In the news1919–1939
Council Housing Construction Began in 1919
Following the 1919 Housing Act, local authorities began building council houses to replace slums, with over 1 million built by 1939.
Bexhill-on-Sea, 5 Aug 1911 – Marlow, 28 Mar 1994
9 facts2 sources
5 Aug 1911
Born in Bexhill-on-Sea
28 Mar 1994
Dies in Marlow, aged 82
He lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Bexhill-on-Sea.
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
In the news1919–1939
Following the 1919 Housing Act, local authorities began building council houses to replace slums, with over 1 million built by 1939.
What people wore
Domestic servants' uniform requirements
Female domestic servants were required to purchase their own uniforms, which consisted of striped cotton dresses for morning chores and a black dress with a white cap and apron for afternoon duties.
Getting around
Horses ruled the early 1900s streets
Before World War One, horses dominated town streets, pulling everything from carriages and taxicabs to delivery carts and buses.
Around the world · 1914–1918The First World War. From 1914 to 1918 the great powers fought in trenches across Europe and beyond; some 20 million people died. Brazil joined the Allies in 1917.
In the news1918–1928
In 1918, a limited number of women were allowed to vote, and by 1927 all women over 21 were granted the right to vote.
Music
Pianos as status symbols in 1916
In 1916, a single gramophone cost as much as 200 music hall tickets, making it a luxury item, yet families often saved for years to purchase a piano as a symbol of respectability. By 1914, there were three million pianos in Britain, and in 1916 alone, 40,000 were sold.
Daily life
Lighting in the home was rarely electric
Most late-Victorian and Edwardian families lacked electricity and relied on gas, or in rural areas, oil lamps and homemade rushlights.