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74-492: Hove, immediately west of the fashionable resort of Brighton, grew rapidly during the Victorian era : there were a few hundred residents in the 1830s, about 9,000 by 1861, and more than 36,000 by 1901. It became an urban district in 1894 and was incorporated as a municipal borough four years later. Rapid housing development was matched by a generous provision of public buildings: schools, dispensaries, hospitals, churches and

148-567: A balustrade . Below this, centrally placed, is an open pediment with elaborate carvings and a dentil cornice , which continues across the width of the façade below the parapet. Below the pediment is a tall, deeply recessed round-arched opening. At ground-floor level, flanking the Ionic-columned recessed entrance, there are groups of three tall straight-headed windows separated by pilasters and set below prominent entablatures with egg-and-dart moulding and decorative capitals in

222-549: A feminist movement developed. Parental authority was seen as important, but children were given legal protections against abuse and neglect for the first time towards the end of the period. Access to education increased rapidly during the 19th century. State-funded schools were established in England and Wales for the first time. Education became compulsory for pre-teenaged children in England, Scotland and Wales. Literacy rates increased rapidly, and had become nearly universal by

296-609: A town hall . In April 1890 the forerunner of Hove Borough Council, the Hove Commissioners, set up a committee to investigate how to establish a free library in Hove. Their view was that premises should be rented, as constructing a purpose-built library would be too expensive. The requirements of the Public Libraries Act meant residents had to vote on "the desirability of establishing a public library", and

370-479: A ballot took place in late March 1891. A majority of residents were in favour. By November 1891 the Commissioners had put aside £500 for the scheme, and William Willett was offering to rent the house at 11 Grand Avenue for £100 per year, rising to £150 in the third year. The £500 would not cover purchasing books, so the Commissioners asked wealthy residents to donate material. By the following month there

444-516: A collection of dolls , teddy bears , mechanical toys , toy trains , dollhouses , rocking horses and tricycles . Another focus is contemporary crafts and fine art. The museum also includes local history displays, and a collection of early cinema artifacts from the 1890s and 1900s. The toy collection traces its origins back to the 1950s, when Leslie Daiken founded the National Toy Museum and Institute of Play. Brooker Hall

518-604: A democracy. The political legacy of the reform movement was to link the nonconformists (part of the evangelical movement) in England and Wales with the Liberal Party . This continued until the First World War . The Presbyterians played a similar role as a religious voice for reform in Scotland. Religion was politically controversial during this era, with Nonconformists pushing for the disestablishment of

592-468: A disembowelling knife, a Japanese executioner's sword and a set of assegai spears. The library was immediately popular: by 1893 there were nearly 600 members, a reference library was created in January 1894, and the opening hours were extended to 11 hours per day with half-day closing on Fridays. By 1900 the hired premises were no longer suitable because of overcrowding and the sheer weight of books, and

666-455: A fashion among employers for providing welfare services to their workers, led to relative social stability. The Chartist movement for working-class men to be given the right to vote, which had been prominent in the early Victorian period, dissipated. Government involvement in the economy was limited. Only in the post-World War II period , around a century later, did the country experience substantial economic growth again. But whilst industry

740-464: A general principle of one vote per household. All these acts and others simplified the electoral system and reduced corruption. Historian Bruce L Kinzer describes these reforms as putting the United Kingdom on the path towards becoming a democracy. The traditional aristocratic ruling class attempted to maintain as much influence as possible while gradually allowing the middle- and working-classes

814-514: A high standard of personal conduct across all sections of society. The emphasis on morality gave impetus to social reform but also placed restrictions on certain groups' liberty. Prosperity rose during the period, but debilitating undernutrition persisted. Literacy and childhood education became near universal in Great Britain for the first time. Whilst some attempts were made to improve living conditions, slum housing and disease remained

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888-445: A major employer and industry in their own right. Expected standards of personal conduct changed in around the first half of the 19th century, with good manners and self-restraint becoming much more common. Historians have suggested various contributing factors, such as Britain's major conflicts with France during the early 19th century, meaning that the distracting temptations of sinful behaviour had to be avoided in order to focus on

962-488: A period between the 1860s and 1880s subject to spot compulsory examinations for sexually transmitted infections , and detainment if they were found to be infected. This caused a great deal of resentment among women in general due to the principle underlying the checks, that women had to be controlled in order to be safe for sexual use by men, and the checks were opposed by some of the earliest feminist campaigning. Hove Museum of Creativity Hove Museum of Creativity

