Odd Victorian Factoid #22

Odd Victorian Factoid#22: The word Boycott comes from Captain Charles Boycott who, in the 1870's, refused to give his Irish tenants a reduction in rent. So laborers and shops refused to work with him. They Boycotted him! His crops were harvested by volunteers from the north who worked under the protection of 900 soldiers.

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Odd Victorian Factoid #21

Odd Victorian Factoid#21: W.H. Mumler was the first amateur Victorian photographer to take pictures of departed souls! Finally, proof! Uh, he was later prosecuted for witchcraft and for obtaining money under false pretenses. The ghosts would appears as smudges behind or beside the sitter. He swore up and down he didn't tamper with the photographic plates. It was proof for believers and something else to scorn for skeptics.


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Odd Victorian Factoid #20

Odd Victorian Factoid#20: Child labour in the factories was reformed, but it continued in the farm gangs despite changes in the law, sometimes with children as young as six working full days. Women would sometimes drug their babies with opium because they needed to be free to work.

odd Victorian Factoid #19

Odd Victorian Factoid#19: In 1869 women were allowed to go to Cambridge University, but had to take separate exams from the men and weren't considered capable of studying Latin and Greek.

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odd Victorian Factoid #18

Odd Victorian Factoid#18: Queen Victoria died in the arms of her grandson, Kaiser Wilhelm II, German emperor. 13 years later he led Germany against England in WWI.

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Odd Victorian Factoid #17

"We're taking you to Calcraft" meant you were about to be hung, since William Calcraft was the official hangman for London and Middlesex from 1829-1874.

Yeah, that's a long time to be a hangman. Between 400 and 450 people met their end with Calcraft. He was also in charge of floggings.

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Odd Victorian Factoid #15

Odd Victorian Factoid#15: When the explorer Livingstone died in Zambia his heart was buried under a Mvula tree (a custom of the tribe he was living with). His body was carried a thousand miles by his faithful companions, Chuma and Susi, and was returned to London to be buried in Westminster Abbey.