George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll

At the table

Cheap Gin Available for the Poor

During the Gin Craze, poor Londoners could get drunk for a penny or become dead drunk for twopence, leading to high levels of gin consumption among the lower classes.

What people wore

Respectability through Sunday best outfits

To maintain respectability, ordinary people strove to own at least two complete outfits, reserving the better one for Sundays, holidays, and leisure activities.

Getting around

Walking was the primary travel method

For most ordinary people, walking was the primary mode of transport, as stagecoaches and hired horses were often too expensive. Pedestrians typically traveled at an average speed of 3 mph, rarely exceeding 20 miles in a single day.

What it cost

Weekly earnings for workers

A skilled workman could earn up to two pounds per week, while farm labourers typically earned nine to twelve shillings.

Music

Evolution of popular dance and movement

Formal dancing evolved during this period from traditional country dances and minuets to include newer, intimate partner dances like the quadrille and the waltz, with the polka emerging by 1840. Early public performances of the waltz were known to involve energetic movements like hopping, stamping, and throwing partners in the air.

Daily life

Limited access to formal education

Formal schooling was not free or compulsory, so many children stayed home to help with domestic tasks or simple industrial work, often attending only Sunday School for structured education.