1036-577: A permanent library building if a site could be found and purchased without a surcharge on the rates and subject to the principles of the Free Public Libraries Act. The site of a council depot on the south side of Church Road, already owned by the council but not yet fully paid for, was identified in that year, and after some difficulties it was chosen in March 1905. The depot was demolished later that year, and an architectural competition

1110-430: A rise in prosecutions for illegal sodomy in the middle of the 19th century. Male sexuality became a favourite subject of medical researchers' study. For the first time, all male homosexual acts were outlawed. Concern about sexual exploitation of adolescent girls increased during the period, especially following the white slavery scandal , which contributed to the increasing of the age of consent from 13 to 16 . At

1184-546: A role in economic life but exploitation of their labour became especially intense during the Victorian era. Children were put to work in a wide range of occupations, but particularly associated with this period are factories. Employing children had advantages, as they were cheap, had limited ability to resist harsh working conditions, and could enter spaces too small for adults. Some accounts exist of happy upbringings involving child labour, but conditions were generally poor. Pay

1258-517: A role in politics. However, all women and a large minority of men remained outside the system into the early 20th century. Cities were given greater political autonomy and the labour movement was legalised. From 1845 to 1852, the Potato Famine caused mass starvation, disease and death in Ireland, sparking large-scale emigration. The Corn Laws were repealed in response to this. Across

1332-463: A severe problem. The period saw significant scientific and technological development. Britain was advanced in industry and engineering in particular, but somewhat undeveloped in art and education. Great Britain's population increased rapidly, while Ireland's fell sharply. In the strictest sense, the Victorian era covers the duration of Victoria's reign as Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , from her accession on 20 June 1837—after

1406-518: A substantial part of the metropolis... In big, once handsome houses, thirty or more people of all ages may inhabit a single room Hunger and poor diet was a common aspect of life across the UK in the Victorian period, especially in the 1840s, but the mass starvation seen in the Great Famine in Ireland was unique. Levels of poverty fell significantly during the 19th century from as much as two thirds of

1480-475: A symbol of the British Empire. Queen Victoria died on 22 January 1901. The Victorian era saw a rapidly growing middle class who became an important cultural influence, to a significant extent replacing the aristocracy as British society's dominant class. A distinctive middle-class lifestyle developed that influenced what society valued as a whole. Increased importance was placed on the value of

1554-687: A time when job options for women were limited and generally low-paying, some women, particularly those without familial support, took to prostitution to support themselves. Attitudes in public life and among the general population to prostitution varied. Evidence about prostitutes' situation also varies. One contemporary study argues that the trade was a short-term stepping stone to a different lifestyle for many women, while another, more recent study argues they were subject to physical abuse, financial exploitation, state persecution, and difficult working conditions. Due to worries about venereal disease , especially among soldiers, women suspected of prostitution were for

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1628-461: A wide range of new inventions. This led Great Britain to become the foremost industrial and trading nation of the time. Historians have characterised the mid-Victorian era (1850–1870) as Britain's 'Golden Years', with national income per person increasing by half. This prosperity was driven by increased industrialisation, especially in textiles and machinery, along with exports to the empire and elsewhere. The positive economic conditions, as well as

1702-598: Is a municipally-owned museum in the town of Hove , which is part of the larger city of Brighton and Hove in the South East of England. The museum is part of Brighton & Hove Museums, and admission is free. Opened in 1927 by the Hove Corporation, the museum is located in a late 19th-century villa originally known as Brooker Hall . The museum has a toy gallery, called the Wizard's Attic, that includes

1776-456: Is now called classical music was somewhat undeveloped compared to parts of Europe but did have significant support. Photography became an increasingly accessible and popular part of everyday life. Many sports were introduced or popularised during the Victorian era. They became important to male identity. Examples included cricket , football , rugby , tennis and cycling . The idea of women participating in sport did not fit well with

1850-530: The Church of England . Nonconformists comprised about half of church attendees in England in 1851, and gradually the legal discrimination that had been established against them outside of Scotland was removed. Legal restrictions on Roman Catholics were also largely removed . The number of Catholics grew in Great Britain due to conversions and immigration from Ireland . Secularism and doubts about

