Strange But True

Strange But True

  • Inexpressibles

    The name given to the tight trousers worn by some Regency gentlemen, such as the notorious Beau Brummell and his ‘dandy’ followers,  as they showed off their leg muscles.

  • What did Victoria do first

    after her coronation in 1837?  Have a parliamentary meeting?  Have tea with all the royal dignitaries?  No – she gave her dog, Dash, a bath.

     

  • Now that’s what we call a cake!

    Victoria and Albert’s wedding cake was a colossal 9 feet wide and weighed 300 pounds.

     

  • Victorian ladies’ knickers had no middle

    Once they got all those big dresses on, they couldn’t reach their knickers to pull them down, so they could stand over a potty to wee with these on instead.

     

  • Would you wee in your dining room?

    Victorian gentlemen did! Some dining rooms (like ours) had a special cupboard to house a chamber pot so all the gentlemen could go for a wee without leaving the table (once the ladies had left the room, of course!).

     

  • The last ducking stool to be used in England

    (in 1809) can still be seen not far from us in the Priory Church, Leominster, Herefordshire. It’s huge.

     

Handy Hints

Handy Hints

  • Keeping your kettle clean

    To prevent teakettles coating with lime – put the shell of an oyster in the teakettle and the lime will adhere to it, instead of coating the sides. 1852

    As with all our historical handy hints, this is a real tip from a Victorian book. We cannot say that it’ll work and it’s up to you if you want to try!

     

  • To take mildew out of linen

    Take soap and rub it well, then scrape on some fine chalk, rub that also into the linen, lay it on the grass, as it dries, wet it a little, it will come out at twice doing. 1852

    As with all our historical handy hints, this is a real tip from a Victorian book. We cannot say that it’ll work and it’s up to you if you want to try!

     

  • Antidote against mice

    Gather wild mint, put it where you wish to keep them out, and they will not trouble you. 1852

     

    As with all our historical handy hints, this is a real tip from a Victorian book. We cannot say that it’ll work and it’s up to you if you want to try!

     

  • To remove grease from books

    Lay upon the spoon a little magnesium or powdered chalk, and under it the same; set on it a warm flat iron, and as soon as the grease is melted, it will be all absorbed, and leave the paper clean. 1852

     

    As with all our historical handy hints, this is a real tip from a Victorian book. We cannot say that it’ll work and it’s up to you if you want to try!

     

  • An insect trap

    Scoop out the inside of a turnip, scallop the edges, and place it downward in the earth. The insects will pass into it as a place of retreat through the holes, and the cucumbers, squashes, melons etc., may soon be clear of them.  1852

     

    As with all our historical handy hints, this is a real tip from a Victorian book. We cannot say that it’ll work and it’s up to you if you want to try!

     

  • To clean gilt buckles, chains &c.

    Dip a soft brush in water, rub a little soap on it, and brush the article for a minute or two, then wash it clean, wipe it, and place it near the fire till dry, then brush it with burnt bread finely powdered. 1823

     

    As with all our historical handy hints, this is a real tip from a Victorian book. We cannot say that it’ll work and it’s up to you if you want to try!

     

Subjects

Subjects

In this section you will find some pages from notebooks belonging to children from Presteigne. You will also find a school report.

1. School Report: Although lessons mainly concentrated on the ‘3Rs’ of reading, writing and arithmetic, geography, history and other subjects were also taught, depending on the teacher’s keenness for each subject.

school report

 

In the classroom: 

Look down the list of subjects. Are there any that we have in school now? Any that you have never heard of? Any that you would like to learn? What position was Winnie Newell in her class? Which subject did she get the most points for? In which subject was she highest in her class? Now look at the pictures of their work

2. Geography: These are pages from Winnie’s geography notebook. One map is of the area where she lived and the other shows England and Wales, and what different areas where famous for.

radnorshire

 

what from where

3. History: This is a chart showing all the kings and queens of England, when they were on the throne and what family they came from. Victorian children would be expected to learn this. It comes from Outlines of English History by Henry Ince & James Gilbert, 1859.

 

kings & queens

4. Art: In their art classes, children were often made to copy famous paintings – usually landscapes. This one is by John Newell, drawn in 1873.

goat drawing

 

In the classroom: 

Find a picture you like and try to draw a copy of it.

 

5. Writing: A lot of time was spent making sure pupils’ handwriting was good. Copy books gave sentences which the children then had to reproduce on the lines below. One complete exercise can be seen here, along with one that did not get done. For those schools that could not afford these books and ink, the words could be written on a blackboard and copied onto slates.

copy book

 

copy page

 

copy line

 

In the classroom: 

Try copying a sentence four times (you could even use some computer fonts to create your own copy book page).

 

6. Cookery & Household Skills: girls were taught sewing, knitting, cookery and household skills These are pages from Winnie Newell’s notes for cooking and laundry.

 

recipe page

 

laundry page

In the classroom: 

Make the sweets for your class to try. Wash a pair of stockings the same way. What does ‘1st and 2nd water’ mean?

 

7. Sewing: Girls learnt how to make dresses, darn, embroider and create objects useful to the home. The practiced their skills by making samplers – embroidered pictures, often containing the alphabet, religious text and flowers. This sampler was made by Martha Palfrey in 1865. She was 13 years old. It is now in the collections of the Powysland Museum, Welshpool.

sampler

 

dog
DOG

bird
BIRD

123
123

teapot
TEAPOT

 

In the classroom: 

Design a pattern on paper for your own sampler. Try your hand at stitching – choose some cloth where the holes between threads can be seen easily (you can get cross-stitch material from hobby shops). Make your own design or follow the patterns below for some simple pictures made by using embroidery threads using cross-stitch (X).

 

Education

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