Victorian Working Women

Book excerpt: This book was first published in 1929. The working woman was not, a Victorian institution. The word spinster disproves any upstart origin for the sisterhood of toil. Nor was she as a literary figure the discovery of Victorian witers in search of fresh material. Chaucer included unmemorable working women and Charlotte Bronte in 'Shirley' had Caroline Helstone a reflection that spinning 'kept her servants up very late'. It seems that the Victorians see the women worker as an object of oity, portrated in early nineteenth century as a victim of long hours, injustice and unfavourable conditions. This volume looks at the working woman in British industries and professions from 1832 to1850.