1924-498: The Local Government Act 1972 it came under the control of East Sussex County Council . From 1 April 1997 it became the responsibility of the newly formed unitary authority of Brighton and Hove, now known as Brighton and Hove City Council . The building is now open seven hours per day except Wednesdays (nine hours) and Sundays (closed) and has a café and a range of computer equipment. Victorian era In

1998-570: The Pax Britannica , was a time of relatively peaceful relations between the world's great powers . This is particularly true of Britain's interactions with the others. The only war in which the British Empire fought against another major power was the Crimean War , from 1853 to 1856. There were various revolts and violent conflicts within the British Empire, and Britain participated in wars against minor powers. It also took part in

2072-669: The history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire , the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria , from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the Georgian era and preceded the Edwardian era , and its later half overlaps with the first part of the Belle Époque era of continental Europe. Various liberalising political reforms took place in

2146-587: The 'workshop of the world', Britain was uniquely advanced in technology in the mid-19th century. Engineering, having developed into a profession in the 18th century, gained new profile and prestige in this period. The Victorian era saw methods of communication and transportation develop significantly. In 1837, William Fothergill Cooke and Charles Wheatstone invented the first telegraph system . This system, which used electrical currents to transmit coded messages, quickly spread across Britain, appearing in every town and post office. A worldwide network developed towards

2220-587: The 1880s, sanitation was inadequate in areas such as water supply and disposal of sewage. This all had a negative effect on health, especially that of the impoverished young. For instance, of the babies born in Liverpool in 1851, only 45 per cent survived to age 20. It had been hoped that there would be a rapid improvement following the Public Baths and Wash-houses Act 1846. This was the first legislation to empower local authorities in England and Wales to fund

2294-413: The 19th century and germ theory was developed for the first time. Doctors became more specialised and the number of hospitals grew. The overall number of deaths fell by about 20%. The life expectancy of women increased from around 42 to 55 and 40 to 56 for men. In spite of this, the mortality rate fell only marginally, from 20.8 per thousand in 1850 to 18.2 by the end of the century. Urbanisation aided

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2368-550: The 19th century for the first time in history, improved nutrition, and a lower overall mortality rate. Ireland's population shrank significantly, mostly due to emigration and the Great Famine. The professionalisation of scientific study began in parts of Europe following the French Revolution but was slow to reach Britain. William Whewell coined the term 'scientist' in 1833 to refer to those who studied what

2442-454: The Bible. A variety of reading materials grew in popularity during the period, including novels, women's magazines, children's literature, and newspapers. Much literature, including chapbooks , was distributed on the street. Music was also very popular, with genres such as folk music , broadsides , music halls , brass bands , theater music and choral music having mass appeal. What

2516-490: The British Empire, reform included rapid expansion, the complete abolition of slavery in the African possessions and the end of transportation of convicts to Australia . Restrictions on colonial trade were loosened and responsible (i.e. semi-autonomous) government was introduced in some territories. Throughout most of the 19th century Britain was the most powerful country in the world. The period from 1815 to 1914 , known as

2590-553: The Origin of Species (1859), which sought to explain biological evolution by natural selection, gained a high profile in the public consciousness. Simplified (and at times inaccurate) popular science was increasingly distributed through a variety of publications which caused tension with the professionals. There were significant advances in various fields of research, including statistics , elasticity , refrigeration , natural history , electromagnetism , and logic . Known as

2664-454: The UK, including expanding the electoral franchise. The Great Famine caused mass death in Ireland early in the period. The British Empire had relatively peaceful relations with the other great powers . It participated in various military conflicts mainly against minor powers. The British Empire expanded during this period and was the predominant power in the world. Victorian society valued

2738-638: The Victorian view of femininity, but their involvement did increase as the period progressed. For the middle classes, many leisure activities such as table games could be done in the home while domestic holidays to rural locations such as the Lake District and Scottish Highlands were increasingly practical. The working classes had their own culture separate from that of their richer counterparts, various cheaper forms of entertainment and recreational activities provided by philanthropy . Trips to resorts such as Blackpool were increasingly popular towards

2812-451: The West." The rapid growth in the urban population included the new industrial and manufacturing cities, as well as service centres such as Edinburgh and London. Private renting from housing landlords was the dominant tenure. P. Kemp says this was usually of advantage to tenants. Overcrowding was a major problem with seven or eight people frequently sleeping in a single room. Until at least

