By Tim Lambert

During the 19th century the Industrial Revolution transformed life in Britain and in other countries in Europe and North America. By the end of the century life was becoming more and more comfortable for most women.

In the 19th century at least 80% of the population was working class. In order to be considered middle class you had to have at least one servant. Throughout the century 'service' was a major employer of women.

For working class women life was an endless round of hard work and drudgery. As soon as they were old enough they worked on farms and in factories. Even when they married and had children housework was very hard without electricity or modern cleaning agents.


Furthermore in the 19th century most working class girls got some education. In the early and mid 19th century the churches provided some schools. After 1870 the state provided them.

The Family in the 19th Century

Divorce was made legal in Britain in 1857 but it was very rare in the 19th century.

In the 19th century wealthy women were kept busy running the household and organizing the servants. Well to do women often also did charitable work.

In 1874 the first successful typewriter went on sale (It was invented in the USA by Christopher Sholes) and the telephone was invented in 1876. These two new inventions meant more job opportunities for women. At the end of the 19th century new inventions like the typewriter and the telephone created more jobs for women.

Life became more comfortable for most women in the 19th century. James Simpson (1811-1870), who was Professor of Midwifery at Edinburgh University, began using chloroform for operations in 1847.

Meanwhile in the 19th century men and women practiced archery. In the late 19th century tennis, croquet and cycling were popular pastimes. Women first played at Wimbledon in 1884. Some intrepid women went mountaineering.

Women's Rights in the 19th Century

Meanwhile women gradually gained more rights during the 19th century. In 1849 American Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to gain a medical degree. In Britain the first woman to qualify as a dentist was Lilian Lindsay in 1895. The first woman to qualify as an architect in Britain was Ethel Charles in 1898.

In 1869 John Stuart Mill published his book The Subjection of Women, which demanded equal rights for women. Also in 1869 women in Britain were allowed to vote in local elections.

In 1893 New Zealand became the first country to allow women to vote in national elections. Meanwhile in the USA the first women's rights convention was held at Seneca Falls in 1848. The campaign for women's rights in the USA in the 19th century was led by Susan B Anthony (1820-1906) and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902).

A history of women's rights

There were many famous women in the 19th century. Two of them were Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole. They reformed nursing.

Elizabeth Fry played a key role in prison reform. Mary Kingsley explored parts of Africa. Ada Lovelace was a famous mathematician. Marie Curie (1867-1934) was a famous scientist. Maria Mitchell (1818-1889) was a famous astronomer. Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) was famous gardener. On 7 September 1838 Grace Darling rowed a little boat 1 mile through a storm to rescue 5 people from a steamship that had struck rocks. She became a heroine.

There were also famous women writers in Britain in the 19th century. Among them were Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Elizabeth Gaskell and George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans). In 1818 Mary Shelley published her novel Frankenstein.

Women's Clothes in the 19th Century


From the 1840s onward it was fashionable for women to have very small waists so they wore corsets. It was perhaps a precursor to cosmetic enhancements, particularly liposuction and surgical breast lift.


A number of inventions to do with clothing were made in the 19th century. The safety pin was invented in 1849. Henry Seeley invented the electric iron in 1882 but it did not become common until the 1930s. Dry cleaning was invented in 1855. The zip fastener was invented in 1893.

In 1863 Butterick made the first paper dress pattern.

Life for women in the 16th Century

Life for women in the 20th Century

A history of women's rights

A timeline of women's education

Famous women in the 19th century

A Timeline of Women in the 19th Century

My Youtube video about famous women in the 19th century


Last revised 2014