before Wynne Baxter at his mate's inquest. And I believe he was in Dartmoor Prison at the same time as Charles Grand.

He married a girl who had been born in Breezers Hill in 1896. (Her mum had been born in Bluegate Fields.) When they married she was living in Pinchin Street.

On my dad's side, the Barnetts were horse slaughterers who started off in Whitechapel (approx 1810 to 1860) then moved to Wolverhampton and then Islington. My line went from there to Bedfordshire, Dublin, The Isle of Dogs, Huntingdonshire, Kildare, Limehouse and finally Essex

[Michael Banks]

I'm sure I've bored you all with this before...

My maternal grandparents were both Victorians. Grandad born 1882, not sure exactly where but later Christened at Christchurch, Spitalfields. The family lived in Flower and Dean Street, Thrawl Street and Wentworth Street before moving to George Yard Buildings where they were between March '88 and Dec 1890. My great grandad died in Bakers Row infirmary in 1890. By 1891 his widow and her two sons had moved to Angel Alley.

Grandad gave evidence before Wynne Baxter at his mate's inquest. And I believe he was in Dartmoor Prison at the same time as Charles Grand.

He married a girl who had been born in Breezers Hill in 1896. (Her mum had been born in Bluegate Fields.) When they married she was living in Pinchin Street.

On my dad's side, the Barnetts were horse slaughterers who started off in Whitechapel (approx 1810 to 1860) then moved to Wolverhampton and then Islington. My line went from there to Bedfordshire, Dublin, The Isle of Dogs, Huntingdonshire, Kildare, Limehouse and finally Essex

That's really interesting stuff Gary. So you're Grandparents were at George Yard Buildings when Tabram was killed. I assume that you were too young to be interested in the Ripper while they were alive? Would have been great to talk to them and find out what life was like, what the rumours were etc.
Wasn't Flower & Dean Street where Barbara Windsor's grandparents lived too?

I wonder if the Barnett's knew the Eddowes in Wolverhampton?

[Gary Barnett]

That's really interesting stuff Gary. So you're Grandparents were at George Yard Buildings when Tabram was killed. I assume that you were too young to be interested in the Ripper while they were alive? Would have been great to talk to them and find out what life was like, what the rumours were etc.
Wasn't Flower & Dean Street where Barbara Windsor's grandparents lived too?

I wonder if the Barnett's knew the Eddowes in Wolverhampton?

No JTR anecdotes, I'm afraid. My grandad would have been 6/7 in 1888. Until he married my nan it seems he was a minor Spitalfields terror. When I knew him he was very old and I was very young. We grandkids were fed somewhat sanitized and amusing versions of his stories.

He once caught me admiring his belt. It was a huge thing with an enormous eagle buckle.

He asked, 'D'ya like me belt?'

I nodded.

He tapped his nose and whispered, ' I got it off a dead German.'

I was impressed enough by that, but he then pointed to some holes where I imagine a pouch of some sort had been removed and asked, 'See these 'oles?'

I nodded again.

'That's where I shot 'im', he said, winking.

Even if I had been old enough to quiz him, I'm not sure I would have got a straight answer.


I don't know that the Barnett family knew the Eddowes', but I suspect they would have known the Tomkins's. For a decade the two families lived and worked as horse slaughterers in fairly close proximity in Islington and it seems they had a mutual acquaintance in Nasty Nick Shippy.

I've been mulling those connections over recently and I think it's very likely that the Tomkins's worked for a Wolverhampton family who also had a yard in Newton Heath. So far I've not found any evidence of a Tomkins presence in Wolverhampton, but I'm keeping my eyes open.

[Michael Banks]

No JTR anecdotes, I'm afraid. My grandad would have been 6/7 in 1888. Until he married my nan it seems he was a minor Spitalfields terror. When I knew him he was very old and I was very young. We grandkids were fed somewhat sanitized and amusing versions of his stories.

He once caught me admiring his belt. It was a huge thing with an enormous eagle buckle.

He asked, 'D'ya like me belt?'

I nodded.

He tapped his nose and whispered, ' I got it off a dead German.'

I was impressed enough by that, but he then pointed to some holes where I imagine a pouch of some sort had been removed and asked, 'See these 'oles?'

I nodded again.

'That's where I shot 'im', he said, winking.

Even if I had been old enough to quiz him, I'm not sure I would have got a straight answer.


I don't know that the Barnett family knew the Eddowes', but I suspect they would have known the Tomkins's. For a decade the two families lived and worked as horse slaughterers in fairly close proximity in Islington and it seems they had a mutual acquaintance in Nasty Nick Shippy.

I've been mulling those connections over recently and I think it's very likely that the Tomkins's worked for a Wolverhampton family who also had a yard in Newton Heath. So far I've not found any evidence of a Tomkins presence in Wolverhampton, but I'm keeping my eyes open.

Your Grandad was one of the final 'links' to that era Gary.

Good luck with your ongoing research. Wolverhampton is around 20 minutes in a car for me. A friend of mine who was one of the original members of The Cloak and Dagger club went there a few years ago photographing Eddowes related sites and doing some pre-internet research on her.

I wondered, either on here or the Casebook, about the possibility that Bury might have known Eddowes? Hearing a familiar accent in a pub? Who knows? She also said that she knew who the ripper was.