2886-504: The accuracy of the Old Testament grew among people with higher levels of education. Northern English and Scottish academics tended to be more religiously conservative, whilst agnosticism and even atheism (though its promotion was illegal) gained appeal among academics in the south. Historians refer to a 'Victorian Crisis of Faith', a period when religious views had to readjust to accommodate new scientific knowledge and criticism of

2960-465: The architecture of Christopher Wren ). Other Wrenaissance-style local buildings of this era include Ralli Hall in Hove and 163 North Street, Brighton . Comparisons have also been drawn with the works of architect Edwin Lutyens , active at the time. The "highly inventive" building is of two storeys and is built of honey-coloured ashlar Doulting stone . The roof is hidden behind a parapet with

3034-411: The basis for welfare provision into the 20th century. While many people were prone to vices, not least alcoholism, historian Bernard A. Cook argues that the main reason for 19th century poverty was that typical wages for much of the population were simply too low. Barely enough to provide a subsistence living in good times, let alone save up for bad. Improvements were made over time to housing along with

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3108-513: The borough council formed a committee to investigate whether a permanent library should be built. In the interim, a larger building was hired at 22 Third Avenue, and Hove Library moved there from 23 June 1901. The library committee—apparently without the knowledge of the wider borough council—approached Andrew Carnegie , who was known for funding many libraries in Britain and abroad, for assistance in 1903. Carnegie agreed to donate £10,000 towards

3182-466: The building of public baths and wash houses but, since the act was only permissive rather than mandatory, improvement was slow. Conditions were particularly bad in London, where the population rose sharply and poorly maintained, overcrowded dwellings became slum housing. Kellow Chesney wrote of the situation: Hideous slums, some of them acres wide, some no more than crannies of obscure misery, make up

3256-489: The children in school; in 1840 only about 20 per cent of the children in London had any schooling. By the 1850s, around half of the children in England and Wales were in school (not including Sunday school ). From the 1833 Factory Act onwards, attempts were made to get child labourers into part time education, though this was often difficult to achieve. Only in the 1870s and 1880s did children begin to be compelled into school. Work continued to inhibit children's schooling into

3330-450: The circular library (above which sat the roof garden). To the right (west) is a reading room; to the east, subsidiary rooms and the staircase leading to the upper storey, from which the highly ornamented dome is visible. There is ornate plasterwork here and in the rotunda above the circular library. Inside the entrance hallway are a series of brass plaques bearing the names of Hove men who died on active service during World Wars I and II, as

3404-454: The death of her uncle, William IV —until her death on 22 January 1901, after which she was succeeded by her eldest son, Edward VII . Her reign lasted 63 years and seven months, a longer period than any of her predecessors. The term 'Victorian' was in contemporaneous usage to describe the era. The era can also be understood in a more extensive sense—the 'long Victorian era'—as a period that possessed sensibilities and characteristics distinct from

3478-463: The destruction of Hove Town Hall in a fire in 1966 and the need to rebuild it) and the opening of a branch library near St Thomas the Apostle's Church in the north of Hove. In December 1983, the contents of Hove's separate music library were integrated into the main library. Hove Music Library had opened a short distance along Church Road from the main library in March 1966. Major refurbishment work

3552-742: The diplomatic struggles of the Great Game and the Scramble for Africa . In 1840, Queen Victoria married her German cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha . The couple had nine children, who themselves married into various royal families, and the queen thus became known as the 'grandmother of Europe'. In 1861, Albert died. Victoria went into mourning and withdrew from public life for ten years. In 1871, with republican sentiments growing in Britain, she began to return to public life. In her later years, her popularity soared as she became

3626-437: The display of artworks and as a storage and viewing facility for deeds and manorial rolls relating to Sussex parishes. These have been moved to other facilities, but there is still a repository of Wolseley family papers. Money was left to Hove Borough Council to maintain the facility, and the room was refurbished in 1970. Abortive plans in the 1960s included an eastward extension of the library building (a project curtailed by

3700-474: The early 20th century. 19th-century Britain saw a huge population increase accompanied by rapid urbanisation stimulated by the Industrial Revolution. In the 1901 census , more than three out of every four people were classified as living in an urban area, compared to one in five a century earlier. Historian Richard A. Soloway wrote that "Great Britain had become the most urbanized country in

3774-424: The end of period. Initially the industrial revolution increased working hours, but over the course of the 19th century a variety of political and economic changes caused them to fall back down to and in some cases below pre-industrial levels, creating more time for leisure. Before the Industrial Revolution, daily life had changed little for hundreds of years. The 19th century saw rapid technological development with

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3848-453: The end of the century. Private education for wealthier children, boys and more gradually girls, became more formalised over the course of the century. The growing middle class and strong evangelical movement placed great emphasis on a respectable and moral code of behaviour. This included features such as charity, personal responsibility, controlled habits, child discipline and self-criticism. As well as personal improvement, importance

3922-470: The end of the century. In 1876, an American patented the telephone . A little over a decade later, 26,000 telephones were in service in Britain. Multiple switchboards were installed in every major town and city. Guglielmo Marconi developed early radio broadcasting at the end of the period. The railways were important economically in the Victorian era, allowing goods, raw materials, and people to be moved around, stimulating trade and industry. They were also

3996-516: The family, and the idea that marriage should be based on romantic love gained popularity. A clear separation was established between the home and the workplace, which had often not been the case before. The home was seen as a private environment, where housewives provided their husbands with a respite from the troubles of the outside world. Within this ideal, women were expected to focus on domestic matters and to rely on men as breadwinners. Women had limited legal rights in most areas of life, and

4070-441: The form of cherubs ' heads. At first-floor level are groups of three round windows with similarly elaborate moulded decoration consisting of garlands and swags . The roof was originally topped with a cupola , but it was removed as structurally unsound in 1967. An "impressive glass dome" lights the interior, which has been described as "spatially interesting". The entrance hall opens into an octagonal hallway and then beyond into

4144-438: The label 'Victorian', though there have also been defences of it. Michael Sadleir was insistent that "in truth, the Victorian period is three periods, and not one". He distinguished early Victorianism—the socially and politically unsettled period from 1837 to 1850 —and late Victorianism (from 1880 onwards), with its new waves of aestheticism and imperialism , from the Victorian heyday: mid-Victorianism, 1851 to 1879. He saw

4218-525: The latter period as characterised by a distinctive mixture of prosperity, domestic prudery , and complacency —what G. M. Trevelyan called the 'mid-Victorian decades of quiet politics and roaring prosperity'. The Reform Act , which made various changes to the electoral system including expanding the franchise, had been passed in 1832. The franchise was expanded again by the Second Reform Act in 1867. The Third Reform Act in 1884 introduced

4292-464: The library, along with various artworks and curiosities (all of which were moved to the new Hove Museum at nearby Brooker Hall when that opened in 1927). The old roof garden was replaced in 1925 by the Wolseley Room, named in memory of Field Marshal Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley and paid for by his daughter Frances Garnet Wolseley, 2nd Viscountess Wolseley . It was used both for

4366-420: The management of sewage and water eventually giving the UK the most advanced system of public health protection anywhere in the world. The quality and safety of household lighting improved over the period with oil lamps becoming the norm in the early 1860s, gas lighting in the 1890s and electric lights beginning to appear in the homes of the richest by the end of the period. Medicine advanced rapidly during

4440-444: The middle of the 19th century to 'diminished cruelty to animals, criminals, lunatics, and children (in that order)'. Legal restrictions were placed on cruelty to animals. Restrictions were placed on the working hours of child labourers in the 1830s and 1840s. Further interventions took place throughout the century to increase the level of child protection. Use of the death penalty also decreased. Crime rates fell significantly in

4514-457: The periods adjacent to it, in which case it is sometimes dated to begin before Victoria's accession—typically from the passage of or agitation for (during the 1830s) the Reform Act 1832 , which introduced a wide-ranging change to the electoral system of England and Wales . Definitions that purport a distinct sensibility or politics to the era have also created scepticism about the worth of

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4588-514: The population in 1800 to less than a third by 1901. However, 1890s studies suggested that almost 10% of the urban population lived in a state of desperation lacking the food necessary to maintain basic physical functions. Attitudes towards the poor were often unsympathetic and they were frequently blamed for their situation. In that spirit, the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 had been deliberately designed to punish them and would remain

4662-405: The second half of the 19th century. Sociologist Christie Davies linked this change to attempts to morally educate the population, especially at Sunday schools . Contrary to popular belief, Victorian society understood that both men and women enjoyed copulation . Chastity was expected of women, whilst attitudes to male sexual behaviour were more relaxed. The development of police forces led to

4736-402: The spread of diseases and squalid living conditions in many places exacerbated the problem. The population of England, Scotland and Wales grew rapidly during the 19th century. Various factors are considered contributary to this, including a rising fertility rate (though it was falling by the end of the period), the lack of a catastrophic pandemic or famine in the island of Great Britain during

4810-429: The town's war memorial on Grand Avenue does not have names. Grade II listed status, awarded in 1992, is given to "nationally important buildings of special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 1,124 Grade II-listed buildings and structures, and 1,218 listed buildings of all grades, in the city of Brighton and Hove. Hove Library was administered by Hove Borough Council until 1 April 1974, when in accordance with

4884-402: The war effort, and the evangelical movement's push for moral improvement. There is evidence that the expected standards of moral behaviour were reflected in action as well as rhetoric across all classes of society. For instance, an analysis suggested that less than 5% of working class couples cohabited before marriage. Historian Harold Perkin argued that the change in moral standards led by

4958-544: Was carried out in 1988–89, and the library was awarded Grade II listed status on 2 November 1992. Architecturally, the façade of Hove Library, designed in 1907 and executed between 1907 and 1908, has been described as "very much of its time" and "one of the most attractive" among "the many public libraries erected in the years prior to World War I ". The style has been called Edwardian Classical Revival , Renaissance , Edwardian Baroque and "Wrenaissance" (another term for Edwardian Baroque, referring to its associations with

5032-710: Was enough stock for the library to be opened, initially as a reading room only and with a caretaker rather than a full-time librarian (one was appointed in January 1892 though). Lending facilities began on 24 October 1892. As well as a wide range of books and periodicals, such as complete sets of Punch , the Encyclopædia Britannica and the Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales , collectors of curiosities and artworks such as Constantine Alexander Ionides had lent or donated various items such as reproductions of works by Michelangelo and Raphael,

5106-485: Was generally then known as natural philosophy, but it took a while to catch on. Having been previously dominated by amateurs with a separate income, the Royal Society admitted only professionals from 1847 onwards. The British biologist Thomas Henry Huxley indicated in 1852 that it remained difficult to earn a living as a scientist alone. Scientific knowledge and debates such as that about Charles Darwin 's On

5180-448: Was given to social reform. Utilitarianism was another philosophy that saw itself as based on science rather than on morality, but also emphasised social progress. An alliance formed between these two ideological strands. The reformers emphasised causes such as improving the conditions of women and children, giving police reform priority over harsh punishment to prevent crime, religious equality, and political reform in order to establish

5254-613: Was held to find a suitable design for the library. Of the 71 entries, ten were shortlisted and were scrutinised by RIBA president John Belcher . The design submitted by Percy Robinson and W. Alban Jones of Leeds was the winner, and the plans were signed off by the council in October 1906. After initial works started in February 1907, the foundation stone was laid on 10 June 1907 by the Mayor of Hove, Alderman Bruce Morison. F.G. Minter

5328-401: Was low, punishments severe, work was dangerous and disrupted children's development (often leaving them too tired to play even in their free time). Early labour could do lifelong harm; even in the 1960s and '70s, the elderly people of industrial towns were noted for their often unusually short stature, deformed physiques, and diseases associated with unhealthy working conditions. Reformers wanted

5402-547: Was the building contractor, having offered the cheapest bid (£9,999) during the tendering process; overall, construction cost £13,500. The new library was opened by Margaret Child Villiers, Countess of Jersey , on 8 July 1908. The two-storey building had a roof garden on the upper floor, to which a glazed screen was added c. 1913. A juvenile library was added in 1920 by converting the basement, and by that year nine staff were employed. Meanwhile, wealthy residents continued to donate thousands of volumes—including many rarities—to

5476-432: Was well developed, education and the arts were mediocre. Wage rates continued to improve in the later 19th century: real wages (after taking inflation into account) were 65 per cent higher in 1901 compared to 1871. Much of the money was saved, as the number of depositors in savings banks rose from 430,000 in 1831 to 5.2 million in 1887, and their deposits from £14 million to over £90 million. Children had always played

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